Unto the Breach
by SensiblyTainted
Summary: Izuku Midoriya's mother is afraid he will be taken away due to the rarity of psychic quirks and teaches him to keep it secret. But Izuku needs help saving the people in his visions and asks Katsuki Bakugou to help him. He finds out Kaachan has a secret, too - he's being abused. An unshakable friendship is born. By high school, their feelings grow. Can their love survive UA?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I hope you all enjoy my imaginings of how things could have gone in this incredible anime! Those of you who follow my Freedom series, I haven't stopped writing that. I have recently hit a lot of writers blocks for Defiance, and one advice was to try writing something else to see if that could help me.

.

**(( You do not have know the anime/manga to read this story! I will explain everything as I go! ))**

**.**

THIS STORY HAS DARK THEMES. I will try and give warnings.

**Warning!** This chapter contains: rape/non-con, child abuse, whipping, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, death.

That being said - this story is also about hope, overcoming pain, true friendship, and love.

**...**

**The Beginning**

It was just a quaint, suburban neighborhood on the outer reaches of a big city. Apartments and houses, small parks with screaming kids, groceries and convince stores, shops, some office buildings, stray cats and newspapers, just an ordinary neighborhood. In one of those small, cozy, little houses lived the Midoriya family.

Inko Midoriya was a young, single parent. She had black-green hair and lighter green eyes. She had boundless energy and enthusiasm, which was good since she had to work full time and still take care of her little Izuku.

Smiling as the sun finally filled the sky with golden light, she finished drying the dishes she'd used to make breakfast and turned to call her baby boy, only to jump, startled, to see little Izu standing in the doorway. He was staring at her, big tears rolling down his round cheeks, completely silent.

"Oh, baby!" She ran to him and scooped him into her arms. He was getting bigger, Izu having just turned four, but it was still easy to do and she did it as often as she could."What is it, baby? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Bigfoot got hit by a car, mama," her boy whispered, his chubby fingers tangling in her hair. "It hurt him so much."

"Oh, sweetie…" Inko rocked her son, cradling him in her arms. Bigfoot was a neighbor's dog. A fluffy thing that only came up to her knees. All the kids loved to play with him. "I'm sure Bigfoot is fine. It was just a dream, Izu."

Three days later, Bigfoot died. Hit by a speeding car.

A coincidence, Inko told herself, but she was worried.

…

"Mama! Mama!"

Inko smiled as she caught Izuku in her arms, having just opened his classroom door. The sun was setting, the sky turning a beautiful orange-pink outside the daycare's windows. "Yes, Izu?" She swooped him up onto her hip. It used to bother her that Izuku was always the last to be picked up, but the daycare teacher didn't mind and Izuku never seemed bothered being left there.

"Kacchan got his quirk today! His hands pop and flash! It was amazing!" Izuku cried directly in her ear.

She laughed and shifted him so that she wouldn't be deafened and gave a little wave to the teacher. She got a friendly wave in return. Turning, Inko carried her son out of the building and out on the street, listening to his happy babble. Kacchan featured in many of Izuku's school stories. Izuku had always been impressed with the other boy. For good reason, it appeared. Developing his quirk so early! It was amazing!

"Will I have your quirk, mama? Will I pull things to me?" he asked, practically bubbling over with excitement.

His hair was thick and messy, a slightly lighter shade of green than hers, a deep emerald. It was so soft. She loved to run her hands through it. She ruffled it now with a laugh, kissing his cheek. "Maybe you will. We'll just have to wait and see."

…

The house was too quiet. It was Inko's day off and she was busy getting caught up on all the house work. Drying her hands on a rag, she went in search of her son. She found him in his room, sitting on his bed, staring out the window.

"Izu?" she called, stepping closer. Suddenly she could make out his reflection in the glass and saw that he was crying silently, staring off into the distance. "Izu!" She pulled him away from the window and into her arms. "What is it, sweetie?"

"S-so many p-people… They get burnt up and big rocks fall on them…" Suddenly, a manic smile spreads across his face. "But I Am Here! saves the others. They hurt and they're scared, but He is there! He's a great hero, mama!"

"What? Izuku? What are you talking about?" Her heart pounded in her chest. She had absolutely no idea what he was saying, but no matter how she asked him, he wouldn't say anymore after that and grew quiet the rest of the day.

…

Three weeks later, the video of All Might's daring rescue, saving dozens, was uploaded on the internet, and Inko knows real fear. She pulls Izuku into the kitchen and sits him down on a chair. She pulls the other chair around to face his, close enough their knees touch. He's almost five now, getting so big, but he was still so young. His socked feet dangle several inches off the floor. He stared up at her with his happy smile, hair fluffy and ruffled. She can't help but smile even through her fear.

"Did you see the video, mama! I told you! I told you He was a great hero! His name's All Might, mama! Did you know that? I'm gonna be like All Might someday! When I get my quirk, I'm gonna be a hero!"

Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She captured Izuku's hands and held them in her own. She stared seriously into his eyes. "Izu. Honey. I'm a-afraid I have to tell you something really, really important." She had to protect him. Even if that meant hurting him. Steeling herself, she lied. "You're quirkless, Izuku. The doctor told me so, but I d-didn't think you were ready to know."

Izuku's whole face crumbled. "W-what? Mama?" He looked completely devastated.

Into cried as she crushed her son to her body. "You don't have a quirk, Izuku. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." She apologized to him all night. She held him as he cried, heartbroken, but it didn't stop her from doing what needed to be done. The very next morning, she reregistered him as quirkless at his school.

Izuku was quiet that week. He also came home scrapped up and bruised, but he wouldn't tell her how it happened. She didn't press for details because she knew how it happened. Word had spread. Just as she had wanted it to. Izuku was quirkless, and now he was getting bullied.

…

"I don't understand why you're being so mean!" Izuku cried, arms out flung to protect the crying Tamachan behind him.

They were at recess. The kids from their class watched with wide eyes, but the teacher had gone inside for a minute. They were alone. Izuku was squared off with a slightly bigger boy with spiky ash-blond hair and deep red eyes. Little lights sparked and popped on his palms.

Kacchan had always been loud and smart and the best at everything. Everyone loved him, their classmates and all the teachers, but ever since his quirk came, Kacchan had been so angry and aggressive. The teachers had stopped being so nice to him. It scared Izuku, but it also worried him a lot.

"Just because you're strong doesn't mean you should pick on people," Izuku told him, pleading with him to reconsider. "All Might would never do that, Kacchan!"

The blond boy went from angry to murderous in a second. "SHUT UP, DEKU!" he screamed, using the nickname he'd created to torment Izuku. Kacchan had called him useless ever since he'd learned that Izuku was quirkless. "YOU'RE JUST A STUPID WEAKLING! YOU CAN'T PROTECT ANYONE!"

"I can so!" Izuku yelled back, arms dropping to his sides as his little hands curled into fists.

Kacchan swung his hand up, palm facing him, and poppers went off, making him flinch, but Izuku refused to move, and when Kacchan shoved him, his eyes went wide. It was hot! He cried out helplessly and fell to the ground, shaking with the pain. There was a burnt hole in his shirt where Kacchan had touched him. His skin looked raw and blistered. Izuku burst into tears.

…

Katsuki tried to forget the whole thing, but he couldn't. He couldn't forget the red, blistered skin on Deku's shoulder from where he'd shoved him. Couldn't forget the sound of the deku's pained cries. He was home now, cold and shivering because the house was always turned down to sixty-five degrees. That wouldn't be so bad except he was naked. His mother wouldn't allow him any excuse to sweat and make his poppers. She said it a thousand times: Learn to control your quirk or I'll do it for you.

Right now she was yelling at dad. Money, it was always about money, although Katsuki didn't have any idea why. They lived in a big, two story house in the nicer area of the neighborhood. They had the newest appliances - nice computers and tvs. He'd seen other kids houses, and they were usually shitty apartments, so they couldn't be hurting for cash.

Dad tried to apologize like he always did. He tried to say how he was going to work harder, but that just made Mom angrier. Sometimes she would throw stuff around and break it. It set Katsuki's teeth on edge and he still couldn't forget he'd burned someone today, and got scolded by a teacher, and was assigned detention. Deku was a worthless loser, but he hadn't meant to burn him.

The sound of his mother yelling, his father's weak replies, the stress of the day, it was too much and his hand secreted a little liquid. Caught in his head, he didn't realize until it was too late and a little pop sounded as his palm flashed.

Katsuki went animal-still, terrified his mother had heard, and as soon as her heavy footsteps reverberated through the house, he scrambled to his feet. He was already breathing fast, his heart racing.

"Hands on the fucking wall, brat!" she spat at him, furious. "I told you, didn't I? Control your quirk, Katsuki, or I'll fucking do it for you! You want to grow up a villain? Huh? Do you? Well, that's what happens when lowlifes like you can't control their quirk! Their quirk controls them!"

The accusations almost hurt more than the beating would. "I'm not a villain!" he yelled defiantly through his tears. "I'm gonna be a great hero! Everyone says so!" All his teachers, all his friends - _You have a powerful quirk, Katsuki! Perfect for a hero! - You're so smart, Katsuki! A little genius! - You're so cool, Kacchan, no one's as great as you! -_ That last had his eyes flying wide as he remembered red, blistered skin.

"Everyone?" his mother asked darkly from behind him. "Everyone thinks you're a fucking hero, huh? You think the school wouldn't email me about the incident today during recess? About your pathetic detention? You fucking hurt that kid today, asshole. And you think you're a fucking hero? You're a pathetic loser, Kastsuki, destined to be behind bars."

Katsuki bit his lip, tears falling down his cheeks. He only put Tamazaki in his place because he'd called him a cheat! The stupid idiot was just mad that Katsuki had beat him at their last spelling test! It was Deku's fault for getting in the way! He hadn't meant to hurt him!

"Hands. Wall. Now," his mother growled. She looked coldly furious as she unbuckled her belt and pulled it through her pant-loops.

Katsuki grit his teeth and obediently walked over to the far wall. He was shaking, and he grit his teeth as he pressed his palms flat as hard as he could.

"I better not see a single fucking burn on that wall," she warned, dangerous as a snake.

Katsuki closed his eyes tight. The sound of the belt swinging through the air made him cringe and then SMACK! The leather bit into his naked skin, like acid, like fire. He arched, going up on his toes, and grunted, biting back sobs. If he cried too soon, she'd only get madder.

SMACK! - Burning searing pain. He wanted to scream - not yet, not yet! He was shaking, he was so cold. His skin was always white and shivering at home, his lips tinted blue.

"You can lie to everyone else, but not to me, Katsuki," his mother growled from behind him. "You're no fucking hero!"

SMACK! - A whimper escaped him. He was shaking hard. Forehead pressed into he wall, trying to press out the pain, block out the voice.

"You're just a fuck-up, Katsuki! A dangerous fuck-up!"

SMACK! - Katsuki bit his lip so hard blood welled and spilled down his chin.

"Your quirk's never going to fucking save anyone! All you can do is hurt and maim! A fucking villain through and through!"

SMACK!

It was all he could take! He broke, screaming as the belt licked an inferno against his cold skin. Tears drenched his face. He was practically clinging to the wall. "I'll be a hero! Promise, mama! Please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please! Mama, I'm sorry!"

A merciless hand grabbed him by the hair. Coldly furious eyes glared down at him. "Get out of my sight. You fucking disgust me."

Katsuki scrambled to obey. He hurt so much! Curling his arms around his chest, he staggered upstairs to his room. His bed had no sheets. It was just a bare mattress. Collapsing on it, he curled up and sobbed. He _would_ be a hero! He _would!_ He'd be the Number One Hero and no one would question him! Not even Mom! He'd be better than All Might!

He told himself this over and over until he cried himself to sleep.

…

Izuku had been quirkless for a little more than two years now. He secretly still wanted to be a hero. He didn't tell his mom, of course. She worried enough as it was. And he didn't have any friends at school to tell, either. In fact, as the only quirkless kid in class, he had zero chance of making friends. They all thought he was a pathetic weakling. Even his teachers pitied him, although they tried to hide it.

He still worried about Kacchan, but he'd learned to give his old friend a wide berth. It was hard, though. They were always placed in the same class because they both did so well at school. (Kacchan always earned the highest score and Izuku the second highest.) So he still came home with singed clothes and bruises on occasion when Kacchan couldn't be avoided.

Still, Izuku never saw him picking on anyone smaller than him again. The blond still got into a lot of fights. He was still angry a lot, and he talked like he was the best, and that attitude got him in a lot of trouble from the older kids. At first, Izuku worried, but it was okay because Kacchan always won. Izuku couldn't help being impressed! Kacchan even won against fourth grade bullies! And they were so much bigger than them!

Izuku still had weird dreams, too. He didn't tell anyone about that, either. At least, that's what he called them even though they usually happened when he was wide awake. They were scary and they hurt because in each and every one he watched something die, he _felt_ them die. Sometimes animals, but mostly people. They didn't happen often. At first he only remembered having them once or twice a year. Now he had one every couple months.

He tried not to think about them, but they wouldn't leave him alone. He'd see flashes of the visions in his nightmares and sleep became difficult. Sleep was so difficult in fact that he started to get sick from exhaustion. His mother, worried for his health, gave him half a sleeping pill for a week or two when it got really bad.

Then he figured out that if he wrote these dreams down, he could ignore them more easily and his nightmares came less often. So he had started to carry a special notebook with him everywhere. He was too scared of anyone else (his mom) finding it. He knew the things he wrote were really bad. He knew it would get him into trouble, so he kept it with him, safe. He had lots of notebooks anyway: school notebooks and his hero notebooks. It wasn't like one more would look weird.

But that all changed over summer break after he'd just turned seven years old. He was still too little to be left alone, so his mother always signed him up for summer camp. He dreaded it. He always got picked on worse than ever; the other kids were less distracted and so targeted Izuku more.

When he got to his assigned classroom, Izuku froze in the doorway. His normal teacher was not there. Instead a man with black hair that fell to his waist, large brown eyes with no whites in them, and thick lips stood at the front of the room. He looked soft and pretty like a girl, and he gave a Izuku a sweet smile.

"Come in. Don't be shy."

Even his voice was soft and melodic.

Izuku walked forward in a daze and took his seat. He tried to make himself as small as possible. His heart slammed against his ribs, his breath coming soft and fast. With shaking hands, he took out his vision notebook. There, in the middle, he stopped on a page.

_Windows lining the wall. Night time. Moonlight. Lifted from the floor. Carried. Can't move. Put on something hard on back. A person standing over me. Long hair. Big eyes, no whites. Pink gas(?). My pants pulled down. Feel it pulled down my legs. "Look at you, pretty. So good for me." The sound of a zipper. "You will make a great addition to my collection, little Tamachan." Cold hands lifting my legs. Pushing up. Bent in half. Something rubbing at my butt, cold, wet. "And, oh, I bet sweet Izuchan will feel so good wrapped around me next." Heavy. Person leans close, pressing legs flat to chest, can't breathe. Lots of pink gas. Person close to my face. "I'm not supposed to have favorites, but I'm going to remember your class for a long, long time." Tongue licking my lips and sucking. Something pressing at my butt. Big so big and hurts! Hurts straight up my back and into my stomach. It pushes inside more and more and I can't scream, can't move, can't breathe. Feels like it goes all the way to my throat. Finally stops and begins to leave but before it gets out it pushes back in faster. Punches my stomach from the inside. Hurts so much! Too full! It goes back out and punches in again and again. Can't breathe. Can't get it to stop. Hurts so much but can't cry. Then I break. Everything goes cold. The terrible thing goes away, but it's not better. "Wake up, wake up. You're just supposed to sleep. Just a little fun. You'll be fine. Wake up."_

Izuku shakily closed his notebook and looked up at their substitute teacher. Mr. Sato was reviewing math. There were only four other kids in the room. Tamachan sat at the front. He was smiling, his hand raised to answer the question. He grinned when Mr. Sato praised him for being correct.

…

Katsuki loved summer break. He got away from the stupid idiots at school and got the house to himself. He'd learned a lot of control over his quirk, so it wasn't so bad at home anymore. Good thing, too, because his poppers had become mini-explosions. The house was still set to sixty-five and he wasn't allowed a sweater, but he could keep his clothes on, which was better than being naked. He'd gotten used to being cold, and it was probably for the best. If he got sweaty and something happened on accident, he could blow up half the house. And it wasn't like they could afford a mistake that big. Plus his mom would beat him to death. A sick feeling of fear coiled in his gut as he imagined her fury.

He was just chilling on the couch, watching tv, when there was a frantic knock on the door. Frowning, Katsuki got up and padded to the door. He had strict instructions not to answer the door, leave the house, cook anything on the stove, or use the microwave, so he just kind of stood there, arms crossed, and frowned as the knocking continued. Then he heard it.

"Kacchan! Are you home? Kacchan?"

Katsuki sneered. It was stupid Deku. He would have ignored it except for the pleading he heard in that voice. Before he really thought about it, he unlocked the dead bolt, unstrung the chain, and flung the door wide.

"What the hell do you want, Deku? Is school even out yet?" he snapped with a hot glare. A wave of summer heat washed over him and he almost melted in pleasure, but then the panicked, pale face of Deku really registered. "What the fuck?" he demanded, his heart beginning to beat faster.

"I-I need help, Kacchan! Real help! I th-think something bad's gonna happen to Tamachan!" Tears welled up in Deku's eyes and spilled over his freckled cheeks, which wasn't unusual, but there was something about him this time that set Katsuki on edge.

"Shit. Get in here before the neighbors see!" Katsuki didn't give the kid time to obey. He grabbed Deku by his shirt collar and yanked him inside the house. He slammed the door shut behind him. "Now what the fuck's going on?"

Deku was sweaty and nervous. His hands twisted the straps of his backpack ruthlessly. His head was ducked, making his hair hide his face from view.

"If you're just going to stand there, then get the hell out!" Katsuki snarled when he couldn't stand the tension any longer.

Deku jumped as if Katsuki had hit him. He practically lunged forward and grabbed Katsuki's arm. "No! Please! Kacchan! Tamachan's gonna die! We have to save him! I-I can't do it alone!"

"What the fuck are you talking about, Deku?" He lifted his free hand warningly, holding it close to Deku's face. He wouldn't really explode him, especially not in his own house, but Deku didn't know that. "You better start giving me details or you're gonna regret it."

And out came a flood of words, Deku's eyes staring at Katsuki's palm in honest terror. Something about the substitute teacher and it being dark and breathing some gas quirk in Tamazaki's face. It didn't make a bit of sense. Katsuki dropped his hand in frustration.

"You saw him do this, Deku? What the hell? Why are you telling me? Go tell the cops or something!"

And then Deku - shaking, shivering, quirkless Deku - showed him a notebook. Katsuki was gonna laugh at first. How pathetic that Deku was going so far to pretend he had a quirk! But then he really started to read some of the entries, and holy shit! They were seriously messed up! Deku couldn't have thought of this shit. Not even Katsuki could think this shit up! The entry on Tamazaki was…

Katsuki didn't even think Deku really understood what he was writing about, but Katsuki still vividly remembered his mother's lecture from a few months ago, right before school started, about pedophiles and what they'd do to him if he was ever stupid enough to go with a stranger.

He stared at his friend, the gruesome death book in his hands. "The hell, Deku? You have a quirk?"

Deku's eyes grew even wider. "Quirk? No… I'm quirkless…"

"Not if you can see the future, idiot!" Katsuki growled. He closed the notebook and hit Deku over the head with the binding sharply.

Deku held his hands over his sore head, pouting. "But I checked the library! That kind of quirk is really, really rare, Kacchan! I can't have a quirk like that! Mom can pull small things to herself and Dad breathed fire! How could I get such a rare quirk? Besides! Lots of those dreams never came true. Only some of them!"

Katsuki stared at the idiot in absolute bafflement. He'd have thought the stupid kid would jump at the chance of a quirk. Well, it wasn't like it was his business. Deku was still a deku. He opened the notebook again and found Tamazaki's entry.

"Sounds like he's in the classroom. On the teacher's desk?"

"But it's so dark!" Deku wrung his hands, shifting from foot to foot. "If it's night, how'd Tamachan get there? M-Maybe it isn't true?"

Katsuki knew Deku didn't believe that. He wouldn't have come to _him_ of all people if he didn't know deep down that something wasn't right. Deku had to know that if this was all made up and it had come from Deku's twisted brain, Katsuki would kill him.

So that's how Katsuki ended up going to school over summer break. He told his mom that he was bored and didn't want to risk blowing up the house. He was beat with the belt for that. For the first time in weeks - He'd been so good! - She was so furious that she even drew blood, breaking his bruised skin in several places. _"You better control your quirk, you pathetic asshole! Or I fucking will!"_ \- but she signed him up for class.

He told the teacher - his back a throbbing, stinging mess that he stoically ignored - that he'd forgotten what day class started and that's why he missed the first day. That made a total of six, four boys and two girls, in the class of rejects and losers who couldn't be trusted home alone or were so dumb they needed the extra tutoring. He seethed - his back in agony - that he was now counted among their number and glared bloody murder at Deku every time the wide-eyed, trembling weakling dared to glance his way.

He even risked the wrath of his mother to sneak out with Deku in the middle of the night to check the school, which they couldn't keep up forever. They were gonna get caught eventually! Seriously, summer break was only four weeks long and it was already week three - his back had finally healed, so at least that was something - and nothing had happened.

Katsuki was getting ready to blow Deku's head off with an explosion when Mr. Sato suggested they have a little fun before the next term started. A sleepover at the school and a test of courage. Deku went pale as a ghost and Katsuki gave a grin. Finally!

…

Izuku was a bundle of nerves as his mother dropped him off at the school with an All Might sleeping bag, his backpack, and a boxed dinner. The sun had already set and only a few hallway lights were on inside the building. It looked like he was the last one to arrive. His whole class was gathered at the entrance around Mr. Sato.

Izuku watched, agonized, as Mr. Sato spoke to his mom and made her laugh. All the parents really liked Mr. Sato. A few commented on how they wished he could stay their teacher. Izuku caught Kacchan sullen glare. The blond was standing at the edge of the crowd, not really joining in. His parents were nowhere to be seen.

Soon enough all the parents left and they were being ushered into the building, Mr. Sato locking it securely behind them. He led them to their classroom so they could lay out their sleeping bags, then the fun would begin.

Izuku tripped over someone's bag on the way into the room and went sprawling. He ignored the laughter and scrambled to his feet. Kacchan was by the teacher's desk, against the wall, under the window. Izuku hurried to his side.

"We're not friends, Deku," Kacchan growled at him when he came to a stop beside his sleeping bag. "Go somewhere else."

Izuku blushed red and scurried to another spot, but he was careful to keep Kacchan in sight. His heart wouldn't stop pounding. He felt sick with worry. What if they couldn't help Tamachan? What if nothing happened and his dreams were just dreams? He felt tears burn his eyes and a classmate pointed at him, laughing and calling him a baby for being homesick already. Izuku turned away and clutched his backpack close to his chest.

"Alright, kids." Mr. Sato clapped his hands. "I'm going to turn off all the lights and we'll see who can find me first. Mr. Bakugo, you're the best at reading the clock. Give me five minutes to hide, okay?"

Izuku stared at Kacchan, stomach churning to pieces, but Kacchan just rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. Whatever."

The lights went out in the classroom. Then in the hallway. Some of the kids began to pull out their flashlights. Izuku reached into his bag and pulled out his own. It had All Might on it and it gave him courage. He didn't turn it on, though, just held it close.

He was way too nervous to play, so he stayed in the classroom alone while everyone else went in search of Mr. Sato. Izuku sat in the dark and listened to the tick of the clock. It was getting warm in the room. The air conditioner must be on a timer and had turned off for the night. Feeling lightheaded, Izuku managed to open one of the windows.

After awhile, everyone came back laughing and talking loud. Mr. Sato told them to eat their snacks while he read a spooky story. The girls screamed at the scary parts and hid inside their sleeping bags. The boys laughed.

"Alright, everyone. Last bathroom break. Hurry up now, it's time for bed."

Mr. Sato made sure everyone was tucked in and had their flashlights off. Izuku stared across the distance and watched the shine of Kacchan eyes, taking comfort from the fact his friend was still awake. He blinked when Mr. Sato crossed into his field of vision and said something to Kacchan, crouching over him.

Izuku went tense in his blankets. His heart felt like it was going to leap out of his mouth, but then Mr. Sato stood and closed the window, going back to this spot behind the teacher's desk. Izuku covered his mouth, knowing he was breathing too loud and too fast. He stared wildly at Kacchan, feeling almost like he was going to scream, but this time Kacchan was looking back at him. He met Izuku's eyes and didn't look away. They were clear and fearless, even in the dark. It made Izuku relax a bit. Kacchan was with him. It was going to be okay.

Izuku smiled, his whole body relaxing, his eyes getting heavy. Everything was going to be okay. But… wait… Kacchan… He was glaring. He was _angry_. And he was glaring right at Izuku. Izuku's heart rate picked up, the memory of his shoulder burning jolted him a little more awake.

And he realized with a start that there was a pink haze beginning to fill the room. Kacchan already had his mouth and nose covered with his t-shirt. Izuku scrambled to copy him. He tried not to breathe in. He heard a rustling. Turning over very carefully, he saw Mr. Sato crouching over Tamachan.

"Come on, sweetie. Come lay with me for a bit…" Mr. Sato crooned sweetly. The pink haze was coming from his mouth. "That's it."

Tamachan was lifted from his blankets and carried over to the desk.

Izuku's heart about stopped. He turned as quickly as he dared to stare at Kacchan, eyes wide and frightened as he heard secondhand what he'd felt in the vision.

Kacchan held his finger up. _Wait._

Izuku laid tense and rigid in this sleeping bag.

"Look at you, pretty. So good for me." The sound of a zipper being pulled down. "You will make a great addition to my collection, little Tamachan."

Izuku glanced up to see the barest of shadows of Tamachan's legs being lifted to his chest.

"And, oh, I bet angry, little Katsuki and sweet Izuku will feel so good wrapped around me next." In the softest of whispers, Izuku heard Mr. Sato say close to Tamachan's face, "I'm not supposed to have favorites, but I'm going to remember your class for a long, long time." Then there was the sound of a wet kiss.

Izuku bit back a whimper. His vision was beginning to tunnel. He remembered the feeling of something pressing into his body, the unbearable _pain _of that horrible stretch, pushing up into his stomach, suffocating him. He began to cry, hands stuffed over his mouth to smother the whimpers and gasps, completely overwhelmed. But he also felt something else. He felt something hot and urgent burn in his chest. He wasn't going to let Tamachan die! He was going to save him!

…

_Shit!_ As soon as Katsuki saw the wild look in Deku's wide, tearful eyes, he knew what was going to happen. The little idiot flung himself out of his sleeping bag and leapt up onto the desk where that sicko had just pushed his dick all the way inside Tamazaki's ass.

Katsuki dropped his dad's cell phone that he was using to record this, and leapt to his feet. He slammed open the window he'd strategically chosen to sleep under and took a deep breath of fresh air before turning back to the fight.

The sicko had predictably flung Deku away. He turned just in time to see Deku hit the chalkboard face-first hard enough for blood to spatter and for the boy to bounce off and land in a crumpled heap on the floor. Katsuki's heart thundered in this chest, terrified he'd just witnessed Deku get murdered before his eyes.

Their teacher didn't look harmless anymore. He looked like a demon from hell! He wasn't wearing pants and his thing was swollen and huge, standing straight up. Katsuki had never seen a penis look like that; it was terrifying as he realized the sicko had put _that_ inside his classmate! A huge pink cloud of smoke was shooting from the sicko's mouth and nose. He lunged at Katsuki and the window, face twisted in a snarl.

Katsuki bared his teeth, lifted his hand and blew the fucking window to pieces. _Let's see you close the window now, fucker!_

The explosion was loud and bright, making the sicko flinch back. The other windows along the wall rattled loudly with the blow. There was still too much pink fog in the room. Katsuki dove for his phone and dialed emergency, but before the call connected, he was kicked in the face.

Pain exploded through his entire head. A loud ringing roared in his ears. He gasped, vision black, completely disoriented, and felt so sleepy. Heart thundering in his chest, Katsuki knew that he was going to die. This bastard wearing no fucking pants was going to kill him and probably blame all this on Katsuki's quirk going crazy. And all he could think about was the belt beating his back and his mother's furious growl demanding: CONTROL YOUR QUIRK! _Fuck!_ Katsuki rolled his hand palm up, felt the explosive liquid coat his palm and let go his strongest blast yet before falling into unconsciousness.

…

The explosion was enough to rock the entire building. Mr. Sato, standing above Katsuki, about to slam his foot down and end Katsuki's life, was blown backward with great force. His face and torso were badly burned. The lights directly above Katsuki shattered. Sharp pieces of plastic and metal fell on the kids below, cutting some of them, but the explosion had gotten the attention of people in the neighborhood and help arrived quickly.

Tamazaki ended up being allergic to Mr. Sato's sleeping gas and was in critical condition for several hours, but he stabilized with medical intervention and made a full recovery. Izuku had a broken nose and a concussion, but he was alive. Katsuki had a minor concussion, whiplash, and bad bruising on one side of his face. A few kids had needed stitches from the falling lights, but overall Izuku and Katsuki had succeeded: Tamazaki didn't die and Mr. Sato was put behind bars for a long, long time thanks to Katsuki's cellphone recording.

…

Izuku was sitting at the kitchen table. He hadn't spoken much at the hospital and his mom didn't seem to require it. She fussed over him and cried and promised the bad man would never hurt him again, but that was yesterday. Now he was home. He watched her, trying to gather the courage to speak. She was at the sink, washing the breakfast dishes.

"Mom."

She turned to face him, attentive. She looked tired. Her shoulder length hair was pulled up in a messy side ponytail and she looked a little pale. She hadn't slept since yesterday, he knew. Izuku bit his lip for a moment, hesitating.

"Mom… I think I have a quirk."

For a split second, his mom just looked at him, but then her face crumpled. He stared, wide-eyed, as his mother rushed to him, wrapping him almost painfully tight in her arms, and began to cry. "Izu. Did you see what that man was going to do? I'm so sorry, Izu!"

"I have a quirk," he said it again, just to hear it. His heart pounded hard and fast in his chest. He was going to be a hero!

His mom pulled away enough to look in his face. She was on her knees in front of his chair so that they were eye-level. "Honey. You've got to promise me never to tell anyone about your quirk. Promise me, Izuku!"

"What? Why?" He gasped, shocked at this very notion.

"Izuku…" His mom's hands tightened painfully on his shoulders. He suddenly felt very small and afraid. He'd never seen his mother look like that. "Izuku, not all quirks are equal. Those with a psychic quirk like yours, well, they don't stay around long. There are powerful people out there, Izuku. They will do whatever it takes to stay that way. And that means stealing people like you. Do you understand, Izuku? If that kind of person finds out about your quirk, they will take you away. I'd never get to see you again, Izuku. You'll be locked away forever. There would be no school, no friends, no heroes." Tears rolled down her cheeks as he stared at her. "So you have to keep it a secret. You can't tell _anyone_, Izuku. Not anyone." She hugged him again. "I'm so, so sorry, honey, but you have to stay quirkless, okay? Please. Promise me! Promise you won't tell anyone!"

Izuku cried soundlessly - his fleeting hope of telling the world he wasn't quirkless shattered into a million broken pieces inside his chest. But then he remembered Tamachan waving goodbye to him at the hospital and felt something strong and warm grow deep inside him. Even if he had to pretend to be quirkless, he _would_ be a hero, just like All Might!

…

"What do you want, Deku?" Katsuki growled tiredly. It was hot and his head and neck still hurt. He didn't want to be at the neighborhood playground talking to the stupid Deku.

Deku took him by the hand and pulled him over to the cave-like enclosure that kids could play inside and climb all over. At least it wasn't as bright in there, but it was even hotter. Katsuki growled and yanked his wrist out of Deku's grasp. "Don't pull me around, Deku!" he yelled and shoved the kid right off his feet.

Deku fell on his ass, but he barely reacted otherwise. He just stared up at Katsuki with a strange look on his battered face. A white bandage was still taped on his nose. His eyes and cheeks were darkly bruised. Katsuki scowled at him, making half of his own bruised face throb even harder.

"Mom said I can't tell anyone about my quirk. She said she kept it secret because people would take me away if they knew. Powerful people would make me use my quirk for them." Deku took a deep breath, his expression shifted, became determined. A strange light entered his eyes. "I'm going to be a hero! Like you and All Might! Even if I have to pretend to be quirkless, I'm going to do it!"

Katsuki laughed in his face. "There's no such thing as a quirkless hero, Deku. You'll have to come out about your quirk sometime."

Deku met his eyes, determined. "Not if you help me."

Katsuki stopped laughing. He stared at the kid in shock.

Deku grinned. "I don't care about people knowing it's me. They can think it was all you. Like with Mr. Sato. I just want to help people! If I get more visions, then you'll help me save them, won't you, Kacchan?"

Katsuki kicked dirt right into the kid's stupid face. "No fucking way! I'm going to be a hero on my own! I don't need you!"

Deku didn't cower away this time. He jumped to his feet and grabbed Katsuki's arm, eyes glowing with passion. "It's not like you wouldn't really be saving them, Kacchan! _Please!_ I've thought about it a lot! That stuff in my notebook really is going to come true!" Tears filled his large green eyes. "We have to help them, Kacchan! They need us! They're going to _die_ if we don't save them, and I can't do it by myself!"

"Get off me!" Katsuki flung the other boy away from him, sending Deku tumbling back on his ass. He was breathing hard. His palms were slick. He had to cool it or he was going to kill them both. "Fine! Shut up about it already, Deku!"

He crossed his arms, secretly wiping his palms on his shirt. "If you recognize something from your fucked-up notebook, I'll help you." He took an aggressive step forward, pointing a finger in the other boy's stupidly grinning face. "But don't think this makes us friends, Deku! You better only talk to me if it has something to do with your shitty quirk! You got that?"

"Yes, Kacchan! I will!" Deku promised, smiling like the idiot that he was.

…

At first, nothing was different, and Katsuki began to relax. Deku kept away from him like he promised. In fact, autumn came and went, and he began to forget about the night he blew up the sicko. It was now the last week of school before winter break. The first snow had fallen, leaving the streets and yards full of quickly melting slush. Katsuki had an impromptu slush fight with Ito and Yoshida. Both took hits to the face while Katsuki walked away clean. He was still laughing and calling them losers when he saw Deku.

The idiot was standing in the middle of the walkway about fifteen feet from the entrance of the school. He was standing perfectly still. There were some older kids grouped up, gawking at him, pointing - laughing - jeering. One asshole even threw slush at Deku's face and the stupid idiot didn't even flinch.

Katsuki stalked up, scowling fiercely. The other kids quieted down, watching expectantly to see what he'd do. "What the hell, Deku?" he growled as fiercely as he could. He came around Deku's side and turned to face him.

The kid was standing stock-still, eyes wide and glassy, looking at nothing in particular. His expression was eerily calm, but fat tears rolled down his cheeks. He was completely silent. Slush slid off one side of his face and plopped on his shoulder and he didn't even blink. Katsuki knew instantly this was Deku's stupid quirk. His heart began to pick up speed even as time seemed to come to a crawl.

He could feel everyone's eyes on him and it made him want to punch Deku in the face, to prove he was strongest, but he could also feel those eyes on Deku. They would figure out something wasn't right. _They'll take me away, _he heard Deku's voice in his head. So he should just punch him and snap him out of it… Except Katsuki knew it was Deku's _quirk_.

What if breaking him out of it meant Deku missed some of the vision? _They're going to _die_ if we don't save them!_ Katsuki felt himself take a half-step back. Fear crawled up his spine and it reminded him of the belt. It reminded him of his mother beating him until he broke and begged her to stop. It reminded him of his vow. _I will be a hero! I'll be even better than All Might! _His heart kicked in his chest, time resumed normal speed. Katsuki had made his decision. _I have to protect Deku's quirk. So I can save people and be a hero. _

Katsuki was known as a hothead. He was faster, stronger, and better than everyone else. His _quirk_ was stronger than everyone else's, more dangerous, more powerful. But what people sometimes forgot because of his loud and abrasive personality was that he was also _smarter_. In less than sixty seconds, he'd had a mini-panic attack, factored in the expectations of those around him, made a decision and acted.

"Shit, Deku," he said loudly because he always spoke loudly. "Is it your grandmother? Did she kick the bucket finally?"

The watching crowd gasped at his cruel words, but they were also enthralled by it. Only a few of the weaker idiots looked upset.

Katsuki growled and grabbed Deku's wrist. The move looked rough, but Katsuki made sure to be gentle. "You're such a goddamn burden. Why'd you have to be my neighbor?" he growled as if talking to himself and tugged Deku into the school.

Deku never once pulled back or resisted. He followed tamely along, eyes still open wide with silent tears rolling down his face.

Katsuki didn't bother taking off his shoes and pulled Deku into the nearest bathroom just a little down the hallway. He pushed the idiot carefully into a stall and shut the door. He stood outside it, arms crossed, glaring murderously at anyone who tried to come in. Unsurprisingly, the weaklings turned around and left.

It took almost ten minutes before he heard the scuff of feet on tile. Katsuki spun around and thew open the stall door. Deku blinked at him. He was rubbing his nose with his sleeve, tears still spilling down his stupid, freckled face, but the terrible look in his eyes made Katsuki swallow back a barrage of insults.

"I-I've g-got to w-write it d-down," Deku whispered in a soft, sad voice.

Katsuki watched with a glare as the idiot fumbled with his backpack and pulled out the notebook of death. The useless loser leaned his shoulder against the wall of the stall, hands shaking, and tried to write inside the notebook with nothing bracing it except one small hand. Katsuki growled. He grabbed Deku by the arm and practically threw him at the far wall of the bathroom.

"Sit down and write it right, idiot!" he snapped.

Deku slid down the wall and obeyed, using his knees as a table.

Katsuki stood over him until it was done. He opened his mouth to ask what Deku saw, but closed it again. He didn't want to know what could make Deku look like that. Once the idiot was done writing, his hand fell limply at his side. His horrible notebook still sat open on his lap and he stared down at it blankly.

Katsuki growled and kicked his foot. "I'm going back to class. You go to the nurses office until you feel better. Tell them you're sad your grandmother's sick. Tell your mom that's your cover story. She'll back you up because she wants to keep your quirk hidden, right?"

Deku looked up at him, terrible knowledge in his eyes, and slowly nodded.

Katsuki bared his teeth warningly. "Don't screw this up, Deku! We have people to save," he growled and stormed from the bathroom, leaving Deku behind.

**End.**

**A/N: What do you think? Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Confessions and Baseball Bats**

Once Izuku made the decision to work with Kacchan in secret to save as many people as he could, he looked at his death book differently. It quickly became clear that his promise was not going to be easy to keep. Most of his visions were about people he didn't know, in places he didn't recognize. Even if he recognized the place, he didn't have dates or times. He couldn't be everywhere all the time! He shared his concerns with Kacchan.

"You really are a deku," Kacchan had growled, almost choking him by the twisted grip he had on Izuku's collar. "You have to control your quirk, idiot! You have to train it! And figure out a way to show me this stuff because maybe I'll recognize it." He'd shoved Izuku away so hard he'd fallen on his butt. "I'm not a shitty deku like you, after all."

Kacchan was right, of course. He was so amazing and smart! He really was going to be a great hero! So Izuku grit his teeth and got to work. He begged his mom for art classes. He got sketch books and art pencils, so that he could draw the landmarks that he saw in his dreams for Kacchan. He also asked for a camera. He took pictures of scenes and then tried to remember the smallest details from just that one look. Then he checked the photo to see how much he got right and made note of how much he missed. He also began to take a lot of long walks, ranging further and further from his house, to be familiar with as much of the city as he could.

Kacchan, meanwhile, began to study computer science. The blond had realized that it would be essential if they were going to prevent Izuku's visions. In a lot of them, Izuku heard names, but not everyone had their information set to public. Kacchan's goal was to be able to hack social media networks so that even if accounts were set to private he could get their information.

Izuku was awed by this strategy and did his best to learn all he could about computers, too, but he was so busy mapping the city and working on his art and observations skills that he didn't really have the time or the opportunity Kacchan did. This resulted in Kacchan becoming a budding hacker while Izuku's merely became good at researching what was freely available.

Izuku also began to analyze his quirk and look for patterns. Just before his eighth birthday, he made a breakthrough…

…

Midnight found Izuku huddled in the same little cave on the playground where he'd met Kacchan a year ago. A single streetlight cast murky light across the silent park. It was the second week of July, so even this late at night it was hot and humid. Guilt choked him, hot shame burning his belly; Izuku was afraid he'd be sick. A pitiful moan escaped him.

"What the hell did you call me out here for, Deku?" Kacchan snarled as he ducked into the cave.

Izuku was trembling, tears streaked his face, but he tried to speak clearly. "I figured it out. The timing of my visions. I checked and double checked. Every one we found out about on the news came true before the next full moon. Every one."

That could be within days of the vision or as much as three and a half weeks after. It was good information to have. It helped him narrow down when a vision was going to come true, but it also meant…

"That's all you had to say?" Kacchan snarled. "What the hell does that matter?"

Izuku closed his eyes. His voice broke and trembled. "That means… It's not just a few of these visions that have come true, Kacchan!" He whimpered out a sob, arms wrapped tight around his chest. "It's all of them! Even the ones we didn't hear about on the news… They're all dead… I couldn't save them…"

Rage suddenly filled Izuku's chest with a burning agony that he didn't know what to do with. He was just a kid! And he'd seen so much suffering, _felt_ it, and wanted so _desperately_ to help, but he couldn't! He _couldn't! _

Izuku gave a choked scream and beat his hands against the hard ground. He reared up and slammed them down again and again, screaming hoarsely until the rage bled away into exhaustion. He curled over his knees and broke down sobbing.

"I'm s-stupid and u-useless! I was s-supposed to s-save them! A-and I d-didn't!" He was practically wailing at this point. "I th-thought I m-might be a-able to s-save some of them! I thought I st-still had t-time! That it h-hadn't happen y-yet!" His voice cracked and broke, dropping to a heartbroken whisper. "They're all dead, they're all dead, they're all dead…"

He gasped as warm arms suddenly wrapped around him, stopping his litany of guilt and shame. Kacchan had pulled him into an almost painful hug. The blond's hand fisted the back of Izuku's shirt, the other fisted his hair roughly, pressing his face to the the blond's shoulder, almost smothering him, but Izuku gasped and shuddered and curled into that painful hold.

Kacchan held him until he stopped shaking and his breathing became quiet. Then he shoved him away. Izuku would have fallen, but he caught himself, bracing his hand against the hard dirt. Kacchan was sweaty from the the cave and from Izuku's body heat. His hair was matted to his forehead. His scowl was fierce, his eyes burning hot like his palms before an explosion.

"They're dead, so there's no point in crying over them," Kacchan growled coldly. "Work harder, Deku. Bring me something I can work with. I'll save the losers in your shitty visions."

"Kacchan…" Izuku breathed, heart feeling so big it could burst.

Kacchan growled and kicked dirt at him before turning to crawl out of the playground cave.

Izuku felt new tears spill down his cheeks, but this time in gratitude. He wasn't alone. He wasn't going to suffocate under this impossible burden. Kacchan was there; he would help hold Izuku up! He'd help him save them, the people Izuku felt die in his dreams! "I love you, Kacchan," he gasped, voice raw with sincerity.

The blond froze, half out of the cave. His turned and stared at Izuku with wide eyes.

Izuku flinched, afraid of an angry outburst, but he couldn't drop Kacchan's wide gaze. It was true. He loved him so much. "I love you," he said again, this time barely a whisper.

The blond turned fully around to face him, crouching just in the entrance. His arms were outspread, his hands gripping the lip of the cave. His expression was shocked. His mouth parted, but no sound came out.

"You're so amazing and strong and smart," Izuku babbled, trying to escape whatever painful fate awaited him for his reckless words. He flung out his hands as a weak shield, his words tumbling faster. "You wouldn't let people die, I know that! Because you're a hero, Kacchan! But…" Izuku ducked his head, his heart pounding hard in his chest. It was like he had no control over his mouth. His heart poured from his lips. "You d-don't have to take c-care of me to s-save them, but you d-do take c-care of me, Kacchan. You p-push me to get st-stronger. You're the only one who _b-believes_ I can be stronger. I…" He clutched his shirt over his pounding heart. "I love you, Kacchan." Suddenly he was looking up. Meeting the blond's hot, ruby gaze once more. "I'll do my best. For you. For them," he gestured at his notebook. "I'm going to make you proud of me, Kacchan. I promise!"

Kacchan turned and ran.

…

Katsuki ran as fast as he could out of the playground and across the street. There was a fountain there. A stupid one with a fish on top spitting a thin stream of water. Katsuki desperately flung himself forward and shoved his hands into the water just as he felt his iron control slip.

He was blind to reality, Deku's shocking words sinking deep claws into his mind - Deku staring at him with those wet, shining eyes, hair black in the low light and sweaty, clinging to his tear-streaked cheeks. - _"You're a hero, Kacchan!" - "I love you." - "I'm going to make you proud!" _

Adrenaline dumped into Katsuki's system. His palms sizzled even under the water. Steam wafted from the surface. He felt like his face was going to combust instead of his hands. He'd never heard anyone say those things to him! Never! Teachers at school, his friends - they all sang his praises, of course. They told him he'd be a great hero_ one day_… Once he was stronger, older, controlled his temper better, spoke properly, grew bigger, got more experience - the list was endless and each item just hammered home _he wasn't good enough now! _

He'd come to hate those words with a passion: _one day. _All he heard when they said those two words was his mom's voice yelling over and over that it was all for nothing. That he was going to be a villain no matter what he did or said now. He was destined for prison, his hands capable of only evil. But to Deku… To Deku he _already_ was a hero…

Sudden tears burned his cheeks, a sob escaped his throat. It was triumph and disbelief… Because some part of him had believed his mom. That's why he was so desperate and angry. He was furious at how _unfair_ it was! He wanted to be like All Might, and deep down he'd believed her when she spat at him that he never fucking would be, but she was _wrong_. He _wasn't_ a villain. He was already a hero. He was!

"_I love you."_

Another sob wracked his frame. No one… No one had ever said that to him… Not his parents, not a friend or teacher… - Huge, wet eyes the color of emeralds even in the dark, shining with so much emotion - _"I love you."_

Katsuki shuddered and recognized the cold coil of tension in his gut as fear. Was he afraid? Of what? Of losing Deku's love? Afraid it was fake? Afraid Deku was full of shit and didn't know what he was talking about? He didn't know, but those simple words terrified him and made him burn at the same time.

"_I love you."_

"Fucking Deku," he gasped, shaking, tears streaming down his face. "Fuck fuck fuck!"

Slowly, he began to grow calm. Katsuki let his hands slip from the nearly boiling water. He was still trembling slightly, still shaken, but… But he also felt powerful. - _"You're a hero, Kacchan!"_ \- Eyes narrowed, Katsuki clenched his hands into fists and made his way home. He had to get stronger. He had to do better and help that shitty Deku. He was Izuku's hero, after all.

Cheeks flushing red at the mental use of his friend's name, a manic grin began to stretch Katsuki's face. Izuku - It felt daring using that name even just in his head, forbidden somehow, dangerous. Teeth a sharp slash of white in the dark, Katsuki jumped in the air and pumped his fist. His palm gave a muffled pop and he laughed.

_I'm a hero, _he told himself over and over._ I'm a hero._

The next morning Katsuki found Izuku waiting for him at the corner of his street. He was fidgeting and anxious, his teeth chewing his bottom lip. He wouldn't meet Katsuki's eyes and stuttered and awkward "good morning".

"The fuck's the matter with you?" Katsuki growled grumpily, ignoring his own pounding heart.

"A-are… Are y-you mad at m-me, K-Kacchan?" Izuku asked, peering through his bangs at Katsuki, hope and fear making his eyes wide and shinning.

Kastsuki flushed and stomped past the other boy. "Shut up, Izuku. You'll know if I'm mad at you."

He heard Izuku gasp behind him and then the pounding of his feet as he ran to catch up. Katsuki took a quick glance from the corner of his eye and saw that the other boy was smiling, his whole face lit up with joy. Katsuki looked away, his blush darkening, but he was smiling, too.

…

_Two months later / mid-September_

One minute Izuku was brushing his teeth, sleepy from just waking up. The next…

_A dark alleyway. Running. Falling. Breasts heaving as he gasps in fast, panicked breaths of putrid air. Adrenaline sears his veins, his heart thundering as terror grips him hard. His eyes blur with tears even as he scrambles across the pavement, his back hitting a rough wall. A man walking oh so slowly toward him, mouth stretched in a horrific grin. A bloody baseball bat is clenched in one of his hands, the top dragging across the pavement._

"_I'm going to fix you…" His voice is high and manic, insane. "Not quirkless after all…" He laughs hysterically, coming dangerously close to Izuku. "I can fix you perfect… Make you all better… You just have to almost die…" Another giggle. "It'll only hurt for a minute and then you'll be allllll better."_

_Izuku screams, high and utterly terrified. His hand, slender with long nails, reaches out, pleading, shielding - _stop please I'll do anything ANYTHING NOOOO! _\- The bat swings down. CRUNCH! PAIN! It's blinding, shredding his nerves, seizing his whole body! Hot, wet puddle under him - blood and piss - He screams and screams! WHACK! Can't scream any more past the blinding agony - bones and flesh breaking - terror rips his mind to pieces - WHACK! - and SNAP the bitter cold of death ends everything…_

Izuku blinked his blind eyes, reality slowly coming into focus. He was standing in front of his bathroom mirror. Toothpaste foam slowly dripped down his chin, his arm was locked frozen in mid-brush. Silent tears streaked his pale face, his freckles across the top of his cheeks stark in the bathroom light.

He began to shake and dropped his toothbrush blindly into the sink. Not bothering to spit, swallowing the minty foam, he dove back into his room for his Death Book. He knocks books and papers from his desk as he scrambles for his pencils. They go flying, clattering to the floor.

Izuku is on his knees, curled over the notebook, writing furiously as he clings to the vision even as his minds flinches away from the terror and pain - _his arm burning - the bat shattering his forearm - oh god it hurts so much! - his shoulder dislocated, collarbone fractured - his chest caving in with a sensation of butcher knives impaling his lungs_ -

STOP! he screamed at himself! Those details aren't helpful! He scrambles to _remember! _

A poster, new enough that Izuku saw it even in the dark, past the killer, white with a red circle, black words. Izuku outlined the image furiously on a blank page in his notebook. Red brick walls. Old. Crumbling. The smell of a rank dumpster. Dry. Night. Dark but there was enough light that he'd been able to see pretty clearly.

Izuku closed his eyes tightly. Where was the light coming from? Yellow, at the mouth of the alley, a faint flicker. The buzz of neon? It's quiet. No music. No voices. No crowds. The killer's footsteps click on the pavement, the drag of the wooden bat grates with every step.

Izuku's mind winces away from the man's image. Punching his thigh hard, he forces the image clear. Blond? Light brown hair? Crew cut. Thick eyebrows. Big. Almost blocking out the mouth of the alley completely, but was it because of his vantage point? Tank-top, black. Jeans. Boots. Muscled but not bulky. No tattoos. No scars. Would be registered as quirkless. Mid-twenties. Horrific smile…

Izuku shuddered, a whimper wanting to escape his throat. Think! What else! Paper - flyers? - on the ground. They'd been in her field of vision at the very beginning, before the killer started walking closer and her attention had shifted upward, locking on his terrifying face. He remembered - white boarder, a half circle of yellow, black lettering, big at the top, getting smaller toward the bottom…

Izuku's hand stilled. It was all he could remember. Shuddering, he held the open notebook to his chest and allowed the sobs to take him.

…

Izuku was late to school. He was pale and withdrawn, not that anyone cared or noticed. He had no friends. He was unassuming and shy on a normal day, so his teachers didn't particularly notice when he was distracted.

He didn't hear a word of any of his teacher's lectures, didn't take down the homework. He was too busy feverishly working in his Death Book, flushing out his sketches of the poster he'd seen on the alley wall and the flyer crumpled on the ground. He also did his best with a rough sketch of the man's face even though it was crap and made him break out in a cold sweat the entire time he worked on it.

When he had done as much as he possibly could, he looked up and found red eyes glaring back at him from the front of the room. Kacchan… Nothing much had changed since Izuku's awkward confession to the other boy, but Izuku could feel a difference. For one Kacchan actually used his name sometimes, and he hadn't once received a barrage of insults or been tossed around since then. It made Izuku giddy. Maybe Kacchan thought of him as a friend now?

It made Izuku unbelievably happy to finally have a real friend, and a friend that he admired so much on top of it, but there was no time now for those thoughts. All he could see was the vision and the burning hope that _this_ time he had enough details that he might actually be able to _help_. He held that hot glare and rose to his feet, slipping his notebook into his bag. The teacher stopped talking and looked at him expectantly.

"I need to use the restroom," Izuku said softly.

The teacher nodded and went back to his lecture.

Izuku quickly hurried for the door. There were several other bathrooms closer to his class, but instinct had him rushing to the bathroom near the entrance where Kacchan had once dragged him when he'd had a vision at school in front of everybody. Thank god that hadn't happened again!

(The need to keep his quirk a secret was a constant itch under his skin. He never once forgot the frank terror on his mother's face - _"They'll take you away.")_

Izuku flung himself into a stall and shut it, waiting. It took about ten minutes before he heard the outer door bang open and Kacchan's growl cut through the silence.

"Deku."

Izuku scrambled clumsily out of the stall. "K-Kacchan… look," he whispered, hurrying to the blond's side.

Kacchan had his arms folded, a fierce scowl etched on his features, but he didn't hesitate to take the Death Book from Izuku's hand. He deftly open it to where Izuku had dog-eared this morning's entry. Red eyes scanned the page, noting every detail of the narrative and memorizing the sketches.

Izuku stood silent, afraid to distract him, hands wringing painfully before him. He bit his lip. _Please be enough this time, _he prayed. As soon as red eyes lifted from the page to meet his own anxious ones, he blurted, "Full moon is twelve days away."

"I think I know what area this might be in," Kacchan said slowly, eyes never leaving Izuku's. "After school, we'll scout the area, try to pin down the exact alley."

Izuku nodded frantically, hope blooming in his chest and making tears sting his eyes. "Okay."

Kacchan snapped the notebook closed and thrust it hard into Izuku's chest, making him take a clumsy step backward. "Get back to class, Deku. You've already been gone too long."

Izuku offered him a trembling smile and darted out of the bathroom obediently. His heart thrummed in his chest, his blood sang. They had a plan! He felt invincible, like nothing could stop him. He slipped the Death Book back into his bag, silently vowing, _This time we'll save you. Whatever it takes, we'll save you_.

…

After school, Katsuki climbed the steps out of the station three stops down from their neighborhood, his mind racing.

Even if they found the alley, they couldn't exactly sneak out every night for two weeks. They couldn't help anyone if they were locked in their bedrooms, nor could they afford having their parents watching their every move afterward. He'd have to hope those posters could give them a better date and time somehow. And he'd have to try to hack the quirk registry for the city. He wasn't good enough to do something like that, but he'd have to try. Deku's drawing wasn't the best, but he had a good written description of the killer. If they could uncover his identity…

Then what? Katsuki could explode him? _("Don't fucking kid yourself! You're no hero; you're a fucking villain, Katsuki. You'll never amount to anything else with those fucking hands of yours. All you're good for is pain and death.") _His imagination flashed up an image of Deku's stricken expression after he'd watched Katsuki murder the killer, and Katsuki wanted to simultaneously puke and punch the fucking loser in the face for daring to look at him like that!

Katsuki's bones creaked as he clenched his fists tight. What the fuck was he supposed to do?! He certainly couldn't get the police to arrest the killer before he actually committed a crime. Outting Deku's quirk wasn't an option. Sure, it'd save this one chick, but what about all the others Deku would see?

With a flash, he remembered the surprising rage contained in Deku's small body as the boy beat his fists brutally against the ground. Katsuki had never been more shaken; it had propelled him to grab the smaller boy into an awkward hug. Anything to stop the uncharacteristic and frightening display of rage.

"_You're a hero!"_ \- _"I love you!"_ \- and Deku's tearful eyes staring at him with hope and desperation as he shared his latest vision… Katsuki's heart beat itself against his ribcage as his mind raced in circles to find an answer he didn't have. The pressure of Izuku's expectations squeezed his chest so tight that he began to gasp for air. His eyes darted to the side, knowing that if Izuku was staring at him with those heavy, hopeful eyes he was going to lash out and shatter Deku's fucking face.

Katsuki felt his fists loosen along with the band that had begun to constrict his chest. Izuku wasn't look at him at all. He wasn't hunched in the way he normally was or had his head ducked to avoid attention. He wasn't even weepy. His eyes were crystal clear with pure determination. Izuku looked around with surprisingly sharp attention, taking in every alley they passed, studying the fronts of buildings, the pavement, the walls. He wasn't following blindly and making it Katsuki's sole responsibility; he was marching beside Katsuki, fighting the only way he could.

Katsuki took a deep breath and his panic bled away. Shame stained his cheeks red. He was a fucking coward. (His mother's voice rang: _"You'll never amount to anything, you fucking asshole!")_ His first real test and he'd nearly crumbled. Fuck! Katsuki grabbed the anger that was always simmering deep in his soul, fueled by his mother's hateful words, and put his fucking brain to goddamned use.

If they could find out the killer's identity before he killed that woman, they could stalk him. A fucking insane piece of shit like that would be a fuck up. They could catch him doing something else illegal. It didn't matter as long as they got him on something and the police locked him up. Katsuki felt a fire start deep in his gut. They _would_ be heroes, and they'd stop the assholes in Deku's visions for good! Defiance rang out from Katsuki's soul as he added to himself, _Without killing them. _

"We're here," he said shortly, simmering. He grabbed Deku's arm to get his attention. "This the logo you saw on the poster?"

Deku's head came around and his eyes widened. He gave a firm nod. "Yes!" He turned to give Katsuki a wide-eyed, admiring look. "How'd you know?" The store wasn't a chain and it had only recently opened.

"Mom shopped here for the grand opening sale. I remember the bags. They have the same logo." He looked around at the busy six-way intersection they stood on the corner of. "Bet they put their posters up all over to advertise, but it's still so new I doubt they put them up in any other neighborhood yet. Your alley must be around here somewhere. Come on." Still holding tight to Deku's arm he marched off down the sidewalk. Deku came willingly, matching his pace.

It was nearing dusk when they finally found it. They were two blocks down from the store on the opposite side of the neighborhood as the station. As soon as Deku saw the shitty, dead-end alley, his whole body went tense, his freckles standing out sharply against his now pale cheeks.

"H-here. It's h-here," he whispered, feet seemingly rooted to the spot.

Katsuki let him go and strode into the alley. He heard Deku give a little whimper, but he ignored him. The alley was short, about twenty-five feet long, and dead-ended into a makeshift fence of boxes and debris stacked over ten feet high. There was a dumpster, but it probably didn't get regularly emptied from the smell of it. They weren't in the nicest part of town, that was for sure.

Looking up, Katsuki saw a rusted fire escape. Half of the joints that should have been welded to the brick wall had come off. It would likely come completely off the wall if any significant weight was applied. Then again, if the building was on fire, Katsuki would take his chances rather than burn to death.

"Kacchan?"

Deku's voice puled him from his racing thoughts and he stopped his tense pacing up and down the alley. "Shut up, Deku," he snapped angrily. "I'm thinking about how to fucking stop this guy. You should be, too."

"Can't use your quirk," Deku said softly, green eyes worried.

Katsuki's head snapped around. A rage unlike any he had ever felt began to burn up his throat and down his arms to his palms. Was Deku, of all fucking people, who claimed to love him, who called him a hero, talking shit about his fucking quirk?! The betrayal burned so badly he almost couldn't hear past the roar in his ears.

Deku back-stepped and put his hands up as if to ward of blows. He spoke fast, desperation and fear lacing his voice. "It's illegal to use quirks without a license, especially in a fight! And your quirk is so distinctive! The police will figure it out eventually! I don't want you to get in trouble, Kacchan! We should use it as a last resort! An ace up our sleeve!"

Katsuki felt the rage slowly release him and he harshly wiped his hands down his thighs to dry them. "I know that, Deku," he spat, still boiling.

"I'm sorry, Kacchan," the fucking loser whimpered, eyes wide and worried. "I didn't mean to make you so mad."

"Shut up, Deku!" he snarled, grabbing the crybaby and shoving him back. "I said I got it!"

The stupid Deku was right. The semi-rejection of his quirk still hurt, but Deku's concern for him helped soothe his anger. And calling his quirk an ace up their sleeve. Surely that meant Deku wasn't worried Katsuki was going to kill someone with it. He took a deep breath and fought the anger and hurt down.

"We can hide. You're smaller. You should climb the shitty fire escape. Drop down with a bag. Pull it tight over his face. Blind him. I'll come from down low. Hit him in the back of his knees. He'll fall. I'll get the bat from him…"

"A taser," Deku piped up, voice and body language tentative. "That should knock him out. We could tie him up after…"

His voice trailed off, but Katsuki was busy making a running list of supplies they'd need and didn't see the shift in the other boy's expression. Not until Deku began to speak again, voice low - almost too low to hear.

"When he comes to, the police are going to think he's a victim not a killer."

"The fuck?" Katsuki blinked. "That girl will tell them…" His voice trailed off.

Deku had that fucking scary look on his face. The one that told Katsuki he knew terrible, _terrible_ things that Katsuki didn't want to know. His skinny arms were wrapped around his thin chest as if to hold himself together; his eyes were huge and filled with silent tears. When he spoke again, his voice was almost devoid of emotion.

"She was so _scared_, Kacchan. She could hardly breathe around it. As soon as we knock the guy down, she's gonna run. Run hard and fast. If the police ask around later, she won't come forward. She won't want to go anywhere near this guy again."

In a blinding flash of insight, Katsuki realized that Izuku saw these fucking vision from the victim's perspective! He wasn't some floating spirit; he saw what they saw, _felt_ what they felt. Fuck, he probably _died_ with them each and every time. It made Katsuki's blood go utterly cold.

Holy. Fuck.

And here Izuku was, willing to stand and face the man who had fucking brutally _killed_ him just this morning in his vision. He was standing in the same filthy alley willing to face a psycho with a baseball bat, _knowing_ how it would feel if they fucked up.

(Another memory surfaced, of the terror on Izuku's face when they went to that fucking school sleepover to confront that pervert sicko teacher. If Izuku had felt what Tamazaki had felt… Katsuki remembered that thick rod standing swollen and hard as it was ripped from Tamazaki's body. And instead of cowering away curled up in a pathetic ball, Izuku had flung himself at that sicko. Katsuki had no idea if he could have done the same, not if he'd known firsthand what it had felt like to have that sicko's thing _inside_ him.)

Katsuki swallowed hard, bile at the back of his throat.

"We'll have to t-tase her, too. Or…" Tears spilled down Izuku's bloodless cheeks. His emotionless voice broke to reveal terrible pain. "Like Tamachan… let him…"

He couldn't believe Izuku of all people could voice such ruthless thoughts! Fucking blown away, Katsuki said what Izuku could not bring himself to finish. "We have to let him hit her, so there'll be proof he's a killer. She didn't die until the third hit, so she should still be okay if he only hits her once."

At Izuku's absolutely sickened look, Katsuki found himself yanking the other boy forward into another awkward hug. It wasn't like Katsuki had a lot of fucking practice. He couldn't be doing it too badly, though, because Izuku practically clung to him. Hot tears soaked Katsuki's shirt where Izuku had his face buried. His smaller frame had begun to shake and his muffled sobs filled the alleyway.

"We have to save her," Katsuki continued, voice hoarse. Izuku had completely surprised him; he hadn't understood what Izuku was capable of at all, hadn't seen his courage for what it was. "But we also have to save _all_ of them. If the killer gets away…"

"H-he'll kill s-someone else," Izuku continued brokenly. "S-someone I m-might not h-have a v-vision about. And it will be m-my fault."

Katsuki's arms tightened around the other boy, a feeling of fierce protectiveness nearly closing his throat. He would never think of Izuku as a coward ever again. "I promise you. We're going to stop this fucking asshole, Izuku."

Izuku's head came up, his wet green eyes wide at the use of his name just as Katsuki had hoped.

Katsuki gave him a fierce grin. "Turns out deku doesn't mean useless. It means never give up, huh? Because I was wrong. You're a fucking hero, Izu. The girl will get hurt, but she'll be alive. And so will all the other people who this fucking asshole would have killed if we let him get away with this."

Izuku's flung his arms around Katsuki's neck, shaking, but he wasn't crying anymore, so that was a win, right? Katsuki shifted uncomfortably, but he held Izuku close. What else could he do?

**End**.

**A/N:** I think Izu has a crush :P … I'd really love feedback if you have a quick minute … See you soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I am LOVING how many of you are into this story. THANK YOU SO, SO much for the support!

**The Second Daring Rescue**

Katsuki hadn't been able hack the quirk registry - a well-protected government database. He wasn't even good enough to hack the grocery store! He was good enough, however, to get ahold of blackmarket assholes who had the info he needed, but he didn't have the type of cash it would have taken to buy it. Two hundred and fifty thousand yen for an unofficial list of all the quirkless people in the city! Katsuki couldn't even imagine that much fucking cash!

But that was okay; he'd thought of a new plan. Every day after classes (they had told their parents they had to stay late at school all week to work on a long-term group project), they patrolled the block with the alley. Those flyers with the yellow half-circle had been fresh debris from that day or maybe one day before, so until they saw that flyer somewhere on the block, they didn't have to sneak out in the middle of the night.

It was a risky plan, but it was all they had. And it worked. Four days later they found a man standing outside a store not far from their alley, calling out about some big sale. On his flyer: a yellow half circle and lots of black font.

Katsuki looked over at Izuku, red eyes bright with adrenaline, his mouth pulled into a vicious grin. "I'll meet you at the station no later than eleven. If this asshole doesn't show up and we're not caught sneaking back in at dawn, we'll say we're spending the night at each other's houses and come back again tomorrow night."

Izuku had gone pale, but his eyes were dry. There was no hesitation in his answer. "Alright. I'll bring the caffeine pills and bag."

Katsuki gave a dangerous grin. "I'll bring the taser and rope."

Izuku nodded firmly, not a tear in sight. "And don't forget to bring a mask. The girl might see us."

…

10:30pm.

Izuku slid out of bed and quickly stripped out of his pajamas. He got dressed in all black, grabbed his All Might halloween mask off his desk, and shoved it into the backpack that already had everything he needed already in it. He pulled his yellow sneakers on and tied the laces, wincing. He needed dark shoes; they were way too bright.

10:36pm.

Izuku opened his bedroom door very carefully. His mom's room was next to his. Their apartment was tiny: two small bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, a kitchen, and an entrance way. The living room also served as the office. Against the far wall sat a desk with their only computer, which was an older boxy model. Izuku's heart thundered in his chest, but his hands didn't shake as he pulled his bedroom door closed behind him and tiptoed down the short hallway into the living room.

10:37pm.

The street lamp out front blazed outside their living room window. Even with the curtains pulled shut, he had enough light to see by. He bit his lip and slunk to the front door. The chain was old and rattled no matter how careful he was trying to unhook it. He cringed; his mother had the ears of a bat. Turning the bolt, he opened the door as far as it could go and slipped outside. He used his key to lock the bolt behind him.

They lived on the second floor of the apartment building, so he had to carefully creep down the old, creaky stairs to the street. If he woke up any of their neighbors, they would immediately try to stop him and alert his mother. As soon as his feet hit the pavement, Izuku bolted.

10:46pm.

Ten minutes of silence had finally elapsed since the last noise Katsuki had heard in the living room. He slipped fully dressed from his bed, dropped to the floor, and grabbed the backpack he'd prepared days ago from under the bed. Quickly, he pulled his sneakers on his feet and a black beanie over his ash blond hair. Then he crept to his bedroom door, opened it as softly as he could, and peered out. The hallway was lit with a nightlight. It was empty.

10:50pm.

Pulling his bedroom door closed behind him, he tiptoed down he hallway and down the stairs. At the bottom, he moved with perfect confidence in the dark and was quickly across the living room and at the front door without a single misstep.

10:52pm.

Taking a deep breath, he found the alarm pad by touch and entered the code to disarm the security system. It beeped, the sound piercing the silence. Katsuki froze and waited, but he didn't hear his parents' bedroom door open. Taking a deep breath, Katsuki carefully slid the chain off the door and turned the bolt. Then he was out. He shut the door behind him, used his house key to relock the bolt, and sprinted down the street toward the station. He'd make it, but only if he ran all the way there.

11:00pm.

Katsuki came to a halt, breathing hard. He found Izuku shifting his weight nervously, his eyes wide. Katsuki grabbed his hand and they ran down the stairs. The last train heading to the neighborhood with their alleyway left at exactly 11:03pm.

Katsuki let Izuku go to use both hands to vault over the turnstile. He heard Izuku do the same behind him. It was late at night and they were small and fast; the stupid guard didn't even notice them. The train was already on the platform and they ran down the stairs two at a time. The doors were closing.

Katsuki threw himself between them and turned, gasping for breath. Izuku was right behind him and slipped through just as the doors snapped closed. He was breathing hard, too. Katsuki grinned, wild and free. Izuku managed a shaky smile in response, his eyes were bright and clear. They'd done it!

As they caught their breath, Katsuki looked around. There were two business men in the train car with them and they were staring with suspicious eyes. He glared and opened his mouth to cuss them out when Izuku spoke first.

"We were playing cops and robbers with our friends. We're on our way home now," Izuku explained with sweet innocence. He turned to Katsuki, voice bright. "Can you believe Macchan almost found us? We're going to have to find better places to hide next time!"

Katsuki let the kid babble, Izuku was good at that. It was usually annoying, but he had to admit it came in handy this time. Izuku talked non-stop all the way to their destination. The two businessmen were still in the car when they got off, but they had long ago grown bored from Izuku's chatter and had tuned them out. Katsuki grabbed Izuku's wrist and pulled him off the train.

…

Izuku was quiet as they entered the dark alley. It was just like his dream: the two flyers crumpled at the entrance, the poster on the wall, the smell. The only thing that was different was the fact that there were a good amount of people still walking around past the mouth of the alley.

"Alright," Kacchan said softly. "Let's get set up, okay? Where exactly was the girl when the asshole…" He trailed off awkwardly.

Straightening his shoulders, Izuku moved closer to the dumpster. His hands began to tremble as he stepped over to the wall. He turned, sat, and leaned against the rough brick. Eyes blurred with tears, he looked up at Kacchan who stood over him. "Here. And the guy was… there." He pointed, his finger visibly shaking, but at least his voice was steady.

Kacchan moved into position and looked around. "Think you can make the jump?"

Izuku looked. The end of the fire escape was about ten feet above the ground and five feet to the right from where Kacchan was standing. Izuku gave a firm nod, remembering the adrenaline when he'd leapt at Mr. Sato. He'd make it.

"Good." Kacchan turned and looked out at the mouth of the alley. "As soon as it starts to get quiet, we'll get into position. We won't have time once the action starts."

Kacchan reached down and offered his hand. Izuku took it and was pulled to his feet. They moved to the other side of the alley and sat, shoulder to shoulder. Kacchan distracted him by showing him the All Might mask he'd brought that matched Izuku's exactly. Izuku laughed softly and Kacchan grinned.

"Hey, I was thinking. You know how you said we couldn't use my quirk?" the blond asked. He sat with his knees bent, his arms resting on top. He looked cool and so unshakable.

Izuku looked at him curiously, a smile still tugging up the corners of his lips. "Yeah?"

"Well, I was thinking we shouldn't use names, either. Just in case. I'll use Deku for you. That's what I'm used to, so I know I won't mess up. That okay?"

Izuku nodded, still smiling. "Yeah. It means 'never give up', right?" He would never forget when Kacchan had told him that. It forever changed the meaning of that word. Even though Kacchan still used it when he was annoyed with Izuku, he also used it when he thought Izuku was being strong.

"Damn straight," Kacchan agreed. He said it so seriously that Izuku blushed. "You're far from useless, Izu."

Izuku ducked his head, unable to hold that piercing, red gaze. "I could call you…" There was a pause as he thought about it. "… Katsu. It's close enough to your real name that I won't forget and it means victory! That's what your parents got your name from, right?"

Surprisingly, Kacchan frowned and looked away. "Yeah. Maybe."

"Kacchan?"

His friend puffed up his chest and banged a fist there. "Katsu's perfect! Because I'm going to wipe the floor with this asshole and every villain after him!" He flashed Izuku a cocky grin that was very familiar.

Izuku smiled, relieved, but privately he thought he might not call Kacchan anything at all.

They still had a lot of time to fill, so they went over the plan. They made up dozens of different scenarios so they'd be ready for anything that happened: If the killer threw Izuku off and he hit the wall… the dumpster… the pavement…

If someone from the street heard the commotion and interfered…

If they had to run or separate, where they would meet…

If the girl panicked and tried to attack them…

If Kacchan couldn't get the bat away, what would Izuku do?…

If the killer didn't go down when Kacchan took him out at the knees…

They tried to think of everything, their scenarios getting more and more unlikely, but it kept Izuku calm. It let him pretend this was just a game and not the life and death fight it really was. When they ran out of scenarios, they made new ones pretending to be Pro-Heroes. What would All Might do? Or Endeavor? A hero would wipe the floor with this loser without breaking stride or even really trying, that was for certain, and that knowledge gave Izuku strength.

"It's time," Kacchan said suddenly, his eyes trained on the street.

Izuku twitched, startled, and realized his friend was right. There were hardly any people on the street. It had grown quiet. He shivered and stood. Kacchan bent his knees and let Izuku climb him so he could reach the end of the fire escape. It groaned and creaked loudly as Izuku pulled himself up, but once he settled, it grew quiet once more. Kacchan hid behind the dumpster.

At first, Izuku was on pins and needles, but as an hour went by and nothing happened his attention wandered. He grew sleepy and wondered if Kacchan was, too. No, Kacchan was too smart and strong. Izuku began to fidget, the fire escape creaking lightly under him. He wanted to call out, to check on Kacchan, but that wasn't the plan. He had to stay awake by himself, but his eyes were so heavy, his vision blurring. He never slept well. Normal nightmares plagued him from the things he saw and felt in his visions. He was always tired.

Izuku shook his head. If he fell asleep, that girl would die; Kacchan could be killed or hurt! He pulled a pill from his pocket and swallowed it dry. It was one of his mom's caffeine pills. Kacchan had read the bottle and said it was for adults, so they should only eat them one at a time and only if they really needed it. Izuku wondered if Kacchan had eaten any of his.

After a little while, he did get less sleepy, but he also got more fidgety. Tears stung his eyes. He was unhappy and wanted to cry. The fire escape creaked as he shifted his weight. A sharp hiss out of the darkness made Izuku go still, his eyes wide, heart thundering in his chest, but it wasn't time. It was just Kacchan telling him to be quiet. He was probably mad. Izuku hunkered down, shivering. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He wrapped his arms around his chest and tried to hold himself together.

A long, long time seemed to pass. Eventually Izuku was growing sleepy again. He was lazily thinking of eating another pill when he heard it. Quiet at first but quickly growing louder: the sound of someone running. Then she was there and Izuku was wide awake, adrenaline humming.

She had red hair, large eyes and large lips. She was terrified. Animal whimpers escaped her as she panted. She saw the dead-end, moaned and spun around. She tripped as her heel snagged on the broken pavement and fell backward on her butt. She scrambled to get away because… He was there. At the mouth of the alley, walking closer, the top of his bat dragging across the pavement. Izuku's heart stuttered in his chest.

"I'm going to fix you…" His voice was high and manic, insane. "You see, I'm not quirkless after all…" He laughed hysterically, coming dangerously close. "I can fix you perfect… Make you all better… You just have to almost die…" Another giggle. "It'll only hurt for a minute and then you'll be _allllll_ better."

The woman screamed, high and utterly terrified. She reached out as if to stop him, hands shaking violently, incoherent begging falling from her lips. Izuku was panting loud and hard, the fire escape groaned, but no one could hear it over the woman's terror.

Everything in Izuku told him to leap, to protect her, to stop this! But he couldn't! Not yet! He felt utterly sick and disgusted with himself, but he waited. Waited and let the bat swing down with all the man's strength. CRUNCH!

It hit the woman's reaching arm with extreme force. The limb was flung down and over, misshapen even in the dark and her scream of agony rang through the darkness. Izuku remembered that pain in vivid detail. With a crazed howl, forgetting the bag he was supposed to fling over the man's head, forgetting his All Might mask, he leapt from the fire escape.

He hit the killer's back, his arms coming around the guy's throat like a vice. Izuku was screaming, terrified and full of rage. "The fuck!" the man bellowed. He spun, trying to get Izuku off, his hand grasping, nails scraping Izuku's face and neck. Then they were flung forward, Kacchan tackling the man around the knees with his full body weight. Izuku forced his arms to unlocked from the man's throat and rolled to the side just as he heard the taser go off.

Izuku stared wild-eyed and panting as the man twitched and jerked for what seemed like several minutes to the sound of the zap and sizzle of electricity. Then it was quiet except for their heavy breathing and the woman's whimpers and moans. Kacchan was wearing his mask and he ripped it off and pulled it over Izuku's head.

"Get our shit, Deku. Don't let her see your face," he hissed and began to tie the limp man up. He wasn't completely unconscious, but it didn't look like he'd be moving any time soon.

Izuku was shaking. He couldn't catch his breath. He stumbled over to their hidden bags. As soon as the woman saw him, she began to scream hysterically. Izuku dropped the backpacks, fumbled them, finally got them in his arms and scrambled back to Kacchan. The blond had tied the man up as best he could: ankles, knees, wrists, torso. Kacchan grabbed Izuku's arm, almost making him spill the bags to the ground again, and dragged him to the mouth of the alley.

Izuku stood there dumbly and Kacchan grabbed his backpack from Izuku's arms and flung it to the ground. There was no one on the street; it was completely empty just like in his vision. He watched, numb, as Kacchan took out three boxes from his bag and lined them up in a row at the mouth of the alley. They hadn't talked about this, so Izuku had no idea what he was doing. Kacchan lit the end of a string that led away from one of the boxes with a lighter. Then he grabbed his bag and Izuku's arm and began to run.

Izuku stumbled, almost falling, but managed to get his feet moving underneath him. There was a high whistling shriek and then a loud series of bangs and piercing whistles. Gasping, he looked behind him to see fireworks going off. Loud, bright fireworks. They turned the corner, but Izuku could still hear them.

"Come on, Deku!" Kacchan snarled, yanking on him. "Run, you asshole!"

Izuku began to run.

…

Katsuki led the way to the playground by the station that they has scouted during the day. The trains had stopped running, so they'd have to wait until almost dawn before they could get a ride back to their neighborhood. As soon as they hit the park, he grabbed Izuku's wrist and pulled him into the large pipe tunnel that sat next to some monkey bars. Katsuki's back was forced to curl forward by the pipe's walls. It felt like he was being cradled.

Their heavy breathing rang loud in the dark silence. Katsuki patted around until he found Izuku's hand and tugged him forward. Instead of sitting next to him, Izuku's crumbled forward, his head landing in Katsuki's lap. He felt Izuku pull of the mask and then his shaking hands clutched tight to Katsuki's pants.

"You okay?" he asked softly, honestly worried.

"I messed up…" the boy whimpered pathetically.

Katsuki fisted his friend's sweaty hair. "Is the girl alive, Deku? Is that asshole tied up on the ground?"

"Y-yes, but…"

"You did good, Izu," he said strongly, cutting off the boy's whimper.

Izuku gasped. "Kacchan…"

His name sounded like hope, like a prayer, and Katsuki felt his face burn. His hand gentled in Izuku's soft hair. "It's okay. It's over. We saved her. Rest. I'll keep watch."

Katsuki let his head fall back and let his body finally relax. He pet Izuku's hair and listened to the boy's soft crying until that too became quiet. He turned his head to the mouth of the pipe and waited for the sky to lighten. He must have dozed off, but as soon as the first bird trilled Katsuki jerked awake.

"Izuku. Wake up. It's time." He pushed the boy off his lap.

Izuku sat up and they dug into their backpacks and pulled out a change of clothes. They couldn't get on the first train in all black looking like eight-year-old cat burglars! All sorts of alarms would be raised. So they changed into their school uniforms. It would still be a push, but they could survive suspicious looks. What they didn't need was someone calling the police.

If someone called the police and their parents were called… if they didn't get back home before their parents woke up… It would all be over. They wouldn't be able to help the people in Izuku's visions anymore, and Katsuki shuddered to imagine what that would do to Izuku.

They were so damn lucky. No one was on the train when they got on. It was 5:45am. Katsuki's heart thundered in his chest. He'd have to sprint home and even then it would be a close call. His father's alarm was set at 6. His mother's 6:30.

"What time does your mom wake up?" he asked to distract himself.

"5:30. She leaves for work around 6," Izuku answered. He looked exhausted.

Katsuki's eyes widened. "She'll know you're gone!" He yelled right in the other boy's face. "Why didn't you say anything!"

Izuku flinched and quickly explained. "I don't sleep well! Small things wake me up, so she doesn't come in my room in the morning in case I'm actually sleeping. She leaves my breakfast in the microwave before leaving for work. She won't know I'm gone! I'll just wait for her to leave before going inside."

Katsuki felt a wave of relief and slumped in his seat. "Lucky. I'm going to have to sprint to get home in time and even then I could get caught." He looked at Izuku and scowled at the upset expression on the boy's face. "What the fuck's your problem, Deku? You just saved someone! Your vision didn't come true! We did it!"

"What if the killer got away before someone came?" the stupid idiot asked anxiously. "What if that girl goes into shock and dies?"

"No way," Katsuki denied sharply. "A patrolling hero or policeman had to hear those fucking fireworks. That asshole's gonna be arrested and the girl will be taken to a doctor, so be fucking happy for once!"

Izuku tried to smile, but it was a fucking failure. Katsuki growled and leapt to his feet. He stomped to the back of the car and flung himself in a seat, fuming. All this fucking work and the stupid idiot still looked like his puppy had died! It was infuriating! Katsuki risked life and limb! Risked a beating! For what? For Deku to wear that broken ass expression and sit there crying? Fucking Deku!

…

Izuku felt miserable. He trudged home alone. Kacchan hadn't spoken another word to him, red eyes glaring murder during the rest of the ride. It made Izuku feel even more miserable; he was such an ungrateful loser. He tried to apologize when they got to their station, but as soon as they arrived, Kacchan took off, leaving Izuku behind. Head hanging low, Izuku let himself into his apartment. He turned the tv on and collapsed on the sofa.

"… this morning. The man was taken into custody by the police and the woman is expected to make a full recovery. The police have no leads on the identity of the person who stopped the crime. There was no evidence of quirk use at the scene. One source says the only clue was an All Might mask left on the fire escape above where the assault took place. Could this be the work of a vigilante? … In other news…"

Izuku gasped. Tears rolled down his cheeks. They'd done it! Kacchan was right! They had really done it! He ran to his room, flung his backpack at his bed, grabbed his school bag, and ran back out the door. It took him less than five minutes to run to Kacchan's house. He ran right up to the door and rang the bell. Kacchan's father answered. He was tall with dark blond hair and glasses; there was a gently air about him so unlike Kacchan.

"Good morning, Mr. Bakugou!" Izuku said with a bright smile. "Is Kacchan awake yet? We were going to walk to school together."

"I'm not sure," the man said with quiet surprise. He opened the door and let Izuku in. "I could check." But instead of going off, he looked to the kitchen where there was the sound of frying.

"I could do it!" Izuku offered. "I don't want to be a bother!"

Mr. Bakugou blinked and then offered, "Katsuki's room is upstairs. The first door on the right."

Izuku thanked him politely with a quick bow before running up the stairs. His heart was pounding a mile a minute. He almost ran into Mrs. Bakugou at the top of the stairs. She had the same wild blond hair and red eyes as Kacchan, but her face was more round, her skin pale and glistening.

She scowled at Izuku. "Who are you? Why are you here so early?"

"I'm Izuku Midoriya," he introduced quickly, immune to her glare after years of practice with Kacchan. "I'm Kacchan's classmate. We're supposed to walk to school today. Our project's due and we have a few last minute touches. Mr. Bakugou was cooking, so he told me I could come up and check on him."

Mrs. Bakugou scowled, but she pushed past him. "Good luck. He's pissy in the morning," she warned.

Izuku waited a moment to make sure she was really gone before flinging himself at Kacchan's bedroom door. He didn't bother knocking. As he burst inside, Kacchan's head whipped up, his eyes wide. He was sitting on the edge of his bed in his uniform.

"Kacchan!" he cried and flung his arms around his friend's neck. "You were right! I saw it on the news! They arrested the killer and the girl went to the hospital! She's going to be alright! You did it, Kacchan!" he babbled, excitement and laughter in his voice.

Kacchan's arms came around him slowly and Izuku practically melted. "Stupid, Izu. I told you, didn't I?"

"I know, Kacchan! I'm so sorry! I messed up so much and I was so scared the vision would still come true somehow because of me! I'm sorry! I should have known you were right! You're brilliant! A real hero! Of course it worked! You saved her!"

Kacchan pushed him off and grabbed him by the hair. His red eyes were bright and his grin was wide. "_We_ saved her, Izu. You're a hero, too."

Tears instantly flooded Izuku's eyes and he gave a laugh of wonder. Flinging his arms around Kacchan's neck again, he hugged him tight.

He was so happy, in fact, that he didn't flinch once during breakfast. Even with Mrs. Bakugou snapping and snarling grumpily. It won him some type of approval because Mrs. Bakugou told him it would be okay if he came over again sometime. Izuku had given her a huge smile at that and followed Kacchan as he stomped out of the house.

They didn't speak much as they made their way to school, but they walked side-by-side. Once they reached their classroom, they separated. "Have a good day, Kacchan," Izuku told his friend. Kacchan rolled his eyes and went to his seat at the front of the room. Izuku, still smiling, went to his desk at the very back of the room.

"What are you smiling about, Midoriya?"

Izuku looked up. It was their first break between classes. Ryusei was standing over him. He was one of the biggest boys in the class and had tentacle-like hair. "N-no reason," Izuku answered softly, a surge of anxiety prickling along his skin.

"So you didn't get a quirk?" Ryusei laughed. "Still a useless loser then?"

Izuku set his jaw and said nothing to this.

"My dad said that in the next few years there won't be anymore quirkless people. They'll be like dinosaurs," he said nastily. "Extinct because they were so useless even the planet didn't want them."

Izuku knew the numbers. He'd looked them up when he was five. He'd discovered that most people were born with quirks, about eighty percent of the population actually. He used to think he was part of that small twenty percent who had nothing special about them, but he wasn't. Not anymore. So Ryusei's mean words couldn't hurt him.

"They should put you in a cage, Midoriya. Like at a zoo!"

A few classmates around them laughed. It made Ryusei flush and grow excited. The boy's hair whipped around and slapped Izuku several times across the face. Izuku flinched back instinctively, raising his arms protectively, his cheeks stinging from the blows. A sudden cry had Izuku opening his eyes. Kacchan was standing next to them. He had a painful grip on Ryusei's hair. Izuku's mouth fell open in shock.

"Touch Izuku again and die," Kacchan snarled. His red eyes swept over their shocked classmates. "He's off limits, losers. Understand?"

Ryusei stumbled back as Kacchan shoved him away, tears in his eyes. "But Bakugou…" he whined. "It's just _Midoriya_…" He said Izuku's name as if it were a synonym for loser.

Kacchan slammed his hands down on the desk and emphasized it with a loud pop that charred the wood's surface. Several students jumped. "I said. Hands. Off," he growled menacingly.

The other kids quickly scattered as Ryusei ran away crying, still clutching his tentacle hair. Izuku stared open-mouthed as Kacchan went back to his desk. One of Kacchan's friends was asking him questions and Kacchan yelled loudly, "I don't have to fucking explain myself to you extras! Stay out of my way!"

Izuku ducked his head to hide the growing smile that was spreading across his face. His heart was racing and something warm squeezed his chest. He hadn't expected Kacchan to be his friend at school.

Kacchan was the most popular kid in class - the most talented - the smartest - the strongest. Izuku may be second best when it came to classwork, but… he was still nerdy, quirkless Izuku (as far as everyone else could know). He was at the bottom of the ladder. But that didn't matter. Katsuki's friendship was real, and it wasn't going to disappear just because they were at school.

"Thank you," Izuku said quietly as they walked home together. "For what you said in class."

"Shut up, Deku," Kacchan growled at him, his red eyes looking away. "Defend yourself next time! You're a fucking hero, aren't you?"

Izuku considered that advice, doubt filling him with anxiety. He wrung his hands. "But…"

Kacchan suddenly swung around and planted himself directly in front of Izuku, forcing him to come to a stop and meet his eyes. "All Might's amazing, right? He's so amazing that when he shows up everyone fucking _knows_ they're saved."

Izuku quickly nodded. All Might was the most incredible hero alive!

"No one's going to feel fucking safe when you show up if they see you getting pushed around all the fucking time, Izuku!" Kacchan exclaimed, arms swinging wide for emphasis. "You can't let anyone doubt your strength!"

Izuku stared at his friend in wonder. He straightened his shoulders, taking the words to heart. "I will, Kacchan!" he promised. "I'll be someone people can rely on, too!"

"Good." Kacchan spun around and started walking again.

Smiling, Izuku followed.

**End.**

**A/N: **Is it just me or do I type their names waaaay to much? Also... It's so fun to write their developing feelings. They're so young and innocent, clueless about love and feelings, and yet so earnest and sincere. I'm going to have fun writing all their "firsts" and their innocent reactions to them.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: **Domestic violence in this one guys, but also some really sweet cuteness!

Happy Father's day! Masaru Bakugou - here's your chance!

...

**Terrible Secrets and Blinding Hope**

The boys were hiding in a park in the middle of the night, waiting to stop one of Izuku's visions. Katsuki would be twelve next month and they had just finished their last year of elementary school just yesterday. In only four short weeks they would be starting their first year of middle school.

Spring was in the air, but the nights were still pretty cold, so Katsuki was wearing a hoodie over a long-sleeved t-shirt. He had the hood pulled up over his pale hair, so that he wouldn't be seen. It was late, almost midnight. If the asshole from Izuku's vision didn't show up soon, they'd miss the last train back home and have to walk.

Katsuki cut his eyes to his partner. Izuku was on his knees behind a tree about five feet away. He was still and silent, a far cry from the trembling, fidgety mess he'd been when they first started doing this. Of course, a few close calls had taught them both to get better at being still and quiet. Practice made perfect, after all.

"I don't understand!" a male voice cried, breaking the silence.

A woman was walking toward them quickly. A man chased after her, expression desperate. He kept grabbing at her shoulder and arm, but she yanked away every time. Katsuki tensed and pulled the All Might mask over his head. He saw Izuku do the same.

"I'd do anything for you! Give you anything! Why are you doing this?" the man demanded tearfully.

Yanking away from his grasp, she kept walking. "It's over, Yama. Don't do this, okay?" the woman answered sharply.

"No!" The man suddenly leapt forward. His fingers elongated into flesh-colored ropes. They snapped around her throat, brutally cutting her scream short. He followed her to the ground, straddling her, his eyes wild as he breathed hard. "No! You can't leave me! I won't let you leave me!"

The girl's legs kicked frantically. Her face began to change color; her eyes bugged. Katsuki crossed the distance in a blur and slammed the taser into the guy's neck. The asshole immediately shrieked and convulsed. The girl twitched under him, the current traveling through the man's hands. It would hurt, but it wouldn't kill her. Better tased than dead.

As soon as the electric zap of the taser fell silent, Izuku was there, prying the man's hands off the woman's throat. He had to actually break them to get them off. It sounded like twigs snapping and Katsuki grimaced. He quickly bent down to help and broke the last two himself, and the girl's throat was freed! He shoved the asshole away from them.

"She's not breathing," Izuku said with steely calm. He rolled the mask up over his mouth, hooking it on the bridge of his nose, before bending down to start CPR.

Katsuki stood watching when something hard slammed into him, sending him flying. He hit a tree with enough force to wind him, his ribs and stomach screaming. Coughing, he lifted his head and saw through blurry eyes that the guy had gotten up while he'd been distracted. Izuku was curled over the unconscious (dead?) woman, and the man kicked him brutally in the side, yelling with an insane rage.

Katsuki staggered to his feet and flung himself at the asshole. He tackled him and they hit the ground hard. Katsuki let out a choked scream as his ribs protested, but his adrenaline was roaring. He took a punch to the face. It whipped his head to the side, but he got his arms up to fend off a second blow. The man was still screaming.

Katsuki pulled his head back and then slammed it forward, the hard part of his forehead smashing into the asshole's nose. The asshole's deafening screams cut off into agonized gurgling. Katsuki staggered to his feet and kicked the man in the head. Everything fell silent.

"This would be… _gasp_… so goddamn easy if I could… _wheeze_… use my fucking quirk!" he snarled, arms wrapped protectively around his ribs. When he didn't get a response, he turned to see that Deku had started CPR again. "Fuck," Katsuki rasped. "Deku. Hey. We have to go." Patrolling heroes had to have heard all the screaming that guy had done. He grabbed Izuku's shoulder, but his friend yanked away.

"Taser!" Izuku snapped urgently, green eyes hard with determination.

Katsuki quickly stepped over to the taser and kicked it toward him. Izuku grabbed it and shoved it against the side of the woman's chest before releasing the trigger. The woman jerked and spasmed. Izuku dropped the taser and put his ear over her mouth.

Katsuki heard something further down the trail; someone was coming! He grabbed Izuku by the arm, saw that Izuku had grabbed the taser, and hauled him to his feet, shoving him into a run. They bolted into the trees, avoiding the path.

"Over here!" a deep, booming voice sounded behind them. "Two civilians are down!"

Katsuki picked up the pace. "Shit," he hissed. His heart hammered in his chest. He couldn't even feel the pain anymore. He was terrified they'd be found. "Shit shit shit."

They ran into a deeper part of the park and somehow managed to allude the heroes searching for them, but by the time the activity in the park had died down and they were able to slip away, they had missed their train. With an annoyed sigh of resignation, they began the two hour walk back home. The taser and masks had been stored inside the big pockets of their cargo pants - they'd learned the fewer items they had the better.

"You're hurt," Izuku said softly.

Katsuki frowned and the expression made the left side of his face throb. He also had his arms wrapped around his chest to help support his aching ribs. "Not a big deal. Just my ribs. I don't think they're broken."

Izuku still looked distressed. "Your eye's swelling."

"It's not like I haven't been busted up before. I said I'm fine!" Katsuki snapped, shoving his friend in the shoulder. It made Izuku wince and cringe, his hand pressing into his side. "You're the one hurt. How many times did that asshole kick you?"

"A few," was Izuku quiet response.

They walked in silence for several minutes after that. Usually, Katsuki was okay with silence, but there was a weird tension filling this one. He was about to explode when Izuku finally said something.

"She was breathing. When we left."

Katsuki looked over. His scowl softened and he felt a lot of his tension drain away. "Yeah? That's good."

Izuku smiled. "Yeah."

"This makes six." Katsuki voiced with the start of a grin, his bad mood melting. Six people they'd saved, starting with Tamazaki. It was an amazing feeling!

Izuku didn't say anything.

Katsuki growled, annoyance spiking once more. "Do you always have to fucking do this, Deku?"

"I'm sorry." Izuku leaned against Katsuki's shoulder, walking in perfect step with him and offering him support. "I'm really happy we saved her, Kacchan. I am."

"But you can't stop thinking about the ones we couldn't save," Katsuki said with an annoyed sigh. "How many?" he demanded hotly.

"Eleven," Izuku admitted, voice solemn. "Eleven people dead since we started together. Eight because I couldn't figure out a location or time…"

"Three because we were too late," Katsuki finished. He knew that number without his friend having to tell him. Izuku wasn't the only one with nightmares. Not anymore. They had fucked up their rescue and had watched those three die. It had been bad, really bad. Katsuki was determined never to fail like that again.

Izuku shook his head and wrapped an arm low around Katsuki's waist, careful of his ribs. "But we saved this one." He gave a sigh, lips curled up in a rueful smile. "You're always doing the bulk of the fighting."

Katsuki smirked. "That's because I'm the best, Deku." He let himself drape his arm over Izuku's shoulders. He wouldn't admit it, but it did help his ribs. "And I'll be even better when I can finally use my fucking quirk." He let his free hand pop harmlessly.

"You'll be the Unstoppable Katsu," Izuku agreed, grinning but angling his face to try and hide it.

Katsuki glared at him playfully. "You're not making fun of me, are you?"

"Of course not!" Izuku protested. Earnest green eyes that were underlined as always with dark circles met his own. "You're amazing, Kacchan! You have all this experience fighting without your quirk, so when you incorporate your quirk into it, you'll be a top hero for sure!"

"Better than All Might?" Katsuki pressed, eyes still narrowed.

Izuku tilted his head in thought. "Hmmm… I don't know…" he drawled doubtfully.

Katsuki scowled at that and Izuku laughed. Hearing that laugh made his muscles relax and he leaned more companionably against his friend.

"Do you think we'll be in the same class in middle school?"

"We're always in the same fucking class because we're always at the top," Katsuki growled. He and Izuku may be friends, but he was still as competitive as ever and it pissed him off every time Izuku scored higher than him. It was a constant battle for first place.

Izuku chuckled, his dark green hair tickling Katsuki's cheek. "We may be top of the class now, but we'll be going to a new school after break, Kacchan. Our middle school may be near our houses, but it's actually pretty famous. There'll be lots of gifted kids enrolled that we've never met. We might have some competition."

Katsuki was genuinely offended. "I'll fucking smash the competition!"

Izuku laughed again. "Yeah, yeah."

"You think I won't?" Katsuki challenged. He lifted his hand from Izuku's shoulder and let it pop with enough heat that Izuku would feel it through his sweatshirt.

"No. I know you will." Izuku turn to meet Katsuki's eyes. "Like I said. You're amazing."

Katsuki grinned, letting his arm fall back across his friend's shoulders. "Damn straight! And you will, too! I won't have you fucking losing to anyone but me! You got that, Deku?"

"I'll do my best," Izuku promised.

They bickered like that, teasing and playful, high on their most recent victory all the way home. By the time they hit their neighborhood, Katsuki felt dead tired and his chest hurt like fucking hell. He stepped away from Izuku when they reached the end of his friend's street, but Izuku grabbed his arm.

"Kacchan…"

Frowning at the tone in his friend's voice, Katsuki turned. Izuku looked near tears. He was biting his lower lip and his freckles stood out starkly on his pale cheeks. "What is it now?" he asked, exhaustion making his voice soft instead of cutting.

"I…" Izuku shifted his weight, stiff from his own injuries. Then he stepped in close, lifted up onto his toes, and kissed Katsuki gently on the lips.

Katsuki stood frozen, mouth slightly parted. The warmth and softness of Izuku's lips burned like a brand even after Izuku pulled away.

"I just… I…" Izuku was nearly incoherent. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he wiped at them impatiently. "I want you to know… how I feel… in case…" He shook his head and looked up at Katsuki with huge, imploring eyes. "No matter what, I really love you, Kacchan. I… I wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for you. You've kept my secret and you help me save the people in my visions… You're just… A real hero, Kacchan." Izuku ducked his head and looked up at him shyly through his thick, messy bangs. "My hero."

Katsuki thought he was going to faint. He had to breathe, damn it. His lungs obediently sucked in air, but he didn't know what to do after that.

"I… I hope… You'll still be my friend… That you'll understand…" Izuku finally stammered when Katsuki continued to stare at him dumbly. He closed his eyes as if bracing for a terrible blow, but it was Katsuki who felt punched in the gut at his friend's next words. "I… I had a vision… About you, Kacchan."

The world disappeared. All that existed was his best friend's face and the terrible words he was saying. There was a roaring far off, like at the end of a tunnel, but he could still hear Izuku and see his tearful, desperate eyes.

"I thought I had more time… I didn't know how to tell you…" Izuku was crying now. In that silent way he had that didn't touch his voice. "Yesterday… In my vision.. I saw you come home. Late. It was dark. Your face was swollen like it is now and you were holding your chest… Your mom… She was waiting for you…" Izuku's voice dropped. It was barely a whisper now. "She was very angry, Kacchan."

Katsuki realized he was hyperventilating. He took a step away from his friend. Two.

Izuku reached out and grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly strong grip. "Please. Please listen." He was desperate. His voice broke, wavering. "She beat you. Kicked you in the chest. She didn't know you were already hurt and…" A suppressed sob slipped free. "Something breaks. Something breaks and you can't breathe, but she doesn't notice in time. She's too angry. By the time she does… You're dying. You die before help can come."

Katsuki jerked away from Izuku so hard Izuku almost tumbles off his feet. "Fuck you," he spat, low and furious.

He ran. He ran all the way home. He wasn't thinking, he was hardly breathing. His brain felt like electrified soup. Izuku knows… He saw… He didn't tell him! …

Katsuki blinked and found himself at his door. His key was in his hand, but he was shaking so badly there was no way he'd get it in the lock. His mother was angry and was waiting on the other side of that door. He felt like puking and took an involuntary step back before growling and setting his feet.

It took several tries, but he finally got the key into the lock and unbolted the door. Then he froze, his hand on the handle. _"You die before help can come."_ Oh shit. This was fucking real. This was going to happen. Everything was going too fast. He had to slow down!

The door was yanked open under his hand before he could make a decision. A strong hand fisted his hoodie over his chest and yanked him into the house. Pain shot through his chest as he was flung to the floor. The ominous boom of the door being slammed closed behind him rattled his bones. His hands came up before him and popped warningly, and in that flash, he saw her face. True terror descended on him, gripping his heart and lungs with claws of ice.

His mother reached over, flicked on the light for the entrance way, and stood towering over him, a murderous look etched onto her features. "Where. The fuck. Have you been?" she asked quietly, voice terrifyingly calm.

Katsuki was panting. His eyes were wide and terrified as he scrambled backward still on his ass to put a few feet between them. The lie he had prepared refused to escape past his locked up throat.

His mom lunged forward and grabbed the front of his hoodie again, yanking him to his feet. "Answer me, asshole. What the fuck have you been doing?"

Katsuki gripped the wrist of the hand holding him up, trying to catch his balance. "There was a party!" he finally got out. "Celebrate graduation!"

"In the middle of the night?" his mother asked coldly, clearly not believing him.

"It was a dare! Only a few people actually had the balls to show up!" Katsuki elaborated, still panting with fear and pain.

"And, what? You all decided to have a fist fight? See who was strongest?" His mother spat, tossing him carelessly against the wall. "You can't fucking lie to _me!_"

Katsuki bit back a scream as his body collided with the hard surface and did his best to keep his feet. "Some high school jocks started the fight… Said we were on their turf…"

"_You fucking liar_," she hissed.

Before he really saw it coming, she backhanded him across the face. He fell to the floor blinded by the spots dancing in his vision. "I know you, Katsuki! You weren't at some lame ass party doing some lame ass dare!" Her foot collided with his already injured chest and he wheezed in agony as he felt something give, felt something inside him move and break. "You were out there fucking shit up, weren't you? YOU ATTACKED SOMEONE, DIDN'T YOU?" Another kick landed in his gut. Katsuki dry heaved. "I should call the cops! Tell them to come get your fucking villain ass so I don't have to put up with your shit anymore!"

"Noooo…" he moaned, breathless with the onslaught. His heart raced as his palms grew slick. His power was slipping from his control and that terrified him more than anything!

"Stop, Mrs. Bakugou."

Katsuki's eyes snapped over to the door. It stood open, and Izuku Midoriya stood there with his phone out recording everything.

"You little shit," his mother growled and stormed up to Izuku. Katsuki could only wheeze and gasp helplessly on the ground.

"I'm still recording. Don't make this worse than it already is," Izuku said calmly. He stared his mother down without an ounce of fear. "Kacchan was already hurt and now from the sound of it you've broken his chest. I've already called the ambulance. They should be here in minutes."

She lunged for his phone with an incoherent scream, but Izuku danced out of her way. Her shoulder hit the wall with a thud and she spun back around practically snarling.

"It's up to Kacchan if he wants to press charges or if he's going to blame his injuries on the high schoolers we ran into tonight at the beach," Izuku continued. "I'll let him decide."

The sound of sirens approaching made his mom freeze.

Katsuki turned his head at a sound on the steps on the stairs. Dad was pulling his night robe tight around himself protectively. "What's happened? Mitsuki?"

Katsuki wheezed and gasped wetly, blood trickling out the corner of his mouth. He stared up at his mom and saw the moment rage bled away from her eyes. She spun and ran out the door, supposedly to flag the ambulance down.

Katsuki closed his eyes, tears flooding his cheeks. He ignored his dad's anxious questions and didn't open his eyes again until he felt gentle hands lift him into a sitting position. He groaned and gasped in agony, but sitting up did help him breathe easier.

Izuku held him gently to keep him upright. "I'm so sorry, Kacchan," he whispered in Katsuki's ear. "I didn't mean to keep it from you. Please don't be mad at me."

Mad? Katsuki wanted to snort. He'd have to get back to Izuku on that one. He had so much boiling in his head he had no idea what he felt.

Then the paramedics were there and in his fucking face. Everything was a rush of sound and movement. He was placed on a gurney. Equipment was strapped to him. Then he was in an ambulance. His mother sat next to him in the cramped space, but she refused to look at him. Every breath was a battle. It hurt more than anything had ever hurt. He was crying. His hands popped and flashed. Weird mitts were placed over them, paralyzing his power. Katsuki began to shake as he realized he was well and truly helpless.

…

Izuku remained sitting on the floor after Kacchan had been taken from him and the ambulance had sped away, the siren blaring. The blood on his palm from where he'd gently braced Kacchan's chest was slowly drying.

"Midoriya… what…"

The anxious voice pulled him from the remembered pain of the vision… the pain of hearing Kacchan's mom say such terrible things… the realization that Kacchan was being abused and he had never suspected… "How could you?" he asked tearfully. "How could you let her do that to him? Say those things? Hurt him?"

Mr. Bakugou flinched away from him. "She's trying to save him…"

"Save him?" Izuku tilted his head as something dark and hot rushed through him. "From what?"

"From being a villain… His quirk…" the man muttered weakly.

Izuku exploded to his feet. "Beating him and telling him over and over that he is a villain isn't _saving_ him! That's creating a monster, not preventing one, because kids are _supposed_ to believe their parents! The only reason it didn't work is because Kacchan is incredibly strong willed. You're _lucky_ he's as good as he is or he would have let his quirk get out of control and killed you both for the cruelty you've shown!"

Green eyes blazing with cold fire, Izuku walked right up to the trembling man and hissed, "You're a pathetic excuse for a father, Mr. Bakugou, and a coward. Your son is already twice the man you will ever be." Then he turned and stormed out of the house.

It felt like years had gone by since he'd run after Kacchan and walked in on that scene from hell, but it had only been a little more than half an hour. His mother was still sleeping when he came stumbling into the house, sobbing his heart out. She was out of bed in a flash and had him wrapped in her arms before he could even make it past the living room.

"Izuku! What happened!" she cried.

Izuku could only grab hold of her and cry.

She rocked and hushed him. Stripped him and put him in the bath. She exclaimed over the bruises sprouting all up and down his side, but he couldn't answer her questions, so she sighed and washed him gently. The entire time she told him she was there and it was going to be okay and she loved him. When she finished, she dried him off and took him to his room for pajama pants. Once he was dressed, she towed him to the kitchen where she settled him into a chair and set the pot boiling for tea. She got out frozen vegetables and held them to his side.

"Izuku, honey, tell me what happened, please? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"There was a dare to sneak out to beach at midnight," he told her through his tears. "To celebrate going to middle school. We didn't know there would be high schoolers there. They got mad we were on their territory. We ran away from them. I took a bad fall."

"Oh, honey…" his mother cooed. "Does it hurt bad? Do you need to see the doctor?"

Izuku didn't want her to worry, but he couldn't stop crying and he couldn't exactly tell her Kacchan's secret. Not after Kacchan had kept _his_ secret for so long. "I'm fine. It just hurts is all."

"Oh, honey…" she said again and fussed over him.

She sat up with him until the sun rose. She called in to work and shut the house up like a little cave. Izuku eventually stopped crying. He cuddled with her as they watched movies. She tended his bruises, putting ice and ointment on them in turns. They had soup for lunch and dinner, and eventually she tucked him into bed.

Izuku was miserable. Knowing what his best friend was going through and being unable to be there for him was torture. The fear that Kacchan wouldn't want anything to do with him now was a constant cloud over his heart, but Izuku had to push through it. He had to. If he didn't, he'd collapse and never get up again. Kacchan had taught him better than that, so the next day he forced himself to get dressed and get back to training.

He jogged five miles around the neighborhood everyday and did push-ups and jumps. At night, he took a picture of a scene from a new show, and during commercials he tried sketch and describe as much as he could from memory before comparing his answer to the photo. He even attended the weekly neighborhood art club meetings. He did his best, he really did, but every day that passed without Kacchan, Izuku's world grew a little bit darker. Without his best and only friend, he was truly alone.

On top of that, he was genuinely worried. Kacchan didn't have friends. He was still popular and people followed him, but he still thought most people were extras or losers, saw them as dead weight on his path to greatness, so Izuku was terribly afraid that Kacchan was as alone as he was.

He had never really understood what made Kacchan hold himself apart from everyone. Now he'd seen for himself what drove that attitude and pushed Kacchan so hard to be the best. Izuku would never forget looking out of Kacchan's eyes and getting beaten to death with such hateful words ringing in his ears. The fury on Mrs. Bakugou's face, the cold disgust in her eyes… Izuku didn't want Kacchan to face that alone!

After ten days of silence from Kacchan, he finally broke and tried to call his friend. It went to voicemail. After fourteen days, Izuku wrote him a short email, just letting him know he was here if he needed anything. He didn't get an answer. Twenty-five days since Kacchan had been taken to the hospital, Izuku put on his middle school uniform for the first time.

It was a very common uniform: black dress pants - a white, long-sleeved button-up - and a black jacket with fat gold buttons. On his feet he had on a pair of brand new sneakers; they were a bright emerald green, a few shades lighter than the dark green of his eyes and hair. His mother immediately teared up when he came out to the living room.

"Oh, sweetie!" she cried and dove for her camera. "Let me take a picture! Look at you! Oh, you're all grown up!"

Izuku smiled an empty smile and posed for her.

Today was parents' day for the first year students, so she walked with him to school. It was a long walk - about thirty minutes. His mom talked excitedly the whole way. She asked him what electives he was going to sign up for and if he'd try to run for class office. He answered her as lightly as he could, but he kept his head down and his hands wrapped tightly around the straps of his new yellow backpack to hide their shaking. They had just turned the corner of the street where the front gate of his new school stood open when…

"Morning, Ms. Midoriya."

Izuku's head whipped up so fast he almost got whiplash.

Izuku's mom smiled warmly and pulled Kacchan into a quick hug. "Good morning, Katsuki-kun! I haven't seen you in a while. Why, you look so handsome in your new uniform! Let me take a picture, please; Izuku, go stand next to Katsuki-kun."

"Can I speak to Izuku for a quick minute first?" Kacchan asked politely.

Izuku couldn't read anything from his face. He looked older in the all back uniform. The top three buttons were undone, revealing his long throat and a bit of his collarbones. His white-button up was also un-buttoned at the top. His blond hair was as spiky and fluffy as ever, but his usually emotive eyes were shut down and blank.

"Yes! Of course! I'll wait for you at the gate. A picture there would look better anyway," his mom gushed. She gave them a happy wave before hurrying away.

"Kacchan…" Izuku rasped, his heart pounding in his throat.

The blond stared at him for a minute before turning and walking back around the corner. Izuku followed him. They didn't go far - just far enough not to be heard by the families walking to the school.

"I told the doctors that I got beat up by some high schoolers I didn't know," Kacchan said evenly, still without turning around. Izuku stared at Kacchan's back, mind racing for words that would somehow set things right between them. "When I got home after being healed, Dad asked Mom to leave… Until she gets her anger under control… So it's just Dad and me at home for now…"

Izuku bit his lip and clung tightly to his backpack straps.

Kacchan turned around and studied Izuku's face. "Say something."

"I'm…" Izuku choked, heart hammering in his throat. "I'm sorry, Kacchan! Sorry you're going through something so difficult… I… I wish… I mean… If you need anything…" He felt his face turning red and blurted out, "I miss you!"

Kacchan's expression cracked. He began to smile and then to laugh.

Izuku stood there with a trembling smile. He was an idiot, but at least Kacchan was laughing.

"I don't know what I was so fucking worried about," he said as his laughter faded. His ruby eyes were once more bright with the fire Izuku was used to seeing there. It made some of the tension coiling in his gut lift.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

Kacchan shrugged, expression morphing into a scowl. "Thought you'd be different after… you know." He shoved his hands into his pockets and refused to meet Izuku's eyes.

Izuku unclenched his hands from his backpack straps and flung his arms around Kacchan's neck, hugging him. "You've stood by me. Even after learning about the darkest part of me. Let me stand by you. That's all I want, Kacchan."

His stomach dropped as he was pushed away, but then Kacchan grabbed his backpack straps and pulled Izuku forward, crushing their mouths together. Izuku gasped, his whole body lighting up as if Kacchan used his quirk to exploded him from the inside.

Kacchan pushed him away again. "We're even now," the blond muttered and pushed past him, stomping around the corner.

Izuku stood dazed. Trembling fingers lifted to touch his lips where Kacchan had kissed him.

"Come on, Deku!" Kacchan bellowed. "Your mom's waiting!"

Izuku jumped and, grinning like a fool, he ran after his best friend.

**End - **

Awwwww! Their first kiss(es)! :D And Katsuki's secret is out - to Izuku at least. And yay! Katsuki's dad finally put his foot down and kicked her out! Woot!

Middle school and all the antics of puberty is now right around the corner._ (rubs hands together in glee) _Their awkward stumbling cuteness is going to be so fun to write — But I have to warn you, I think they will also have to deal with something traumatic soon…_ (winces)_ Poor babies…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Izuku has a pretty graphic vision in this one of a child's torture and murder. **Skip the italicized part if you don't want to read it. **The truly tragic thing of it all… I didn't make it up…. Reality really, really sucks.

I want to tell you in advance my reasons for delving into this particular crappy reality - I needed a catalyst that would push Izuku into being a bit more independent. He relies quite a bit on Katsuki - which isn't bad - but I want to stay true to the amazing character of the anime, and that Izuku is a bit more of a go-getter. So I need my Izu to fall a bit in order for him to experience that "pick myself up and do better" mentality…

But reality is also pretty great, too… Izu and Katsu continue falling in love in this chapter… It's really adorable!

**Remember**: **Skip the italicized part if you can't read torture scenes!**

…

**This Beautiful, Horrible Life**

During the first week of middle school, Izuku quickly realized that it was very different from elementary. For one thing, they had a Quirk Study class, which basically gave everyone an hour to study their quirks and use them within reason. In elementary, quirk use was discouraged, but if it happened, it wasn't a big deal. They were just kids and weren't expected to have control yet. Everything changed in middle school.

If a student was caught using their quirk outside of Quirk Study, there were real consequences. The higher the grade, the harsher the punishment. The goal was to prepare them for the strict regulation of quirk use in society. As adults, stepping out of the bounds of quirk laws would earn you a heavy fine at the minimum. Control was the name of the game to keep society functioning.

So Quirk Study was by far everyone's favorite subject. An hour of free reign with their quirks? Being able to test their boundaries and seeing if it was possible to surpass them? Nothing was better! It was Izuku's favorite subject, too, - even though he didn't have a quirk officially - because Quirk Study was the one time Kacchan could let loose, and Kacchan was by far the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

From day one, Kacchan stood out. He walked to the center of the room, took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and lifted his hands to the ceiling. Izuku had watched enraptured as his best friend let out this… battle cry… There was a spark and a huge explosion leapt from Kacchan's palms, roaring to freedom in the air above them and violently punching outward like a lion finally freed from its cage.

The explosion had rattled the massive, reinforced gym - Impressive considering that it had been built to contain quirks of all kinds - and several supposedly unbreakable windows had cracked from the force. As dust rained down from the ceiling and a few wooden dummies along the edge of the room caught fire, the kids in their class and the watching teachers had screamed and cowered as hot air blew past them from the concussive force. Izuku didn't. He stood, his mouth parted and eyes shining, as he stared in wonder. Kacchan stood, shrouded in smoke and dust, grin sharp and fierce, crimson eyes boiling with joy.

"I'm Katsuki Bakugou!" He'd bellowed at the top of his lungs. "And I'm going to be the number one hero! Make sure you extras don't get in my way, got it?"

And that was their class's first impression of Kacchan.

Izuku worked hard on making his own impression. He had come a long way since Kacchan had given him that talk about being someone people could count on, and he employed the strategy that he'd practiced those last few years in elementary: he was unfailingly helpful to everyone! He had always wanted to help others, but he'd been too scared to reach out and had been so caught up with himself he'd been oblivious to the needs of others. Well, not anymore! That week, Izuku put his trained observation skills to good use.

He noticed when someone looked tired and offered a caffeine drink with an understanding smile.

Noticed when someone was hungry, having forgotten their lunch, and offered his own.

Noticed when someone was struggling with classwork and offered without judgment his notes (that he took carefully, embedding tips and detailed explanations, knowing in advance someone struggling might need them).

Noticed when someone looked sad and struck up a conversation just to make them laugh.

By the end of the week, he was already on good terms with almost everyone in class.

…

Izuku sat on the lowest row of bleachers during Quirk Study. He had his most recent Hero Notebook open on his lap. He was obsessed with quirks and studied them endlessly when he wasn't training, so he was really enjoying the opportunity to take notes on the quirks of his classmates and analyze them.

"What's someone like you need with a Quirk Study class?" a voice drawled from above him. "Shouldn't they give you home-ec or something?"

At the drawled comment, Izuku looked up to find a classmate - Junzo Ryuzaki - sneering down at him. Ryusaki was the typical bully - bigger than most of the other kids in class and collected weaker kids around him to boss around. Now he was looking for a target to smash to make himself look even stronger.

"It's not going to work," Izuku told him firmly but calmly. "Nothing you do is going to make me scared of you. You're only going to look stupid if you try."

As predicted, Ryuzaki's face went red, but Izuku wasn't going to back down. People were going to be counting on him one day; he had to make it clear that he could take care of himself - even without a demonstrable quirk.

Ryusaki lunged at him and grabbed him by the collar of his uniform jacket, yanking him violently to his feet. "You're a useless nobody, Midoriya," he snarled. "A quirkless freak rejected by the human gene pool."

Izuku tilted his head curiously, making his eyes go flat and unimpressed. "Are you picking a fight to feel better about your own quirk having no practical uses?"

"You little…!" Ryusaki snarled, nearly blind with rage. He drew his fist back.

"What are you going to do, Ryusaki? Hit me like a quirkless kid would?" Izuku brought up his leg between them - he was rather flexible from his physical training - and kicked the bigger kid away from him. Izuku staggered as he was released but kept his feet. "Only a villain bullies someone they think is weaker than them. Do you really want to spend all of middle school as the villain?"

"Hey! What are you two doing over there?" one of the teachers yelled.

Ryusaki barred his teeth and stormed away from Izuku.

Izuku bowed to the teacher to show he was okay before he calmly set his uniform back to rights and retook his seat.

"That was so cool," a timid voice spoke up.

Izuku turned to see Kichisaburo Yasui hovering nearby. Yasui was the shyest kid in class, and he'd gravitated to Izuku from day one. Izuku gave him a friendly smile. "Nothing good comes from bullying or letting yourself be bullied. Did you want me to help you with your quirk?" Normally Izuku would have meant that offer full-heartedly, but Yasui's quirk made him feel cold.

Yasui lifted his hands and his fingers elongated into rope-like tentacles. Izuku remembered the feel of twigs snapping in his hands and how his face had grown tight and hot as he'd been strangled slowly to death.

"Not really impressive, right?" Yasui asked, voice defeated. "Not like Bakugou or Fujimoto."

Izuku quickly averted his eyes from Yasui to look for Fujimoto. It let him steady his breathing and tell himself firmly that his classmate was not the man they had stopped in the park. Watching Fujimoto turn his hands into huge rocks and smash through wooden targets actually did calm him down. Fujimoto could even grab things that were incredible hot, like Kacchan's debris, without flinching.

"Those are great quirks," Izuku agreed. He looked back at the other boy but carefully stayed focused on Yasui's shy face instead of those rope-like fingers. "But all quirks are great. You just have to be creative. Think about all the times your quirk's helped you or someone else and then think about other situations it could be useful in."

A shy smile spread across Yasui's features. "Thanks, Midoriya! I will!"

The rest of the school day passed uneventfully. Izuku worked hard and helped out those he could. A few who had witnessed events in the gym had even apologized to him for Ryusaki. Izuku made it clear he was alright; he didn't want anyone worried about him or for Ryusaki to be labeled a bully so soon without giving him a chance to change his attitude first.

But as class neared the end, Izuku began to get fidgety. As soon as the bell rang, he hurriedly packed his things and called a cheerful goodbye to everyone before running from the room. He didn't wait for Kacchan like he usually did, instead running all the way to his house. He practically flung his backpack in his bedroom and got to work. Twenty minutes later there was a knock on his door.

Izuku ran to the front door and opened it wide. "Happy birthday!" he cried with a huge grin. Behind him, banners were hung over the living room's wall and streamers hung from the ceiling. The smell of curry filled the air; a pot simmered on the stove. The table was set with paper plates covered in colorful balloons and party hats sat next to each place setting. A metallic number twelve sat in the center of the table.

Kacchan gaped in the doorway and, giggling, Izuku pulled him in by the wrist, shutting the door behind him. "Did I surprise you?" he asked excitedly, practically bouncing on his toes. His hand slid from Kacchan's wrist down to hold his hand. He blushed happily when Kacchan didn't let go.

"Izu. The hell?" Kacchan stood rooted to the spot, his eyes still wide with surprise.

"I… I wanted to do something special this year…" Izuku muttered, suddenly feeling really shy.

Kacchan looked down at their clasped hands and his cheeks reddened. "It's just my stupid birthday, Izuku," he said with a huff, but he still didn't pull away.

Izuku led him to the couch by the hand and they sat side-by-side. "Are you doing anything with your dad later?"

Kacchan shook his head. "Nah."

His hand shifted in Izuku's and, for a moment, Izuku thought he was pulling away. His heart sank like a rock. He shouldn't have brought up Kacchan's family! But Kacchan wasn't pulling away. Instead, he slid his fingers between Izuku's before going still again. Izuku's heart pounded in his throat. The warm feel of Kacchan's hand around his, the feel of his fingers sliding between his own, made Izuku tremble. He thought his face was going to combust.

"He got me a new phone. It's pretty awesome," Kacchan continued. He was staring at Izuku's red face, a smirk curling his lips.

Izuku swallowed. "D-Do you w-want anything… for your b-birthday?" he asked boldly. His heart beat so hard and fast it felt like it was going to leap out of his throat.

Kacchan blushed red-hot and stared at Izuku's mouth. A whispered "fuck" escaped the blond's lips.

Izuku shifted closer to his best friend. Kacchan's eyes were so deep and beautiful this close. His skin was smooth and tan. Lifting his free hand, Izuku carded it through that fluffy blond hair. Very slowly, he leaned closer until he could feel Kacchan's quickened breath on his wet lips.

Izuku was breathing hard and fast as their lips connected. His eyes fluttered closed and he applied a little more pressure. It was like a surge of electricity zapped down his spine and set his stomach to a warm simmer. His hand clutched tightly to Kacchan's as a mix of excitement-fear set him on fire.

Kacchan's lips moved a little under his, opening slightly, and Izuku lapped at the outside of Kacchan's bottom lip.

…

The feel of Izuku's tongue touching his skin set him on fire! Katsuki gasped softly, eyes wide open, taking in the blurry view of long black lashes resting on top of blushing cheeks and wild green hair so close to his face. Heart surging in his chest, he let the tip of his tongue touch Izuku's.

Izuku's grip on his hand tightened still further before Izu pulled back, adorably flushed, eyes wide and shinning, inches from Katsuki's face. Katsuki stared at him mesmerized for a moment and then leaned forward, sliding his lips along Izuku's once more. He sucked a little and Izuku's bottom lip slipped between his own, startling him. Katsuki pulled back, blushing from the root of his hair to his toes.

"Felt good…" Izuku breathed into his mouth before pressing their lips together again.

Katsuki gasped as Izuku gently sucked on his bottom lip. And, shit!, it did feel good. Heat shot down his center and pooled in his lap in a weird but kind of good way. He pulled back, panting, and realized his palms were slick. Especially the one Izuku was clutching.

Fear set his heart beating rapidly against the inside of his ribs as alarms rang through his brain. Katsuki pushed Izuku away hard enough to send the other boy tumbling to the floor. "Wipe your hand," he barked, rubbing his own hands roughly on his thighs.

"Sorry," Izu said shyly, face still adorably red. He offered a sweet smile. "Should've thought of that."

Katsuki took a deep breath. His lips still felt like they were on fire. "I should wear gloves," he growled.

Izuku crawled up to sit next to him again. "That would be so cool!" he beamed. "Like a hero costume!"

Katsuki's lips pulled into a grin, his friend's excitement contagious. "I'd want them red. With the fingers free."

"Your outfit should be something all black. To hide the soot and ash," Izuku giggled. Then he was bouncing from the couch and running across the short distance to the kitchen. "Curry will be done soon!"

Katsuki smiled. "Yeah?" He got up and followed after his friend.

Ms. Midoriya made it home just as they finished eating dinner. She had a white cake with strawberries pressed along the rim of the top. In red letters, it read: Happy Birthday. Katsuki blushed and insisted that she didn't have to do this, but Ms. Midoriya ignored him with a big, happy smile so much like her son's.

The Midoriyas turned off the lights and lit some candles. Then they sang happy birthday. Katsuki felt tears burn his eyes. He was too ashamed to admit that no one had sung him happy birthday before. He hadn't thought it was a big deal, but his chest grew tight as a painful gratitude choked him.

When Izuku walked him to the door almost an hour later, Katsuki fisted Izuku's shirt in both hands (to absorb any sweat), and pulled his friend's mouth to his. Katsuki kissed him hard, his tongue darting inside Izuku's mouth in a quick swipe and sucking on his lower lip. "Thank you," he said roughly before pushing Izuku away.

Izuku stood there wide-eyed and his mouth slightly parted. Katsuki grinned. It had been a fucking great birthday, the best he'd ever had! Now how was he going to top it when Izuku turned twelve in the middle of July? Grinning evilly, Katsuki thought up ideas all the way home.

…

May and June passed in a blur of classes and quirks and they were already halfway through July. Katsuki couldn't remember ever being this happy. Everything was perfect! Izuku was doing well. Hell, most of the class fucking adored him! He'd even made peace with Bubble-breath, having offered him some genuine tips on how his quirk could be used more effectively, so Katsuki hadn't had to explode his face.

Then Katsuki's mom had called the other day to tell them she was getting therapy. Katsuki's dad explained that when his mom was young she'd been attacked by some asshole and was hurt pretty badly. That was probably why she'd become paranoid of Katsuki becoming a villain. That didn't make it right, but it did mean she needed help getting over that trauma. Once she got that help, maybe they could work on being a family again.

Then there was his quirk. Katsuki loved using his quirk! Fucking loved pushing himself to see how far he could go and what else he could do with it. In fact, he was excited to try something new! He got the idea from when he'd used one of his stronger blasts to destroy a target today during Quirk Study. The force had pushed him off his feet and he'd slid several feet across the gym floor. If he faced his palms behind him, then maybe…

"What are you thinking about?" Izuku asked, interrupting his thoughts. They were on their way back home, the sky a vivid yellow-orange above them.

"A new move." Katsuki shot his friend a grin. "I was thinking I could propel myself forward, maybe even get airborne if…"

Izuku caught on quick. "If you faced your palms behind you. You'd have to have your angles and force exactly right."

Katsuki nodded. "Yeah. I know. I'll ask to use the padded room at first."

Izuku stared at him in wonder. "If you figure it out, that would be incredible!"

"Of course I'm going to fucking figure it out!" Katsuki boasted, his chest swelling. "I'm better than anyone else out there! I'll be flying around inside a week!"

Izuku laughed. "I'll take pictures."

"Fuck you," Katsuki growled playfully and bumped their shoulders roughly together.

"Are you going to summer camp? Break starts next week and you have to sign up by tomorrow or they won't let you go."

Katsuki bit back a grin. Tomorrow was important, but not because of some stupid summer camp signup. Tomorrow was Izuku's birthday! He forced his face not to give away his excitement. He had something epic planned for his best friend.

"No," he answered casually. "Mom might come for lunch a couple times, so we can see how it goes."

"Oh." Izuku gave him a serious look. "I'm happy for you, Kacchan. I really hope it goes well, but promise you'll remember it's not okay for her to hurt you."

Katsuki blushed with an angry scowl. He hated Izuku for saying it, even though his friend was right. It'd only been a few months, how much different could she really be? But he wanted her to be better so bad! Dad was being so great, but it was clear as day he missed Mom. He'd gotten even quieter and sort of depressed. Katsuki just wanted to be happy.

Glaring hotly and refusing to look at Izuku, Katsuki stopped at the curb, the crosswalk turning red. Cars began to move forward as the traffic light turned green. Izuku kept walking forward. Katsuki reacted instantly, hand lashing forward to grab Izuku by the collar, yanking him back just as a car swerved, horn blaring.

"What the fuck, Deku!" he cried, heart pounding a mile a minute. He still had Izuku by the collar and turned to see that his friend's eyes had glazed over, his face pale and expressionless. He looked like a vacant doll; it was creepy as fuck! Katsuki swallowed hard.

Scowling, he grabbed hold of Izuku's wrist and walked him to a little park nearby. Thank god Izuku wasn't completely immobile. He was on some type of autopilot. He walked if he was pulled and would even sit if pressed into a seat, but he couldn't do anything on his own initiative when he was like this. All the brain power was turned off otherwise engaged.

There was a public bathroom at the park just as Katsuki remembered, and he pulled Izuku inside, locking the main door after checking that all the stalls were empty. Izuku stood where Katsuki had let go of his wrist just inside the door, staring blindly, silent tears beginning to roll down his blank face.

"Fuck. There goes my good day," Katsuki growled before crossing his arms and leaning against a sink to wait.

…

_He's small. The world feels so big and bright. He's laughing and playing on the monkey bars. The sky's so blue with white clouds. They blur as he flips over the bar - blue/white - green - blue/white - green. "Hey! wanna play in my secret fort?" _

_He drops to the ground and runs happily after the other boy. He's bigger than him and he's so excited to play with someone bigger! But they're leaving the park. The bigger kid waves at him, smiling, calling. The boy goes between two buildings. It's not far, so he follows, really excited to see the fort. The boy crouches, pointing down. _

_There's a dark hole. It goes into the ground. "Don't be a baby! You're brave, aren't you?" But he's scared of the dark. He backs away and suddenly the boy lunges forward. He's pushed off his feet. Hits his head. Hurts. Something over his mouth. Dragged closer to the dark hole. Scared, so scared! Crying. Screaming. Falling. Hitting the ground - can't breathe in. _

_A flashlight. The boy is there. He's staring down at him. His face is so empty, so scary. The boy bends down and puts his mouth over his. Something… Something fills his mouth… like a not-there soft ball… "There. Don't want our game to end early, do we?" Strokes his hair. "Now you can cry all you want, okay? No one will hear you but me. It's okay now." _

_The boy pulls him into his lap and rocks him. He clings, terrified, sobbing. Snot all over this mouth and chin. Then the boy pulls his head back by his hair and bites his cheek! PAIN! Blood. Screaming around the there-not there softness in his mouth. _

_The boy pushes him to the ground and kneels next to him. The boy begins to punch him in the head, chest, stomach. Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit. Hit - crying - scared - hurts - He curls up, trying to be small, but the boy pushes him flat. The boy's breathing hard. Sweating. Hit. Hit. Hit. Then stops._

"_You're a bad boy, you know. You should never go off with strangers. Bad boys get punished. It's okay to cry. Punishments are supposed to hurt." Darkness crawls over his eyes. Everything's blurry. Crying. Limp. Hurts all over. The there-not there softness disappears from his mouth. That helps push the darkness away, but everything still hurts. Heart pounding, so scared. Mommy…_

"_We'll play with this next, okay?" Shows him a long thin silver nail. The boy puts it over his shoulder and picks up a hammer. Slams it down and PUNCHES the nail through his shoulder! SCREAMING! PAINPAINPAIN! He thrashes, but that hurts more! Broken sobs bouncing off the walls - crying crying HURTS! He's peed himself - his legs and butt wet and hot._

"_You gotta be quiet! Don't you want to keep playing? It's so fun!" The boy leans over and puts his mouth on his again and that softness is back, but he hardly notices because his shoulder HURTS! Another nail is put on his other shoulder. PUNCH! PAINPAINPAINPAIN! Another on his stomach. PUNCH! BURNING PAIN SCREAMING! HURTSHURTSHURTS! _

_Kicking, thrashing, hardly feels the boy sitting on his legs… just barely feels his soaked pants being shoved down… the cold tip of a nail were he pees… PUNCH! - BLINDING AGONY - SHRIEKING - SCREAMING - a sharp point on his forehead - SNAP - ice cold death… _

Izuku blinked and realized he was falling. His knees hit the hard floor and the shock traveled up his spine. He leaned forward and puked everywhere. Hands gripped his shoulders. He was shaking, freezing cold. Damp hands ran through his hair and over the back of his neck. A voice was talking, tense and urgent. He moaned, deep and agonized, before curling up over his knees, heedless of the puddle of vomit inches from his head.

…

Katsuki was starting to panic. He'd seen Izuku have a vision a few times, but it was never like this. He dragged his friend away from the puke and threw handfuls of paper towels over the mess. It didn't do anything for the rancid smell that was making him gag, but it was the best he could fucking do.

Izuku was still moaning and shaking, not responding to anything. Katsuki unlocked the door, desperate for fresh air. He'd just have to fucking pray no one would come in. After several minutes of yelling and begging, he got Izuku on his feet, practically carried him to the sink. He ran the water and bent Izuku's head down enough that he could splash water on his friend's face and into his open mouth.

Izuku spluttered and gasped, his eyes blinking.

"You with me, Deku?" Katsuki demanded, really fucking freaked out. Izuku looked at him, the expression of devastation on his face so terrible that Katsuki winced and looked away. He flung his arm over Izuku's shoulder and held him close. "Come on, Izu. Snap out of it."

Izuku curled into the half-embrace. His shaking hands came up to clutch desperately at Katsuki's school jacket and then he burst into loud, heartbreaking sobs.

Katsuki couldn't take the smell or the close quarters any longer. He walked the still sobbing Izuku out of the bathroom and across the park to a little bench. People walking by looked over at them curiously, but Katsuki's glare was so fierce that they kept right on walking.

They sat there for almost an hour, Izuku balling his eyes out until he was exhausted. Katsuki pet his hair and rubbed his back throughout the hysterical sobbing. When Izuku finally fell silent, body no longer shaking, Katsuki carefully braced his friend's shoulders and sat him up.

Izuku looked trashed. His eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed, puffy to the point of almost being swollen shut. His lips were chapped and he still smelled faintly of vomit. Katsuki sighed and got Izuku's arm around his shoulders. He anchored it there by grabbing Izuku's wrist. He slung his other arm low around Izuku's waist and pulled the boy to his feet.

"Up we go. We're staying at my place tonight so I can keep an eye on you."

They moved at a snail's pace because Izuku was barely walking on his own. Katsuki was forced to practically drag him home. It was well past dinner time at this point, and Ms. Midoriya was pretty upset when Katsuki was finally able to call, but she allowed Izuku to stay over. Sighing in relief, he turned to look at Izuku who was passed out on his bed still wearing his school uniform. Katsuki was worried as fuck, but there wasn't anything he could do except wait it out.

Leaving Izuku to sleep, Katsuki made his way tiredly to the kitchen. His dad was at the sink, finishing the dishes. A plate of rice, fried chicken strips, and broccoli sat waiting for him, his dad having just microwaved it hot.

"Thanks for letting Izuku stay," he said, practically dropping into a kitchen chair.

His dad turned and gave him a small smile. "It's no problem. Should I make him a plate?"

"No." Katsuki was already eating. "He's already asleep."

"Is he sick?"

Katsuki didn't bother to look up at that question. "No."

There was silence for a while as Katsuki finished his meal. He was about to push up and leave the table - and the dishes - his dad stopped him.

"Wait, Katsuki…"

Katsuki lifted an eyebrow, but he obediently stayed sitting.

His dad came and sat across from him. His eyes were an amber in color behind his square glasses and his dark blond hair was neatly brushed. He wore a button-up and tan slacks. He had a desk job at an insurance company and usually looked the part. Now, though, he looked anxious and tired. Katsuki tensed, already frowning and not liking the atmosphere.

"I spoke to your mother."

Katsuki's insides clenched up, but he was careful to keep his face neutral. "Yeah?" he asked, pretending not to care.

Dad gave him this weird worried-hopeful look. "What do you think about her staying over during summer break instead of just coming for lunch here and there?"

Katsuki looked away, shifting in his chair. He didn't say anything. Fuck, what was there to say?

Dad continued, his voice anxious and hushed. "She really sounds better. It's been a little more than three months and her therapist said she's made a lot of progress. I would never suggest it otherwise. And… If she starts getting paranoid… about villains again… I promise I will ask her to leave." He reached across the table to awkwardly pat Katsuki's hand. "I will never let her do that to you again."

Katsuki pulled his hand away. His dad rarely touched him, so it felt weird when he did. He abruptly stood up. He hated this awkward shit. He just wanted it over, so he offered a fake grin. "Yeah. Let's try it."

Dad sighed in relief and stood. "Good." He smiled at Katsuki. "I want us to be a family again. I know you want that, too."

Katsuki tried to think of nothing as he took a shower, changed into pajamas, and made a nest on the floor next to his bed. Before settling down, he put a cold, damp rag over Izuku's swollen eyes, hoping it would help. Izuku hadn't moved a muscle. He was still out cold.

Katsuki turned off the lights and tried to sleep, but it alluded him. He kept jerking awake and sitting up to check on Izuku. He was finally falling into a fitful sleep around dawn when the sound of soft scratching reached his consciousness. He gasped and sat up only to find Izuku awake and writing in his fucking notebook.

Before Katsuki could snap or growl, the grim expression on Izuku's face registered and stilled Katsuki's tongue. Sighing, he scrubbed his hands over his face and got up. He made a quick trip to the bathroom and then the kitchen, bringing back some apples and two bottles of water. He kept one bottle to himself and tossed the rest at Izuku.

"Here. Try and get this down," he said gruffly, voice still rough from what little sleep he'd managed.

Izuku nodded and reached for the water. He drank half the bottle before re-capping it. He was sitting cross-legged on top of the covers still in his uniform. Katsuki waited for something to happen, but Izuku just sat there, hands in his lap, bottle in hand, his terrible notebook closed and resting by his knee.

"Shit," Katsuki growled more to himself than Izuku. He charged forward and snatched the notebook up. If Izuku couldn't talk about it, fine. He flipped the pages rapidly until he stopped at the last entry. He'd expected it to be bad, but… His stomach churned and his palms began to smoke.

Some kid had been lured away somewhere underground, beaten, and then nails had been hammered into his body until he got one to the forehead, finally putting him out of his fucking misery. Reading it made Katsuki feel sick and furious. He couldn't imagine what living through it had felt like.

He flung the notebook back down on the bed, his hand giving an involuntary pop, charring the outside. The faint smell of burnt paper wafted around him. "Fuck!" he spat, louder this time. He hated losing control! The phantom snap of the belt against his cold skin set his teeth on edge. He ruthlessly scrubbed his hands on his pants.

"He was just a kid," Izuku spoke suddenly. He lifted his head and looked right at Katsuki. His expression… Katsuki didn't have a word for it. "Our age."

"We'll save him," Katsuki promised recklessly - There hadn't been many identifiable landmarks in Izuku's recounting.

Izuku shook his head slowly side to side, indicating a negative. "No… Kacchan… Not… Not the boy who died… The k-killer… The killer was just a k-kid…"

Katsuki felt like someone had punched him in the head. "What?"

"Our age…" Izuku repeated. "I'm sure of it… His expression… God, Kacchan, it was so empty… Until he started to have fun… When he started with the n-nails… He was so… happy… Just a kid…"

Katsuki just gaped at him, speechless.

"He had everything set up… He wasn't nervous or clumsy… It was like he'd done this before… He didn't miss a single n-nail… Hit them all in the first time…"

"Izuku, stop!" Katsuki flung himself at his friend and held him painfully tight. "Please. Just… Give yourself a break, okay?" _And me_, he left unsaid. He took a deep breath and squeezed Izuku tighter. "I don't fucking care if it was a kid. He's a monster and we're going to stop him. I promise, Izu. We'll stop him."

Slowly, Izuku's arms came around Katsuki and held him back just as desperately. "How? He's so young. No one will believe he's a killer. He'll be seen as disturbed, but a psychopath?"

"We'll worry about that when we get there," Katsuki said firmly. "First, we're going to stop him from hurting the boy in your vision. If that's not enough to lock him away, then we have to keep tabs on him. For the rest of his life if we have to."

…

Izuku stayed with Kacchan all day. He felt numb and floaty. He'd died dozens of times in his visions, almost all painfully and violently, but he couldn't seem to wrap his mind around this death or this killer. They played video games, watched a movie. Kacchan touched him often, gripped his wrist or pulled him into hugs. It helped more than he could ever explain. By the time night fell again, Izuku felt a little less numb.

"I'll walk you home," Kacchan stated. It wasn't a question.

Izuku slipped his arms around his friend's waist and hugged him. "Thanks, Kacchan. For everything."

Kacchan just shook his head. His eyes were dark; there wasn't a smile to be seen. Izuku felt a stab of guilt.

It was dark enough that they felt safe holding hands as they walked to Izuku's house. When they reached his apartment building, Kacchan came to a stop, preventing Izuku from going up the stairs. "I didn't want to mention it before. It seemed like a bad idea, but today's your birthday, Izu," he said softly, watching him with a worried expression. "Your mom cooked your favorite dinner and bought you a cake."

Izuku blinked. It was his birthday? "Oh… I forgot…" He stared up at his apartment building dumbly. He couldn't go in the house feeling like this - disconnected and upset - so he took a deep breath and held tightly to Kacchan's hand.

One breath didn't feel like enough so he took a few more. When he felt a bit more steady, he closed his eyes and did what his mother had taught him to do after a nightmare. He made a list of all the good things in his life and of all the things he liked.

"I'm grateful…" he began in a soft voice, "… always grateful for Kacchan… for having a best friend… for my mom… for all of our classmates who are working so hard… for All Might and all the heroes who work hard to keep people safe… for sunsets… for curry and ice cream…" He continued to list things he liked for several minutes until he felt a genuine smile curl his lips.

Izuku opened his eyes. Kacchan stood patiently next to him, eyes dark and solemn, and Izuku felt such a powerful feeling of love overcome him that tears sprang to his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kacchan… For bringing you into this… But I'm so, so glad you're by my side…" He squeezed the hand in his own and whispered the brightest truth of his heart. "I love you."

The tension in Kacchan's shoulders finally relaxed and he gave a crooked smile. "Me, too," he said awkwardly and ruffled Izuku's hair before pulling him into a brief headlock. "You ready, Deku?"

Izuku smiled, hearing loud and clear the pride in Katsuki's tone. Deku meant 'never give up', after all. "Yeah. Let's go." He looked at his friend with big puppy eyes. "You're staying, right?"

Kacchan actually looked relieved at the invitation. He gave a nod. "I'll stay. If that's okay with your mom."

Izuku smiled in relief and they went up the stairs together still holding hands.

**end -**

**A/N: **So… now that you got through it…. how was it? Did I take things too far? _(ducks behind a barrier in case of thrown tomatoes) _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I am sad to say there is another gory, disturbing vision of a child being hurt and killed in this chapter. **BUT IT'S THE LAST ONE! **If you do not want to read the details, **skip the italicized section!**

…

**Alleyway Child-Killer**

After skipping school on Izuku's birthday, they were careful to attended the rest of the week. They couldn't afford for someone to get suspicious about Izuku having a quirk, but as soon as school let out, they were out searching the city for the park and alley Izuku had seen in his vision.

It seemed impossible! The boy had always been moving, his eyes darting every which way, until the alley, but the alley itself had been bare with no distinctive markings. They had so very little to go on! And as the days went by and they made no progress, Izuku began to panic.

"I don't think the timing of the vision is a coincidence," Kacchan had said to calm him down. "You said the asshole was our age, so he must go to school. He wouldn't have the chance to take that kid during the day. I think he'll attack during summer break, so we have time. "

As always, Kacchan was brilliant. He was right, but this time he was also wrong. Izuku saw it on the evening news the first day of summer break… Four-year-old Taisho Yazawa went missing that afternoon in the park… If anyone had any information please call…

Izuku stared at the picture of the little boy, now able to put a face with the pain. Taisho had brown hair that surrounded his head in a wild mane and large, cat-shaped amber eyes. With numb horror, Izuku realized they were too late! They had let Taisho die, terrified and in horrible pain; they hadn't saved him.

…

Katsuki opened his door just after the crack of dawn to find Izuku, looking faded and thin, his eyes red-rimmed, standing on his doorstep. Katsuki had seen the news last night. He already knew why Izuku looked so heartbroken. He took his friend firmly by the wrist and towed him up the stairs to his room.

He was quiet, partly due to the fact that his parents were still sleeping and partly because he was afraid Izuku would shatter at any harsh word or touch. He carefully closed his bedroom door and pulled Izuku to his bed. He sat Izuku down on the edge and crouched before him. He held both of Izuku's hands in his and stared up at Izu's dark, tear-filled eyes. Izuku stared back for a long minute without moving or speaking. Katsuki waited.

"I want… to find his body… bring him home, at least…"

Katsuki nodded and got to his feet. "Then that's what we're going to do."

Izuku's expression hardened as he looked up at Katsuki. His hands closed into fists on his thighs."And maybe… if we find him quick enough… the police will find some evidence… Because that kid is going to do this again… He had too much fun with Taisho to stop."

Katsuki felt rage ignite in his bones. His lips pulled off from his teeth, but it wasn't a smile. "Then let's go find him."

It wasn't that simple, of course, but Katsuki had an idea. He called the local government office and made up a story about a school assignment. They had to map the city using one type of place as the focus. His group had chosen parks with monkey bars. Would it be at all possible please to get some kind of reference telling them were parks with monkey bars were? The answer had been yes and they could come pick up a copy of the reference material at the local office. Taking their bikes, they were there in less than ten minutes.

The city was big with sprawling suburban neighborhoods and smaller business districts ranging out from the heart of downtown, so there were more than a hundred parks with monkey bars on the map they'd been given. It was going to take them all of summer break to visit them all, but they didn't once think about giving up.

…

Izuku woke up on the third day of break with a pounding headache. He knew he was pushing himself too hard. He was up and at Kacchan's house by dawn and they didn't get home until the sun set - during summer that was a very long day, more than twelve hours. On top of that, they didn't really stop to eat during their search, just snacks here and there. By dinner, Izuku was too tired and worried to eat, and he was in too much of a hurry in the morning to really stop and eat more than toast for breakfast.

But he couldn't help it! Every day that passed, the evidence would degrade more and more and the killer would get away with it! The idea of that creepy killer kid out there, hurting god knows how many kids, made Izuku sick. So he ignored his headache, made some toast, and ran out the door to meet Kacchan. He was unlocking his bike chain from the rack under the apartment stairs when…

_Long purple hair falling over half her face. Bright sun. Hot heat. A boy sitting all along on a bench holding something. She watches for a while, swinging on the swings, creak-Creak-creak-Creak. Jumping off, feeling that giddy feeling of flying before falling to the sand. Running over to the boy who said, "I lost my puppy. Will you help me find it?" Taking his hand, leading him across the small park, calling, searching. _

_Then the boy is leading the way, still holding her hand, still calling, searching, bright pink collar and leash. Down the street. Cars. A bookstore. Love books! Past the bookstore, buildings she doesn't know. "I can't go far." Protesting. Mommy will be mad, but the boy says, "I think I see her!" Running together between two buildings. _

_There's a hole in the ground. The boy is at the lip, calling. She crouches down to look, nervous. Something shoves her in the back and she falls into darkness. Hits the ground on her stomach. Hurts to much! Chin, chest! Crying. "Mama!" _

_Thump. Click. A flashlight. The boy is crouched beside her. His face is different in the dark. Empty. Scream! Run! She's pushed down. Crying! Kicking! "You gotta be quiet," the boy says in a harsh whisper. "Or we won't be able to play anymore." The boy grabs her long hair. Throws her. She hits the wall, crumples to the ground. Vision blurs. The boy grabs her hair again - Hurts! - and puts his mouth over hers. The air filling her mouth thickens. _

"_There. It's okay now. You can cry. Only I can hear you." The boy draws back his fists and slams them down on her chest. She jerks and wheezes HURTS! They draw up again and slam back down PAIN! Again. Again. Again. _

_Drooling. Dizzy. Limp. HURTSHURTSHURTS. Something hisses. A smell stinging sharp. "Only bad boys play with fire, did you know?" Something wet splashes her. Whimpering. Crying. Hurts. Another hiss. That stinging sharp smell again -_

_AGONY SCREAMING SHRIEKING FLAILING AGONY FLINGING BODY AGAINST GROUND WALL AGONY PAIN HURTS CAN'T BREATHE BRIGHT DARK PAIN!Hurts! hurts falling dark - SNAP ice cold death…_

Izuku leapt to his feet and flung himself forward blindly, trying to escape the agony of his flesh burning and his muscles sizzling like bacon in a pan. Something knocked him down onto something hot. He screamed!

"IZUKU! Stop it!"

Izuku fell silent and blinked a flood of tears from his eyes. He was on his stomach, on the warm cement of the sidewalk. Someone was holding him down. Kacchan? Whimpering, he twisted until he was on his back, Kacchan straddling his waist. He grabbed at Kacchan's shirt with both hands, desperate for something to hold on to.

"It's okay," Kacchan said softly. "It's okay, Izu. You're here with me. I'm here."

Izuku nodded his head, but it felt jerky and disconnected. He tried to speak, but he could't get a word out. Only broken whimpering sounds escaped his throat.

…

The sounds Izuku was making set Katsuki's teeth on edge and made him want to punch something. "Come on," he growled and pried Izuku's hands open. He stood, pulling Izuku up with him. "We've got to get you out of sight."

The faces staring down at them from several apartment windows made Katsuki's skin crawl. He wrapped his arm protectively around Izuku's shoulders and led the shaking boy up the stairs back into the apartment.

As soon they were inside, Izuku sprinted with sudden urgency into his bedroom. Katsuki followed, knowing what he'd see. He stood in the doorway and watched as Izuku madly scribbled in his Death Book. The other boy was kneeling on the floor, leaning over his bed, pencil flying over the page.

Izuku's visions were usually months apart and now he had two in the span of eight or nine days. Katsuki was very worried about what that doing to his friend. Izuku looked thinner. His usually soft, vibrant hair seemed darker and limp. His eyes had dark bags underneath them. His hands trembled now all the time. Worse, Izuku was becoming more and more manic and irrational. All of his sharp acuity was disappearing.

"It's him!" Izuku was suddenly on his feet. He thrust his notebook at Katsuki wildly. "He's going to take another kid! A girl. Older than Taisho. She can't read, but I saw a bookstore, Kacchan! Before he pushed her in the hole… I drew it the best I could! She was on the swings. He had a pink dog collar."

"Slow down," Katsuki begged, taking the notebook from Izuku's shaking hands.

"We have to find them! Now! Before we're too late!" Izuku practically screamed.

Katsuki held his friend's crazed eyes. "You've got to calm down, Izu. Do you hear me? You can't help anyone like this."

"WE'VE GOT TO SAVE HER!" Izuku shrieked and flung himself at Katsuki, trying to get past him and out the door.

Katsuki staggered, dropping the notebook to catch his friend. Izuku snarled and scratched, but Katsuki wouldn't let him go. Growling, he tackled Izuku to the ground and wrestled him still.

"LET ME GO!" Izuku screamed, high and piercing.

"CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Katsuki bellowed back. He reared up and brought his palm across Izuku's face in a loud SMACK!

Izuku went perfectly still underneath him.

Katsuki sat there, panting. The scratches on his face and neck stung, but he hardly felt it through the horror squeezing his throat closed. He'd hit Izu! Katsuki waited for tears, for a glare of betrayal or disgust, but Izuku had gone quiet. He lay trembling underneath Katsuki and said not a word.

"Izuku… You with me?" he asked, voice cracking with nerves.

Izuku nodded, but he didn't speak, nor did he look at Katsuki.

"Hey," Katsuki babbled, heart racing. "I'm sorry. I just didn't know how else to stop you. You were going to go running out there crazed. You could have gotten hurt. Or someone could have called the cops. They would have figured out you have a fucking psychic quirk."

Izuku nodded again.

Katsuki climbed off his friend. The palm that had struck Izuku's face burned like acid. He kept it clenched into a painfully tight fist. "I'm going to look at the bookstore you drew. I'm going to help you find it, okay? We're going to go as soon as we figure out where we're going to."

Izuku didn't move. He stayed on the floor, looking nowhere. His cheek was a bright red.

Katsuki bent and lifted the notebook in shaking hands. (_"You're hands were made for evil! All they can do is burn and hurt! Those aren't the hands of a fucking hero, Katsuki!"_) He quickly opened the notebook - anything to drown out the voice - and found the sloppy sketch of the bookstore.

The girl in Izuku's vision couldn't read, so Izu had done his best to sketch the name from shape-memory. It was actually pretty impressive. Katsuki turned the page slightly counter-clockwise and then clockwise. He let his eyes blur. It nagged at him… It was almost familiar… English! It wasn't a Japanese name!

Katsuki left Izuku lying on the floor and moved quickly to the computer. There was only one bookstore in their area that sold only English books: Good Day Books. He pulled up the map and took a minute to memorize it. Once he was done, he shut down the computer and moved to the door. Unable to look Izuku in the face, he called over his shoulder, "Come on. We'll take the train. The bookstore is only two stops down."

…

As Izuku followed Kacchan to the station, he felt like he was still burning. Some part of him was still trapped in the vision burning to death. He felt completely ashamed for coming unhinged. What must Kacchan think of him? He lifted his hand and touched his cheek. The sting was almost gone now, but he clung to the sensation, let it ground him in reality. He was utterly terrified of melting down again when he couldn't feel it anymore.

Izuku lifted his head to look at Kacchan's back. His friend was walking so stiffly, not saying a word and refusing to look at Izuku. He must think Izuku was pathetic and weak! Sick to his stomach, Izuku wrapped his arms tightly around his waist, trying to hold everything in.

The train car was busy. There was no room to sit, so they stood next to the door. Izuku sought out Kacchan's reflection in the glass and winced at the hard, shut down expression he found there. Tears burned Izuku's eyes and he closed them tight.

He didn't open them again until they arrived at their stop. He stumbled after Kacchan and soon found himself on a busy street. The heat was intense after the air-conditioning of the train. He was already sweating. He glanced at Kacchan worriedly, but he couldn't find the words to ask him if he was okay. And if Kacchan said no? What could Izuku do? He was useless! Miserable, trembling, Izuku hunched down inside himself.

In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the bookstore from his vision. The sight of it made Izuku's heart pound. His eyes snapped down the street and he began to run only for Kacchan to grab his collar and yank him almost off his feet.

"Where the fuck are you going?" the blond growled.

"The alley! It's right there!" Izuku cried. He tried to pull away but only managed to half strangle himself. He went still, gasping and crying. "Kacchan! Please!"

"What are you going to do? Jump in?" Kacchan demanded hotly. He pulled Izuku over to stand in the shade against the building. His voice was a hushed rasp. "He hasn't taken that girl yet. And if it's the same place as the one he brought Taisho to, all you'll do is destroy evidence and put yourself at the crime. The cops might think you did it and stop looking for the real killer."

Izuku quailed at the cold look in Kacchan's eyes. Nearly hyperventilating, he managed to take a deep breath and hold it. He lifted a shaking hand to his cheek, but he couldn't feel anything there anymore. It sent him spinning into mind-shredding pain of being burned alive.

…

Katsuki felt sick as Izuku, hysterical and terrified, put a trembling hand to his cheek. He let go of Izuku's collar as if it burned him. Sick shame and terrible rage nearly shattered his control completely. His palms began to smoke. "I'm not going to fucking hit you, Deku!" he snarled, lashing out the only way he could. "Don't fucking look at me like that!"

Izuku blinked at that and whimpered. His eyes were enormous and shinning with tears. "I-It h-helped me, K-Kacchan," he confessed breathlessly. Then he burst into loud sobs. "I-I'm sorry! I'm s-sorry, K-Kacchan! I… I'm not st-strong!… I'm b-burning up! I c-can't think…" Huge desperate eyes bore into him. "H-Help me, K-Kacchan. K-Keep me w-with you…"

Katsuki's face burned red in embarrassment. People were stoping and staring at them, Izuku's loud cries garnering a lot of attention. Katsuki gave them all a nova hot glare and pulled Izuku into the narrow alley between the bookstore and an apartment building. It was just barely wide enough for them to fit.

Katsuki's heart thundered in his chest. His slap had helped Izuku? He watched, completely confused, as Izuku sobbed about not being strong, about being sorry, please don't be mad at him…

Katsuki growled. He couldn't take it! What did Izuku want him to do? Hit him again? He felt sick at the thought. He couldn't do it! Then Izuku's cries shifted from apologies to desperate cries of 'We have to go! He's in there! We have to get him out! We have to save her!' Izuku was completely losing it!

He grabbed Izuku by the hair and yanked his head to the side. His other hand yanked Izuku's t-shirt off his shoulder. Katsuki leaned forward and bit him. Hard. Hard enough to bruise. Anything just to shut Izuku up!

Izuku gasped, arching up onto his toes, but Katsuki held him in place. He locked his jaws and held on until Izuku went limp and his breathing slowed into something resembling normal. He was still crying, but it was quiet. The hysterical edge slowly bled away. Katsuki, jaw aching, finally released him and Izuku slid down the wall to sprawl on his ass.

Katsuki, heart in his throat, mouth dry and aching, crouched down, trying to catch Izuku's eyes. "Hey," he rasped, voice hoarse. "You in there, Deku? You okay?"

Izuku's hand shook as it lifted to the bite. It was red and already swelling. Tears soaked his face, but he was calm. He nodded.

Katsuki watched him, completely baffled. Something strange twisted inside him at seeing Izuku's shirt stretched out at the collar, his teethmarks on his friend's skin, and the way Izuku had quieted… Katsuki stood quickly, needing distance.

"Good," he said and had to clear his throat as his voice cracked and went high. "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to go inside the bookstore and stand where we can still see the window. We're going to keep watch and wait until we see them pass by. Then we're going to call the police."

Izuku nodded, expression eerily calm.

Katsuki shivered, heart suddenly pounding in his throat. "Let's go. Remember. We have to try and not attract attention. If you feel like you're going to lose it, I want you to come back here. I'll follow you."

Izuku nodded again.

Katsuki tugged Izuku's shirt back in place as much as he could. The collar remained stretched out, but it covered the bite. Then he took Izuku by the wrist and pulled him out of the stuffy heat between the buildings.

They were wet with sweat, so the air conditioning inside the bookstore was heavenly. He positioned them by some magazines where they still had a good view out the front windows. After a good ten minutes, he heard Izuku's breathing quicken again, but then Izuku lifted a hand to his shoulder where the bite was and his breathing evened out.

…

Izuku didn't know how long he stood there, flipping blindly through the magazines. All he knew was that his head was quiet. He was still burning somewhere far away, but for now he could breathe and be still. When the burning got louder, he would press down on his shoulder where it was hot and throbbing. The pain felt like a metal rod running down his spine grounding his feet to the floor. It reminded him of angry red eyes and Katsuki's strong, capable hands…

Eventually it grew dark. Kacchan told him to follow him. Izuku did, but already his heart began pounding. They weren't leaving were they?!

Kacchan paid for three magazines, took the bag the girl handed him, took Izuku's hand, and led the way to the door. Izuku resisted, pulling back, but Kacchan just pulled harder until they walked back out into a blanket of heat.

Izuku relaxed a bit when Kacchan pulled him to the narrow alley next to the bookstore. He was pressed against the brick wall by his shoulders, Kacchan's right hand unknowingly right over the bite. Kacchan's put his face close to his.

"That kid won't take her at night. She's at home safe with her parents right now. We'll come back first thing tomorrow, okay? We'll keep watch. We won't let her die, I promise."

Izuku felt panic well up. He knew Kacchan was telling the truth, but his body just couldn't believe it. If he left, something bad was going to happen! He'd be too late again and that girl would die like Taisho! He began to shake, protests bubbled up on his lips. Kacchan squeezed down on his shoulders. Red eyes glared into his own.

"We can't stay here all night, Izuku. We can't! We need to go home. Get something to eat and drink. Get some rest."

Izuku shook his head frantically, tears welling up. "We can't l-leave her!" he cried.

…

Katsuki was tired. He was hungry and thirsty. He had to fucking use the bathroom. Izuku was being completely crazy! Fed up, he grabbed Izuku by the wrist and began to drag him out of the alley. Izuku pulled back and clawed at Katsuki's hand as he began to cry loudly.

Katsuki spun around and got into his face. "You can fight all you fucking want, Deku, but we're going home! We'll come back in the morning!" Then he turned and kept walking.

Izuku shook and cried. He pulled at the hand wrapped around his wrist, but it was weak and ineffective. Katsuki wasn't sure if that was because Izuku knew going home was the right thing to do or if it was because Izu was that exhausted from this whole fucking mess. People stared at them - some annoyed, some concerned - but Katsuki just glared at them and kept his hand locked around Izuku's wrist.

"I don't want to go home," Izuku cried pitifully. Huge tears rolled down his raw cheeks. He looked a mess. His shirt was stretched out and disheveled. He was sweaty, dirty, and exhausted. His dark green hair hung limp and tangled.

Katsuki ignored him.

They made it back to Izuku's apartment just after 9:30 pm. Ms. Midroyia was waiting and was pretty upset at how late they were, but Katsuki had been so busy dragging Izuku along he hadn't been able to make a call. Izuku had worn himself out, so he was pretty much sleeping on his feet, still sniffling and crying by the time they got to the apartment.

"What happened?" Ms. Midoryia cried, practically falling onto her son and smoothing his hair out of his face.

Katsuki didn't really know how to answer that other than the truth, but he wasn't supposed to know about Izuku's quirk. And if he told her about waiting for a killer, she would flip. He'd learned really quickly that Ms. Midoryia was extremely overprotective. So he shrugged his shoulders and hoped that would work. It seemed to. She made some excuse about Izuku just getting sad sometimes and hustled him into the bathroom. Katsuki relaxed a bit at being let off the hook and used his cellphone to call home.

"_Are you avoiding me, Katsuki?"_ his mother asked through the small speaker.

It made Katsuki's gut twist painfully. "No. I just… My friend needs me right now. He's going through something. I promise I'll be home in the next few days."

His mother didn't answer. Instead she hung up on him.

Katsuki grit his teeth and wrapped his arms around his chest, miserable and angry.

During dinner, he noticed Ms. Midoryia slipping Izuku a sleeping pill. Katsuki was so fucking grateful he could have kissed her. After using the shower, eating three helpings of curry, and drinking about five glasses of water, Katsuki collapsed on the bed next to Izuku and passed the fuck out.

He'd set his alarm for an hour after dawn - from the vision the killer hand't taken her until it was well and truly daylight, so they didn't have to be there right as the sun got up. The next morning he felt heavy and groggy, but he forced himself up. He used the bathroom, got dressed, and ate some toast before dragging Izuku out of bed.

The sleeping pill made Izuku sweet and compliant, thank god! His friend slowly dressed on his own and used the bathroom. He even ate the toast Katsuki gave him on the way to the station. By nine-thirty in the morning, they were back in the bookstore looking at magazines.

"Kacchan…"

Katsuki looked over. Izuku was staring at him, more coherent than he'd been yesterday. "I'm sorry… for falling apart…" He gave Katsuki a shaky smile that didn't quite touch his eyes. "I just wanted you to know… I'm here now. I'm with you."

Katsuki felt his shoulders relax. "Yeah?" He reached over and gripped Izuku's shoulder. "Good. Welcome back, Deku."

Izuku's smile was almost real that time.

Katsuki turned his attention back to the window. People and kids went by, living their lives. He glared fiercely, rage boiling beneath the surface. How dare this psycho fuck that up! He'd practically broken Izuku's mind! Katsuki was going to fucking _ruin_ him!

Izuku gasped next to him and, without looking at his friend, Katsuki zeroed in on the boy and little girl who had just come into view crossing the street just to the right of the bookstore. The boy was their age, a little shorter than Katsuki - about Izuku's height. He had black hair that was cut short and neat and he had crystal clear blue eyes. He wore a red t-shirt with Endeavor's logo and jeans. A pink leash with a collar dangling from the end was clutched in one hand. He kept turning to the girl behind him while pointing at something in front of him. He looked completely normal and harmless.

The little girl was about six or seven. Older than Taisho. Her purple hair fell to her waist and hung in front of her face, covering half of it, keeping one of her eyes hidden. Of all things, she wore a white dress, making Katsuki think of a lamb for fucking slaughter.

…

Izuku felt like everything was happening in slow motion and speeding out of control at the same time. The low level background noise disappeared completely. He stood in a silent bubble, rooted to the spot and yet desperate to move. After what felt like an eternity, he lurched forward, but Kacchan grabbed the back of his shirt, holding him in place. The little girl was right in front of the bookstore window now, and her face lit up with excitement.

"Hello. This is Katsuki Bakugou. I'm at Good Day Bookstore. I just saw a kid take a younger kid into some alley. I thought it was weird, and when I looked in, I saw him push her down into some hole and jump in after her. I think I hear her crying."

Izuku held on to Kacchan's voice. Let it ground him when all he wanted to do was scoop that girl into his arms and run far away. But he had to think of Taisho, too. And the other kids in the neighborhood. If this boy wasn't stopped…

Kacchan pushed him forward and they made their way out of the bookstore just as the girl disappeared into the alley. Izuku whimpered, but he forced himself to keep to Kacchan's careful pace.

"They didn't look alike, so I don't think they're siblings. I really think someone should come check this out. Someone really good because I think he's going to hurt her… A boy with black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a red t-shirt with Endeavor's logo… About my age. Twelve maybe…"

They got to the mouth of the alleyway and very carefully looked around the corner. Kacchan still had a tight grip on Izuku's shirt. They were just in time to see the boy leap feet-first down into the hole and disappear.

"A girl… Five or six? I don't know… Long purple hair," Kaccha's voice grew impatient. "Look! Please hurry. Something is really not right."

Disconnecting the call, Kacchan grabbed Izuku's shoulders and turned him around to face him instead of the alley. "Izuku. Look at me."

Izuku swallowed the burning hot coal in his throat and did his best to focus on Kacchan's angry red eyes.

"Heroes are on the way. She's going to be fine. They'll be here in minutes. So you have to get it together. You can't look this upset. You don't know what's going on down there, remember?" Kacchan gave him a little shake.

"He's hitting her as hard as he can right now. Over and over," Izuku blurted. He knew it was pointless, that it would only upset Kacchan, but he couldn't keep it inside.

Kacchan glared hotly and looked around at the street. His grip on Izuku's arm was painful and growing hot. "Come on. Where are they?" he snarled.

Izuku was counting down the seconds. Half his mind was back in the suffocating dark… feeling the boy's fists come down again and again… He was counting down to the sound of the match… Izuku would _not_ let her burn to death…

"Fuck!" Kacchan hissed, fury snapping in his voice.

Izuku was still counting… Kacchan's hand was burning him now, but he was glad. It calmed him. Reminded him what body he was in. He wasn't helpless. "Katsu." He looked at his friend with dead certainty. It was time. They had to go.

Kacchan met his eyes and then… He let Izuku's arm go.

Izuku sprinted, low and fast, down the alley and jumped into the hole. It was pitch black. Only the illumination of a flashlight standing on its end lit up the small space. It was a basement of some kind. Hard-packed earth floor. Brick walls. And a boy, lifting a red container of gasoline, preparing to splash it on the moaning, still girl at his feet. The boy's face was flushed, his expression was the picture of innocent happiness, and he stared at Izuku with a tilt of the head, curious.

"Who are you?" he asked, voice melodic and sweet. "Did you come to play, too?"

Kacchan landed next to him. He looked so coldly murderous and focused that the boy took a step backward. Izuku lunged forward, but not for the boy. He threw himself over the body of the hurt little girl, shielding her with his own.

"You fucking asshole! I'm going to murder you!" Kacchan screamed. His hands popped and snapped ominously as he leapt forward.

"Cool quirk," the kid said brightly, not showing an ounce of fear. He flung the open container of gasoline straight at Kacchan.

Kacchan and gasoline was not a good idea! Kacchan's skin was resistant to heat, but prolonged exposure would burn him. Being set ablaze would absolutely kill him. Izuku choked out a scream, but Kacchan was hell on wheels when it came to fighting.

Kacchan was mid leap - he couldn't stop - and he couldn't stop the container - the liquid already splashing out toward him - so he continued his arm movement, lifting his palms outstretched before him and let off a tiny blast. The gasoline exploded!

The force pushed Kacchan away from the fire, sent him flying backward where he rolled, colliding with Izuku who hunkered down over the girl again. The heat was incredible and the acrid smoke instantly stung their eyes and made them hack and cough. Izuku couldn't see through the smoke and flames that were blazing three feet high right in front of them.

"ANYONE DOWN THERE?" a man's voice bellowed from above him.

Kacchan was too busy hacking up a lung to answer, having inhaled more smoke than Izuku, so Izuku lifted his face and called weakly between hacking coughs, "… Here!… Help!…"

The man jumped in with them and then hands were on him, easing him away from the girl. Izuku barely kept himself from fighting the man off. The only thing that calmed him down was the fact that the little girl was crying and coughing, so she had to be alive. The man lifted her carefully over his head into the hands of another man waiting outside the hole.

Izuku pushed Kacchan toward the man next. Once Kacchan was out, Izuku let the man lift him. "There's… _hack_… another kid… _cough_…"

Then Izuku was in the alley. Kacchan was being steered to the street by a paramedic where Izuku could see the back of an ambulance and the front of a police car. Another medic took Izuku by the arm and gently guided him after Kacchan. They were sat on the curb where they were encouraged to cough it all up. Oxygen masks were placed over their faces.

Suddenly a police officer in a suit was standing over them. Izuku stared up at him with wide eyes, but before the police officer could ask a single question, Izuku saw a paramedic carrying the boy out from the alley. He was singed and burnt, but his hacking coughs showed he was alive. Izuku opened his mouth, but it was Kacchan who spoke.

"That kid fucking pushed that girl down into that hole!" he yelled furiously. "There's something seriously wrong with him!"

"It's true!" Izuku stated, staring up at the officer with huge imploring eyes. "We heard her crying. It sounded like she was getting hurt, so I jumped in! He was standing there in the dark with just his flashlight. He had a container in his hands and it smelled like gas. He was about to pour it over her!"

"I jumped in after Izuku," Kacchan said, voice scratchy and rough. "I lunged for the boy, but he flung that shit at me. My quirk went off…"

"I tried to protect her!" Izuku exclaimed, heart thundering a hundred miles per hour. "I put my body over hers! Is she okay? Is she hurt?"

"Woah, now." The police officer scratched the back of his head. "Slow down, boys. Let's start at the beginning."

"Sir! You're going to want to take a look at this!" - a call from down the alley.

The officer sighed. "Wait here," he told them.

Izuku's eyes found Kacchan's and they both began to smile grimly.

**end.**

I am very glad to say that the Child-Killer arc is officially (mostly) over. We just have the aftermath in the next chapter… Whew! Izuku was bound to crack under the experience of those visions… Let me know how you think I did with his breakdown!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Wow. This chapter got way more political than I thought it would. I considered cutting huge chunks, but in the end I kept it for the same reason I wrote it. It shows the boys facing some really difficult concepts and how they worked their way through them, which is a big part of growing up…. so… yeah… I really hope it's not tedious to read…

**Interrogation and Ethics**

For a few hours, everything was chaotic. Izuku and Katsuki were taken to the nearest hospital. Their parents were called. Ms. Midoriya was frantic, but the Bakugous were calm. After about five hours and at least half a dozen tests, they were deemed well enough to be discharged - with a lot of stipulations and warnings to rest. However, the police asked them to stop by the station for questioning before heading home.

Ms. Midoriya was surprised and worried for Izuku's health (and his secret quirk), but it was ingrained in her not to deny a police officer, so she agreed. Mrs. Bakugou was not so accommodating. "Are you accusing Katsuki of something?" she demanded sharply.

"No, ma'am, but we found some disturbing evidence and we want to make sure we take their official statements while it's still fresh."

"What disturbing evidence? What does that have to do with Katsuki?" she growled, arms crossed.

The police made it very clear to Mrs. Bakugou that they didn't think Katsuki was involved in anything (the _yet_ was heavily implied). She was within her rights to take Katsuki home and have him not give an official statement…

However, that could implicate Katsuki should they find inconclusive evidence that might link Katsuki to a situation that according to him he had nothing to do with… It was in Katsuki's best interest to go ahead and follow procedure willingly… The police were only trying to help and were working for the best interest of all involved…

Mrs. Bakugou was forced to give in, especially when Katsuki himself said he didn't have anything to hide.

…

Naomasa Tsukauchi had only been promoted to senior detective three years go, but he'd already solved some pretty important cases (and was good friends with All Might himself). He worked hard and was unfailingly loyal to justice, which was why he had been given the Alleyway Child-Killer case. The whole situation was a serious time bomb of messy proportions. Several veteran detectives had passed the case up because closing it or not closing it would probably derail their careers either way due to bad publicity.

Naomasa felt differently. If what the initial evidence suggested was true… All the more reason to take the case and do everything exactly right… For the safety of the people… For justice… Toward that goal, he had the two witnesses placed in separate interview rooms. He had carefully extracted the boys from their guardians and so had a few minutes alone with each of them to get a feel for the truth.

He already had a report with a quick background check on both of the kids. On paper, they were ordinary children - well, maybe they were on the exceptional side. They scored in the top percentile nationally, and the Bakugou kid had a very powerful and eye catching quirk. The Midoriya boy was remarkable in that he didn't have a quirk at all.

Outside of their excellent academic record, the two boys were polar opposites of each other - dark haired vs fair haired, introverted vs extroverted, considerate vs impulsive - Naomasa couldn't see them getting along. In fact, he would have guessed they'd have an adversarial relationship. And his guesses were rarely so far off the mark as it apparently was in this case. The boys claimed to be _best friends_.

Naomasa couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something… non-congruent here. And if he was going to close this case, he would have to put all the pieces together. Starting with Midoriya and Bakugou.

…

Midoriya looked tired. He had dark circles under his eyes. His face looked a little pale. Four perfectly symmetrical freckles or very small moles sat high on each cheek in the shape of a diamond. He had large, emotive green eyes and messy green hair. He was slender, perhaps on the too-thin side, and was about four and a half feet.

As Naomasa entered the interview room, Midoriya looked at him with a trepidation normal for such an intimidating environment. It was a small room, the size of a large closet. It fit a small table and two chairs with not much more room to spare. A huge mirror covered one wall. The other walls were unadorned and painted a slate grey color. The floor was white tile.

"Good morning, Midoriya-kun." Naomasa gave him a genuinely friendly smile as he shut the door behind him. "I'm Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. How are you feeling? Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

Midoriya gave him a shy smile, twisting his hands in his lap. His body language was timid, head slightly ducked, shoulders curled in, subconsciously making himself a smaller target. "No, th-thank you, s-sir," - was his timid, polite response.

Still making his expression open and friendly, Naomasa pulled the remaining chair away from the table, letting it grate against the floor. He didn't want the kid frightened, but he did want him off balance. He sat and set the closed files he had carried with him into the room on the table in front of him. He folded his hands on top of them.

"I just need to ask you a few questions, but, before I do, I want you to know that my quirk is called True Man." He gave a casual laugh. "Nothing too fancy. I just have a feel for when something's not true. Also, it's standard procedure to record interviews. If at anytime you would like for your mother to be present, you can call for her. Okay?"

He pretended not to notice the way Midoriya had tensed at this information. It didn't necessarily mean anything. Most people were uncomfortable when presented with his quirk. That was because people were rarely honest with themselves let alone others. More importantly, he hoped that the offer of "calling for" his mother would injure the boy's pride and make him more resistant to actually doing it.

"O-okay…"

"Great!" Naomasa flashed him a big smile. He opened the top folder and pretended to reacquaint himself with the report on top. It was the initial report from the scene. "It says here that you were at Good Day Bookstore yesterday morning. A store clerk reported you were there with your friend from about noon the previous day until closing, bought a few magazines, and came back shortly after the store opened up the next day. A few hours later, at eleven twenty-six am, your friend, Katsuki Bakugou, called emergency. Can you walk me through those two days, please, so I can get a full picture of what happened?"

Midoriya stared at him with wide eyes, but he didn't look around nervously or swallow a lot like most people did when they were trying to think something up on the fly. It was clear the boy was thinking, but that was what Naomasa had asked him to do.

"Kacchan and I bought some magazines to read over summer break. To better our English," Midoriya began. He was frowning in concentration and his eyes drifted naturally from Naomasa's face to the file and back again, which was normal and expected. Prolonged eye-contact was unusual and uncomfortable - especially for a child when facing an authoritarian adult, no matter how friendly Naomasa was trying to be.

"It was really hot and it was nice and cool in the bookstore… We looked through the magazines and Kacchan picked three to take home… It was a good place to be, so we went back in the morning…"

Naomasa sensed no lie in these words, but he also felt like Midoryia was being very deliberate with what he said. His account was very succinct. Most people - and especially children - over explained things, giving a flood of extra and unneeded detail and exposition. Not so with Midoryia, which was unusual, but maybe it was a normal idiosyncrasy for the kid.

"We were looking at the magazines again - the rack is by the front window - and saw a boy about our age cross the street with a little girl following him."

As soon as Midoriya got to this part of the story his body language shifted. It became more direct and forthcoming. His voice became stronger with less thoughtful pauses. Naomasa found that interesting, but he didn't interrupt.

"The girl was young and she didn't seem to know the boy. It wasn't right, so Kacchan called emergency. We saw them go into an alley and we followed them. The boy shoved the girl into this hole in the ground and jumped in after her. I heard these sounds… thuds… whacks… The sounds of someone hitting someone else and she was crying. The police weren't there yet. We waited as long as we could, but I was afraid he was really going to hurt her. I jumped in the hole to help and saw her lying there. The boy was standing a few feet away. He had a red container and it smelled like gas, so Kacchan leapt at him to get it away, but then the kid threw it at Kacchan and his quirk ignited the gas. There was an explosion. Smoke and fire were everywhere. That was when the police officer got there…"

Midoriya paused and gave Naomasa a puppy-dog look that was truly impressive. "I asked at the hospital, but the doctors said because of patient privacy they couldn't give me any information… Can you tell me… Is the girl going to be okay?"

The genuine concern in those large green eyes softened Naomasa. "I can't reveal any details, but she's going to make a complete recovery."

Midoriya's eyes shone with tears as his whole face lit up with a smile. "Thank god…" He covered his face with shaking hands for a long moment, still smiling. "I'm really glad to hear that."

Naomasa cleared his throat. "Thank you, Midoriya-kun, for explaining what happened again. I know you've been over this with the police a few times already."

"It's okay…" Midoriya's hands dropped and his smile wavered as his nervousness returned. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"

Naomasa kept his voice light, smiling casually. "Almost. There are just a few more things I'd like to have clarified." He looked down at the file for a minute, drumming his fingers along the table. "Have you ever met the boy in the red shirt before yesterday?"

Midoriya's eyes widened. "You think we knew him?… I swear I don't know who he is…"

Naomasa made a humming noise and reached into his jacket for a pen. He wrote something down on the inside of the file folder. Midoriya hadn't lied, but… something felt non-congruent. He looked back up at the boy. Midoriya looked unsure, his timidity was back full-force. He shifted his weight anxiously in the chair.

Naomasa asked his next question. "When exactly did Bakugou-kun make the call to emergency?"

Midoriya stared at him for a moment before answering softly, "You said eleven twenty-six."

Naomasa laughed. "Good memory, but I meant did he call before or after you left the bookstore?"

Nervous green eyes held his own for a beat before Midoriya answered softly, "… Before."

"On the transcript of the call, Bakugou said…" Naomasa pulled out one of the reports in the file and held it.

"Hello. This is Katsuki Bakugou. I'm at Good Day Bookstore. I just saw a kid take a younger kid into some alley. I thought it was weird, and when I looked in, I saw him push her down into some hole and jump in after her. I think I hear her crying. They didn't look alike, so I don't think they're siblings. I really think someone should come check this out. Someone really good because I think he's going to hurt her. A boy with black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a red t-shirt with Endeavor's logo. About my age. Twelve maybe. A girl. Five or six. I don't know. Long purple hair. Look. Please hurry. Something is really not right."

Naomasa looked across the table to see Midoriya looking anxious. He was paler than before and there was sweat along his hairline. His hands churned restlessly in his lap. Naomasa pretended not to notice and affected an innocent tone. "At what point did you leave the bookstore?"

Midoriya bit his lip. He didn't answer right away and he wouldn't make eye contact. He stared at the tabletop as if it had the answers. "… W-Will I get in tr-trouble if I get it wr-wrong?"

Naomasa paused before answering, letting the boy stew a bit. "Just do your best, Midoriya-kun."

The kid nodded and lifted his head to take nervous glances at Naomasa's face. "I think… after Kacchan said he saw them go into the alley. You can see the alley from the bookstore window if you lean close to the glass."

Again, there was no lie in this answer, but it didn't ring completely true, either. "So you left the bookstore after he said 'I just saw a kid take a younger kid into some alley' and then walked to the alley and looked inside in the space of time it took for Bakugou-kun to say 'I thought it was weird'?"

Midoriya swallowed and very faintly said, "… I guess so?"

Naomasa shuffled his papers and smiled brightly. "I see." He put the files back in the folder and stood. "I'll be back in about ten minutes. I have to talk to your friend, but I'll be back. Did you want me to send someone in with a drink while you wait?"

"… W-water? … If you don't m-mind…" - came Midoriya's hesitant response.

"Of course." He flashed another friendly smile.

…

Bakugou looked annoyed when Naomasa entered the room. He had fluffy, ash-blond hair, was tan and athletically built for a twelve-year-old. There was an untamed air about him, like he was a wild thing pulled off the street, but that was countered by the sharp intelligence that shone in his bright red eyes. The kid had been rocking back and forth as he tilted the chair on its back legs. He let it drop loudly as Naomasa entered.

"For someone with questions, you took your goddamn time," the kid growled with an impressively fierce scowl.

Naomasa lifted his eyebrow, letting amusement color his expression. He shut the door behind him. "Good morning, Bakugou-kun. I'm Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. How are you feeling? Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

Bakugou gave him a very unimpressed look. "You make me wait forever and now you're going to do small talk?" He folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on top. "Wake me up when you actually want to do this."

Naomasa laughed and put the hand not holding the files up in surrender. "Okay. I'm sorry. I'll get straight down to business then, shall I?" He pulled the chair out from the table and sat, setting the files down in front of him. "I need to ask you a few questions, but, before I do, I want you to know that my quirk is called True Man. It's nothing fancy. I just have a feel for when something's not true. Also, it's standard procedure to record interviews. If at anytime you would like for one or both of your parents to be present, let me know."

Bakugou sat up with dramatic exaggeration. "If you're recording this shit, that means I don't have to do this again, right? Because I gotta say, I'm sick of answering the same questions over and over again." He crossed his arms over this chest mutinously. "What's the deal, anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Naomasa asked, tilting his head curiously.

Bakugou shrugged, his eyes shrewd as he sized Naomasa up. "People are being really serious and quiet about what's going on. Like the nurses and the officers who brought me here. Then you make me wait in this shitty room forever after just getting released from the hospital. Seems like something big is going down."

Naomasa smiled. "You're pretty observant, Bakugou-kun. What do you think's going on?"

Bakugou huffed and rolled his eyes. "If you're not going to be straight with me, then let's just get on with this. What do you need to know?"

"That's too bad. I'd love to hear your theories." Naomasa opened the top folder and took out the initial report from the scene. "It says here that you were at Good Day Bookstore yesterday morning. A store clerk reported you were there with your friend from about noon the previous day until closing, bought a few magazines, and came back right when the store opened up the next day. A few hours later, at eleven twenty-six am, you called emergency. Can you walk me through those two days so that I can get a full picture of what happened?"

"What's my personal life have to do with anything?" Bakugou scowled, his posture becoming angry.

"Do you have something to hide?" Naomasa asked curiously, surprised at the pushback.

"No, I'm just sick of drawing this out!" Bakugou snapped.

Naomasa lifted his eyebrow again. "Then I suggest you answer and get it over with. Of course, you can refuse, but we already explained how that could possibly implicate you later if…"

Bakugou cut his hand through the air sharply and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah yeah. Heard it the first time." He glared at Naomasa like he was personally offended by his presence. "I looked up English bookstores and Good Day popped up. It was only a few stops down from our neighborhood and we decided to go. It was alright. At least it had fucking air conditioning. So we went back again the next day."

Naomassa hummed and looked down at the file. That pretty much matched Midoriya's account - barring Bakugou's added profanity. He moved on to his next question. "Have you ever met the boy in the red shirt before yesterday?"

"Never," Bakugou said strongly without hestitaing. That rang true, which was interesting because when Midoriya answered it had felt a little gray. "He seemed like a fucking freak. Not exactly someone I'd hang out with."

Naomasa titled his head. "How so?"

Bakugou frowned and looked off to the side. "He was too fucking… clean looking. Like a kid off a tv show. Not real, you know? Holding that stupid leash like some creepy pedophile luring away a kid…"

Naomasa was genuinely surprised. "You know what a pedophile is?"

Bakugou sneered at that. "It's not in your fucking file there? When we were eight, some sicko substitute teacher tried to rape some of the kids in class while he gassed us to sleep. Izuku and I weren't completely out. Izuku got hurt trying to stop him and I trashed the place when my quirk went out of control. Mom made sure I knew what a pedophile was and how they'd try to sucker kids into going with them after that."

Naomasa was impressed and curious about why that _wasn't_ in the file he'd been given. Probably because they were minors and the case had been sealed. It did, however, set him more at ease as it explained how these two very different boys had such a strong friendship. A shared traumatic experience had a way of bonding people together.

"I see." He gave Bakugou a thoughtful look. "Like I said, you're a very observant kid. Are you thinking about becoming a hero?"

A fierce grin lit up the kid's face. "Not just a hero. I'm going to be the number one hero in the world!"

Naomasa couldn't help smiling at that boastful claim. "If you work hard, I'm sure you will be." He looked back down at his papers. "Can you tell me when exactly did you make the call to emergency?"

Bakugou tilted his head, mirroring the exact gesture Naomasa had made a few minutes before. It was likely subconscious, but it was interesting because mirroring was a technique to make you more relatable to the other person. It was a good manipulative strategy. Police interviewers used it all the time. "When I saw that freaky ass kid leading a little girl across the street…"

"While you were still in the bookstore?"

"Yes when I was still in the bookstore," Bakugou answered impatiently. "When else?"

Naomasa easily ignored the flashes of attitude. "At what point did you leave the bookstore?"

"When they moved out of sight," Bakugou drawled slowly, as if Naomasa were particularly stupid. "That's when we followed them."

Naomasa took out the paper with the transcript of the emergency call and read it back to Bakugou the same way he'd read it to Midoriya. When he was finished, he looked up to see Bakugou's expression set in the same annoyed scowl as before.

"At what point did you leave the bookstore?"

"You expect me to remember that?" Bakugou growled. "I was too busy watching this fucking creepy kid lead some little girl off into a dark alley! I called emergency and followed them. He pushed that girl into a hole in the fucking ground and jumped in after her. Then there was the sound of someone being hit and then that girl started fucking crying. The police were taking their sweet time and Izuku fucking jumped in after them! So I had to jump in, too. You know the fucking rest." Bakugou pushed up suddenly and stood. "If you don't have anything actually important to ask, I'm going home."

Naomasa didn't have anything to say to that, so Bakugou stomped past him and flung open the door, disappearing into the hallway beyond.

He was truly impressed. Nothing Bakugou and Midoriya had said had been a lie, but his quirk told him that the Truth hadn't really been spoken. There was something off about these two… They were hiding something. And they were actually _good_ at it. Even against his quirk. Naomasa would certainly remember them, but for now he'd let it go. Whatever it was they were hiding, it didn't directly impact the Alleyway Child-Killer case and that was his top priority at the moment.

…

Katsuki sat in his bedroom with his phone in hand. He was so fucking tired. The last few days had been a shit show and Izuku hadn't helped. It wasn't like Katsuki blamed him. Shit, those fucking visions were awful! Izuku had to experience dying over and over again, and this particular case was really fucking gruesome and disturbing. And then to have two visions so close together… It was no wonder Izuku had snapped! So it wasn't like Katsuki was mad or anything, but the truth was… He was almost at his limit.

He couldn't handle much more of this, and with his mom and dad on top of it… He wanted so much to fix his fucking family! Being gone so much and then everything with the hospital and police station, it was putting too much pressure on his parents, pressure they didn't need right now…

Katsuki felt like he was suffocating. He need some room to breathe. Unlocking his phone, he pulled up his text with Izuku. He paused, thumbs hesitating over the tiny touch-screen keyboard. Then he wrote:

.

Katsuki:

I can't see you tomorrow

I'lll see you after break

.

Deku:

Are you in trouble?

.

Katsuki:

Just need some time alone

.

Izuku didn't write back right away, but after about a full minute, the three dots appeared to indicate he was typing.

.

Izuku:

Okay. Love you, Kacchan.

Thank you for everything

.

Katsuki's hands tightened painfully around the phone. With a scowl, he tossed it onto his desk and flung himself at his pillow. Screaming made him feel a little better, but it didn't erase the guilt. A knock sounded on his door. He sat up quickly.

"Yeah?"

His door opened and his mother stood there. Seeing her made Katsuki's stomach churn with a sharp mix of anxiety and hope. She gave him a flat, neutral look, and said, "Dinner."

"Coming." Katsuki followed her, shutting his door firmly behind him.

…

Izuku stared down at his phone, realizing Kacchan wasn't going to text back. The screen eventually went black. He was sitting on his bed in his room, but it didn't feel like his room. It felt empty, but maybe it was Izuku who was empty. He had no right to cry about Kacchan not wanting to see him over break. They both needed some time to deal with everything that had happened. He knew that… but it still hurt.

Wrapping his arms around his chest, Izuku toppled sideways. He shoved his face into his pillow as he felt the sobs well up. His mom was exhausted and worried enough as it was, so he tried to be as quiet as possible as he cried himself to sleep.

…

"… Breaking news. Police have uncovered the body of Taisho Yazawa who went missing a few days prior. Cause of death is unknown at this point. Police state the investigation is on going…"

"… More details about the death of Taisho Yazawa. The police have confirmed the little boy was murdered after being abducted from a local park. One source states that his body was found underground in a basement-like enclosure under an alley not far from the park where the boy was abducted. The perpetrator has been dubbed the Alleyway Child-Killer…"

"… It has been confirmed that along with the body of missing Taisho Yazawa, the police found the mutilated remains of eight dogs, twelve cats, and four rabbits…"

"… Although the police have yet to release the name of the Alleyway Child-Killer, they have confirmed that the suspect has been arrested. The Child-Killer was caught in the process of hurting and attempting to kill another abducted child. Sources say an anonymous call to the police led to the Child-Killer's arrest…"

"… Twelve-year-old Utamuro Aomine was officially charged and arrested for the death of Taisho Yazawa, two counts of kidnapping, assault with the intention of murder, animal cruelty, and illegal quirk use. The date of his trial has been set for this fall…"

…

The end of August marked the end of summer vacation. For Izuku, it had been three very long weeks of trying to avoid the news, which had been a herculean task. It was all anyone could talk about! But the self-enforced isolation was actually good for him. He used the time away from Kacchan, tv, and the computer to really think about what he wanted.

He'd been a huge burden on Kaachan and had involved both of their families. He'd been the weak link at the police station, too. Quite frankly, Izuku was sick of it. He HAD to get stronger. And that meant things had to change.

For one thing, he leaned too much on Kacchan. They had started out as equals, but somewhere along the way Kacchan had begun to hold more of the burden during rescues and became responsible for making the plans. Izuku wanted to be Kacchan's partner, his equal! He never wanted to be deadweight again!

That meant he was going to work on his visions more on his own. He was twelve now. Some of them didn't need to involve Kacchan at all. He also used the time alone to look up techniques to help him deal with feeling so terrible after what he felt in those visions.

He had to practice staying calm and not freaking out no matter what! Or, just like Kacchan had said, he'd be no help to anybody! The technique his mom had taught him - making a list of things that make him happy - worked for nightmares and a depressed mood, so there had to be other things he could do that would help. And there were! He actually found quite a few things that he thought would work.

Izuku also decided that getting stronger meant that he needed to pay more attention to his best friend. Kacchan wasn't invulnerable. He needed support, too, and Izuku hadn't been doing a very good job of that. He took it for granted that Kacchan was so strong and smart, but he knew better than to be fooled by the loud and abrasive exterior that Kacchan presented to the world.

So when break ended, Izuku returned to school with determination burning like a fire in his chest. He was even prepared to face all the gossip about the case. Good thing, too, because when Izuku walked into his classroom, he was immediately bombarded… Had he heard about the Child-Killer? … What did he think?…Could one of them be secret killers, too?…

Izuku did his best to change the subject when he could and avoided the conversation when he couldn't. Most of his attention, however, was on Kaachan. The blond had made no move to talk to Izuku. He was quieter than normal and looked tired.

Izuku decided maybe space wasn't what Kacchan really needed and decided to corner him during break, but Kacchan wasn't in the classroom during lunch or in the cafeteria, so Izuku went looking and found him out on the school roof. He was lying on his back, his arms crossed under his head for a pillow, but his eyes were open as he stared up at the clouds.

"Hey," Izuku said softly, keeping his distance.

Kacchan didn't look over, but he didn't scream for Izuku to leave him alone, either.

Izuku sidled closer. "You want to share my boxed lunch?" He held out the black, two-layered box in offering.

Again Kacchan didn't say anything.

Izuku crossed the distance to his best friend's side. He set the lunch down and sat, gently nudging Kacchan's arms away and slipping his thigh under the blond's head instead. Izuku said nothing as he began to run his fingers slowly through the blond's hair.

After a few minutes, Kacchan finally met his eyes. "Why are you so happy?"

"I'm with you," Izuku answered simply. "It's nice." He glanced up at the clouds that Kacchan had been looking at. "The weather's nice, too."

They sat in comfortable silence for almost thirty minutes. The bell for class rang, but Izuku didn't move to get up. He wouldn't until Kacchan did. Red eyes caught his. They were calm, resigned somehow, but there was hurt in them, too.

"Mom's moving back in."

Izuku said nothing, waiting. He continued petting the coarse blond hair.

Kacchan looked away, back up at the clouds. "She won't hit me again. I'm too old for that now."

Izuku's hand stilled, resting gently on Kacchan's head.

"She thinks she was right to discipline me or else I could have turned out like Utamuro Aomine. If I become a hero, it's because she made it clear how wrong it was to be a villain."

Izuku bent forward. It was awkward and his back gave a twinge at the stretch, but he managed to bring his mouth down softly on Kacchan's. Izuku kissed him until his friend responded in kind. Katsuki's hand reached up and threaded through Izuku's hair, helping to hold his head in place so their lips could slot together and their tongues could touch. Blood rushed to their cheeks, turning their faces red.

"You could never be like that kid," Izuku's voice was fierce for all that it was a whisper. "I promise you that. No matter what she did or didn't do." He reached down to caress Kacchan's face - over his cheeks, down his nose, across his lips. "You're so beautiful and strong. No one made you that way. It's just who you are, who you've always been. Even before your quirk came."

Kacchan wrapped his arms around Izuku in an almost painfully tight upside-down hug. Then he released him and climbed to his feet. "Come on. We're late for class."

Izuku smiled as Kacchan offered him a hand. He took it and the blond pulled him up. As they made their way back to class, Izuku made a mental note to invite Kacchan to spend the night at his house more often.

…

Things settled down about the Child-Killer at school if not in the media, but it all got stirred up again during the second week of October when Utamuro Aomine's trial began. They even had a formal debate about it in class. They were given two excerpts of opposing speeches made about the case and were told to pick a side:

Source 1:

"A twelve-year-old boy cannot be held accountable for their actions in the same way an adult can. They haven't developed enough mentally or physically to understand the world in the same way an adult does. Aomine's actions were horrific, however something led to this behavior. Aomine needs treatment not punishment! I find it unconscionable that the prosecution is pushing for a life-sentence without chance of parole for a twelve-year-old child! I'd like to remind people that our system was not only founded on the principle of Justice; it was also founded on the ideal of Mercy!"

Source 2:

"Let's face facts here people! Regardless of age, Aomine shows a complete lack of empathy. During his trial, he demonstrated no remorse and freely admitted to torturing and killing Taisho Yazawa. He also admitted to abducting and beating six-year-old Eka Nishihara. Police found gasoline and matches at the scene, and Aomine told the entire court that he planned on setting her on fire while she was still alive. He stated and I quote, 'I was just playing with them. It was fun.' The mutilated animal corpses date back almost two years! When he grew bored, he moved on to bigger prey: small children! This is a clear case of psychopathy, which we know is not curable by any current treatments! Aomine should be incarcerated without any chance of parol!"

Those who stood on the left side of the classroom agreed with Source 1. Those who stood on the right agreed with Source 2. Izuku caught Kacchan's eyes and moved to the right side of the room. Kacchan followed him. There were thirty kids in class. Only eight, counting Izuku and Kacchan, supported Source 2.

Izuku sighed. Kacchan shot him a worried look and Izuku gave him a sad smile to reassure him he was okay. He was already resigned to Aomine's sentence being reduced because of his age. He wouldn't let it discourage him. Like Kacchan had said, if he had to, he'd keep tabs on Aomine for the rest of his life. He wouldn't let another kid suffer and die at his hands.

"Alright, you extras!" Kacchan exclaimed, taking charge of their group. "I'm winning this thing! So you better pull your weight because I will fucking end you if we lose!"

Izuku gave a firm nod of agreement.

One week later, they won the class debate while Aomine's verdict didn't come until the end of November.

Aomine was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to spend the entirety of his minority in a hospital for disturbed and dangerous youths. Upon his eighteenth birthday, another hearing would be held to review his case and evaluate his progress. The result of the hearing would determine if Aomine would be moved to a prison or freed.

**End - **

What do you think? Should I have cut the stuff revolving around the trial, the news, and the debate for class? Did it bog the chapter down? How many of you found yourself skimming because it got boring?

Also, I have some good news - and some unfortunate news…

Good news: Next chapter we'll have reached the anime timeline! woot! :D

Unfortunate news: I'm going out of town, so I'll be offline for at least 4 days, maybe more. Sorry guys!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **I'm Baaaaaack! :P

I have a different function I have to attend this weekend, however… So it'll be another week before the next update. Sorry! On the plus side - the chapter is a little longer than usual! Hope that is some compensation.

I really, really hope you enjoy this chapter. It's Anime time! Heads up, people! :D Events from Episode 1 and 2 are coming right up! (with a few minor adjustments :P )

**What It Takes**

Their second year of middle school seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Izuku got more serious about his quirk and becoming stronger, and Katsuki worked more on fine tuning his own quirk.

…

"Are you sure about this, Deku?" Katsuki had asked when Izuku had told him that he wanted to be more independent about his visions and the rescues.

"Yes." Izuku had met his friend's eyes with iron determination. "I remember you telling me once, control your quirk or it will control you. Well, last time… with the Child-Killer… my quirk controlled me. I want to do better, Kacchan!"

Katsuki had frowned, unable to argue in the face of the mantra that had been beaten into his skin as much as his mind. "Fine. But I want you to keep me in the loop, got it? It's dangerous to do this kind of stuff without some kind of of backup."

Izuku had agreed.

…

To that end, they usually went their separate ways after school. Of course, they still studied together and met up to hang out, but they spent more time apart than they had in years. To compensate, they constantly texted during the day and called each other every night.

Izuku had five visions that year. Katsuki went with him during two of the rescues because they were complicated or dangerous, but Izuku tackled three of them by himself.

The first one didn't go that well. He got the killer tased and tied up, but he hadn't realized the young man who'd been attacked had his phone out and recording. He filmed the rescue. It was dark and grainy, the man's hand shook from pain and shock, so Izuku's identity was safe, but it was a huge mistake. They _always_ made sure to destroy the victim's phones.

The next day the video was all over the news, and for weeks afterward, people were once more talking about the vigilante with an All Might mask.

…

"What the hell were you doing out there, Deku?" Katsuki had bellowed furiously.

"I heard someone coming and bolted," Izuku had answered, trembling and ashamed.

Katsuki had grabbed Izuku by his collar and had shaken him. "Do you want to get caught? Do you? There's no other goddamn explanation for you being there except knowing about the attack in advance! I thought you had to keep your fucking quirk a secret, Deku!"

"I know!" Izuku had cried, tears flooding his face. "I'm sorry!"

Katsuki had sighed and released him, scowling. "You better not fucking forget next time, Deku."

…

When the next vision came a month later, Katsuki demanded to be involved. A mother with a water quirk had drowned her two kids and her husband in a fit of madness. It took them working together and very creative planning to prevent that one, but the vision six weeks after that one was a simple assault and robbery.

Izuku had to beg for days to get his friend to agree to let him go alone, but eventually Katsuki gave in (he had decided to secretly follow Izuku on all his 'solo' missions from now on, not that Izuku ever knew that).

Fortunately for Izuku, that rescue and the one after went much better. The killers were left tased and tied up and the victims didn't have much time to see much of Izuku, so word of a vigilante didn't make the news again.

…

Now it was the first day of their final year of middle school:

"Kacchan!" Izuku waved as he ran up to the blond. "Good morning!"

Kacchan gave him a grunt and they began walking together. Pink petals floated in the air from the many sakura blossom trees planted on the block around their school. Izuku caught a few petals in his palm, smiling. He loved spring.

A sudden crash was heard in the distance. They shared a glance and began to run. They came around the corner to see that a crowd had gathered to watch as a villain - who stood at least eight-feet tall with huge muscles and a blunt, shark-like face - stood on the train tracks.

"Look! It's Death Arms!" Izuku pointed excitedly. The muscled hero was famous for his powerful punching attacks.

"He's okay," Kacchan remarked unimpressed. "His problem is he's not strong enough to end fights quickly. That's why he'll never be the best. It's also why he's hanging back. A drawn out battle between two strength quirks would damage a lot of shit."

"Please stay back!" a man in a fireman's outfit called loudly and water shot out of his hands to form a barrier.

"The rescue hero Backdraft!" Izuku bounced excitedly on his toes.

"This guy must have been pretty desperate to go full villain in the middle of the city," a man in a business suit said, standing next to Izuku. "Do you know what happened?"

A younger guy answered, "Just some amateur. Stole someone's bag and got himself cornered."

"What a waste," an elderly woman muttered. "A quirk like that could have helped a lot of people."

"Being a hero isn't about your quirk," Izuku turned to tell her. "It's about your heart."

She stared at him, surprised. "I guess that's true."

Izuku whipped his head up as a shadow flew over them. Girls in the crowd squealed. "Kamui Woods!" he cried excitedly. "He may be new, but he's making a big name for himself."

Kacchan stood with his arms crossed as he watched. "He's decent. At least he has both offensive and defensive skills."

Just as Kamui Woods was about to do his signature move - shooting tree branches out to cage his opponent in an organic prison - an enormous, giant woman in a skintight suit flew in, kicking the villain off the tracks and into the side of a building. She struck a pose.

"Mount Lady is here!"

Kacchan tisked and turned, pushing through the crowd with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Come on, Izuku. We're going to be late for school."

Izuku followed him happily, buzzing with excitement. "That was amazing! Gigantification! Mount Lady definitely has the looks and attitude to be a crowd favorite, but her quirk will make it hard for her to get around, so she might not be as effective in an urban setting as someone like Kamui Woods." He flashed Kacchan a big smile. "Can you believe we're already in our last year of middle school, Kacchan? Next year we'll be at UA training to be heroes just like them!" Izuku's excitement faded as he studied the look on his friend's face. "Kacchan? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Kacchan said, but he wouldn't meet Izuku's eyes.

Izuku knew better than to push him, so he he fell silent. He made sure to brush the back of their hands together every few steps, though, and he was reward with Kacchan's expression relaxing and his lips curling up into a small smile.

"Morning, Midoriya!" Yasui called as they walked into the classroom.

"We're in the same class again this year?" Izuku asked with a grin. Kacchan moved away to the front of the room, claiming a front row seat. "That's great!"

Izuku greeted several other students, complemented several of the girls and a few boys on changes to their hair, introduced himself to the few kids he didn't know and took a seat toward the back. He still liked the back of the room, but for different reasons than he had in elementary school. Back then, he'd been picked on and had wanted to make himself invisible. Now he liked the back because it let him watch everyone in the room.

"Alright you guys!" the teacher called. "Welcome to the first day of your third year! As third year students, it's time for you to start making some real decisions about what you're going to do with your life. I'm passing out career assessments. Try to write something other than pro hero, okay? That's a very competitive field! You need a backup plan if that doesn't work out, you hear me?"

"Hey, teach…"

Izuku leaned over to see Kacchan with his legs propped up on his desk, his ankles crossed. He'd tilted his chair up on its back legs and had his head tilted back. His bored expression ignited into a fierce, challenging grin and Izuku blushed with stars in his eyes.

"Don't lump me in with these bunch of losers. I'm not going to need a backup plan."

The teacher gave Kacchan a smile. "Yes, Bakugou. I know all about your plans to get into UA. You have impeccable test scores, so you stand a decent chance of getting in, but UA is the country's top hero academy. It is incredibly hard to get accepted. You'll have to do more than excel to get in."

Kacchan suddenly jumped up onto his desk in a show of supreme athleticism. His desk and chair hardly moved. "That's why it's the only place for me!" the blond declared boldly. "I'll ace all the tests and get in no problem! I'll end up more popular than All Might himself! People all around the world will know my name!"

The class gave a wild cheer and Izuku smiled so wide it almost hurt his cheeks. Kacchan was amazing!

Izuku and his classmates obediently filled out the career assessment forms and listened as the teacher reviews important dates and events for the next year. Izuku took detailed notes as was usual. He looked up as the homeroom bell rang to see his teacher standing by his desk.

"Midoriya, can I speak to you a moment?"

Izuku gave him a smile. "Of course, sensei!"

His teacher led him to the teacher's lounge. It was a large room with dozens of desks placed strategically to make the most use of the space available. Izuku was often class Secretary so he'd been there before to make copies or handouts.

"Is there something I can help you with, sensei?" he offered helpfully.

"Midoriya…" His teacher gave a sigh and pulled out a chair from another teacher's desk to set it next to his own. "Have a seat."

Izuku frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Just sit for a minute."

Izuku did as he was asked.

"Midoriya, you're a bright kid. You score in the top five percent on all your tests right alongside Bakugou. More importantly, you're kind and good with people…" His teacher sighed again. "I'm your teacher. It's my job to encourage you, but it's also my job to help guide you. I noticed that you wanted to apply to UA for high school… the hero course…"

"Yes," Izuku confirmed, brows scrunched. He tilted his head in confusion. "I want to be a hero more than anything!"

"Midoriya…" The teacher gave him a look of soft compassion. "I'm sorry to say this so bluntly, but… You don't have a quirk. Pro heroes go up against very dangerous villains with quirks that are simply devastating. No matter how smart you are or how kind, you wouldn't stand a chance. Just look at Bakugou. If you had to go up against him in a fight, how do you think you'd do? It's not a game, Midoriya. You'd be killed."

Izuku flushed, hot tears prickling the corners of his eyes.

His teacher pressed on. "UA's hero course is incredibly difficult to get into. They hold an acceptance exam that is heavily combat reliant. Even kids with amazing quirks don't pass it. Do you understand, Midoriya? You have absolutely no chance of passing that exam."

Izuku said nothing. He couldn't. Not past the burning hot lump stuck in his throat.

His teacher sighed. "Please think about it very carefully, Midoriya. If you're still dead set on UA, I recommend changing your goal to the support course. It's still a very difficult program to get into, but at least you would have a chance." His teacher reached out to grip his shoulder supportively. "Midoriya, you would make an excellent support hero or even a police officer or doctor. Any one of those professions are ones in which you would excel."

Izuku suddenly stood. "Thank you, sensei," he rasped and fled the room.

…

Katsuki frowned as Izuku didn't return to class after the teacher pulled him out. Two periods went by and still no Izuku. When break time came, he made his way to the roof where he'd have some privacy and took out his phone.

.

Katsuki:

Where the hell are you?

.

A few minutes went by with no response.

.

Katsuki:

You better fucking answer me, Deku!

.

Finally, the three dots that indicated Izuku was typing appeared. Katsuki waited.

.

Izuku:

Park with all the sakura trees

.

Katsuki:

You skipping school?

What did the teacher want?

.

Izuku:

You know what he wanted

Do you think I can be a hero?

.

Katsuki sighed and flung his head back against the wall he was sitting against hard enough to sting. "Shit," he muttered, miserable. He closed his text app and used speed dial to call his friend. He heard the line open, but Izuku didn't say anything. For a minute, neither did Katsuki, but then he growled. He wanted this over with.

"You can be a hero, Izuku, you already are one, but I don't think you can be a hero like All Might or Kamui Woods. Not without a combat quirk."

He could hear heavy breathing on the other end and knew Izuku was crying, knew he was breaking his best friend's fucking heart, but what the fuck was Katsuki supposed to do? Let Izuku think he could stand toe-to-toe with villains like the one they'd seen today? He'd get killed!

"The killers we've fought… We've only won without using quirks because we had the advantage. We knew what was going to happen before it happened, and we blitzed them while they were distracted. In a real fight, they would have kicked our asses."

"_I h-have to g-go," _Izuku whimpered on the other end of the line and it went dead.

"Fuck!" Katsuki screamed furiously. He opened his text app.

.

Katsuki:

You've saved people. And you're going to save more.

You don't have to be a combat hero to do that

.

It was true, but Katsuki felt like a huge fucking hypocrite of the worst kind for typing it. He knew how badly Izuku wanted to be a hero like All Might, how badly he'd _always_ wanted to be that kind of hero. Katsuki was no different. He knew exactly how he'd feel if he was told he couldn't. Being told that he had to settle for being backup to the heroes who did get to fight would be so fucking humiliating. It wouldn't have mattered in the slightest that support heroes were just as valid and important.

"But what the fuck else can I do?" he asked helplessly, looking up at the sky.

…

Izuku huddled pitifully on a park bench, soft pink flower petals slowly raining down around him. Tears ran down his cheeks, but he scrubbed them away. He had to face reality! He couldn't keep crying over this.

All his life he'd been called quirkless. Only two people in the whole world knew that it was a lie, but it might as well have been the truth. The ability to see the future wouldn't save him from someone who could shoot fire or cause earthquakes or even blow bubbles.

Sure, if he had the time to analyze his opponent's quirk, if he had access to supplies, he might stand a chance, but that was the point! A combat hero didn't have time for that much analysis before battle or access to a lot of gear or weapons. Analysis was a _support_ hero's area.

Heart crumbling, tears burning his eyes, Izuku forced himself to stand. Kacchan was right. He didn't have to be a pro hero like All Might to save people. There were really amazing support heroes out there, heroes Izuku admired… He just hadn't aspired to _be_ them.

Izuku's hands clenched into fists as he tried to suck it up. "Not everyone can be All Might…" he told himself, but… He did know (and love) someone who had the potential to stand on that stage: Katsuki Bakugou.

Kacchan was going to be like All Might one day. Maybe even surpass him! Eventually, Izuku would fall behind. They wouldn't be able stand on equal footing, see the same things, experience the same things. It felt like a huge door was trying to close in his face.

Izuku's hand clutched his school jacket right above his heart and his breath came fast and strained. He started to jog and then run. He ran until his legs were shaking and his lungs screamed. He finally came to a halt, gasping in air, just inside a pedestrian tunnel. His breath roared in the silence, echoing off concrete. Rage choked him, which made it even harder to catch his breath.

"It's not fair," he rasped furiously, new tears springing to his eyes.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you life's not fair, kid?"

Izuku gasped and spun around, but he was too late. Slime dumped all over him, drenching him from head to toe. It wasn't normal slime; as it moved and tangled around him, Izuku realized it was the body of a villain!

"Good news!" the disembodied voice rasped. "You won't have to deal with that any longer."

Izuku struggled, clawing ineffectively at the jello-like substance. Cold slime pressed into his mouth and nose, oozed inside his ears.

"You'll make the perfect skin-suit for me to hide in. Don't worry. I'm just taking over your body. It'll be easier for both of us if you don't fight back. It'll be over soon." The villain laughed.

Izuku stopped struggling. His head was starting to feel light, his heart beat like a machine gun against the inside of his ribs. He was going to die. Just like everyone said, he was helpless against a quirk.

"Thanks for the help, kid," the villain said almost gently. "You're a real hero to me."

Izuku's eyes flashed open. Defiance and rage burned in his soul. NO! No, he wasn't going to let this guy kill him. He'd been strangled to death too many times to count! This wasn't how it was going to end. He wasn't helpless! Kacchan had taught him that!

"I didn't know _he_ was in the city." The monster was talking to himself, Izuku already forgotten. "I got to get out of here fast before he tracks me down."

Izuku slowly slipped his hands to the surface of the slime and then swung up with all of his might. His fist hit the thing right in the eye. Eyes were always a weakness.

"AHHH!"

The slime recoiled, allowing Izuku's face to break the surface. He hacked slime out of his lungs and then gasped in a huge breath of air.

"You fucking brat!" the villain screamed before surging up over Izuku's head again.

But Izuku hadn't been simply breathing, his hands and mind had been busy, too. While the monster was focused on submerging Izuku again, he'd pushed his hand deeper into the slime and slipped it into a side pocket of the backpack still on his back. He opened his eyes and only saw dark green. The slime even tried to push into his tear ducts. Izuku's whole body spasmed in horror.

"Only a little bit more!" the villain's voice came to him from far away, his ears clogged.

Izuku forced his eyes open and saw something round moving above him. With all the force his body could muster, he thrust his arm up like a spear. The protractor he gripped in his hand had a sharp, needle point and it impaled the villain's eye from the inside.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Izuku was suddenly on the ground, hacking and coughing his lungs out. His back arched violently and he vomited a bucket of slime, his stomach convulsing. Vision going black around the edges, fighting his body back under control, he looked up to see the slime villain. One of it's eyes looked deflated and oozed; the other glowed with murderous rage. It reared up like a wave about to crash down.

"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!"

But before it could fall on him, a manhole cover blasted upward and a figure leapt out. He was almost seven feet tall, extremely muscled, and had signature golden blond hair with his bangs standing in two spikes at the front… All Might!?

"Never fear! I AM HERE!"

Izuku's lungs turned inside out in a another bout of harsh coughing and his vision went black.

"Hey! Hey! Wake up!"

The feeling of something rapidly tapping his cheek brought him around. Izuku groaned and got a face full of sunshine.

"Thought we'd lost you there!"

Izuku sat up like a shot and came face-to-face with his favorite hero. "A-All M-M-Might!" he cried and scrambled away in shock.

"Well, it looks like you're moving around all right!" The hugely muscled man with an enormous white grin lifted a hand, palm forward, his other hand was fisted at his hip in a heroic pose. "Sorry about that back there! I didn't mean to get you caught up in my justicing! Usually I pay more attention to keeping bystanders safe! But it turns out this city's sewer system is pretty difficult to navigate!"

All Might put a hand to his forehead and laughed, grin still stretching his face. Then his hand dropped and he looked down at Izuku. "Anyway! You were a big help! Thank you! I've captured the evil doer!" The hero showed him two two-liter coke bottles full of green slime.

Izuku snapped out of his daze and scrambled for his backpack. He was standing in front of ALL MIGHT for god's sake! He needed an autograph! Then he saw his hero notebook already lying on the pavement next to him. He opened it to the middle and All Might's signature blared up at him. The massive hero had already signed it!

"Oh my god!" Izuku leapt to his feet and gave a deep bow of respect, heart pounding in excitement. "Thank you so much, All Might! I'll treasure this! You have no idea!"

All Might laughed again. "Whelp! I gotta get this villain to the police! Stay out of trouble!" He saluted and did a few deep knee bends in preparation of taking off.

Izuku's felt his heart drop. "Wait!" If anyone knew what it took to be a hero, All Might did! He'd know… He'd be able to tell Izuku once and for all if his dream was as impossible as everyone said! "Please! I have to ask you a question!"

"A pro hero is always fighting time as much as they are villains! I must be off!"

Izuku flung himself forward with the desperation of person whose dream was dying just as All Might leapt into the air. The wind force was brutal. He glanced down to see the entire neighborhood already sprawling under them. The sight made Izuku's stomach lurch in horror. He couldn't hear anything except for the roar of the wind. A huge hand suddenly gripped the back of his school jacket and then they were falling. Rapidly.

Izuku felt his stomach churn as it lifted up into his throat. Then he was being flung forward. He rolled painfully across a roof and hit a wall with painful force. All Might tucked and rolled to absorb the impact of the landing much more gracefully.

"That was very foolish," All Might said, his voice dropping lower in anger. "You could have gotten killed. You could have gotten me killed by throwing off my trajectory."

Izuku's whole body screamed, but he managed to get into a kneeling position. "I'm so sorry!" he cried, tears streaking his face at the rebuke. "I just had to know! Please!"

All Might turned his back and began to walk away. "No. I don't have time for a fan's questions," he called back sternly.

Izuku was on his feet, stumbling after him, eyes wide and desperate. "I have to know!" he practically screamed, all the pain of losing his dream ringing in his voice. He reached out toward that broad back. "Is it possible to become a hero like you even if I don't have a quirk?"

All Might stopped and began to turn.

Izuku squeezed his eyes shut. He knew he'd be rejected, but he had to try! One more time, he had to try! "Ever since I was a kid, I thought saving people was the coolest thing you can do! I want people to see my fearless smile and feel safe! Just like you!" he cried desperately, hunching his head down between his shoulders, cheeks burning red, waiting for the inevitable blow. "Can a kid like me become a hero?"

And then… when there was no immediate answer… Izuku cracked his eyes open to see a waft of steam lift away to reveal a blond man with two limp locks of hair falling past his shoulders, the rest of his hair stood up from his head in a shaggy halo. He was hunched over and skeletal, his eyes dark slits in his narrow face.

Izuku gasped. "What happened? You deflated!" he cried, frightened. "Is this because of me?! I'm so sorry!" The man sighed and blood oozed from the corners of his mouth. "Oh my god!" Izuku moved forward on instinct and helped the man sit. "Are you okay?"

All Might sat against the railing that prevented people from falling off the roof with a sigh. "You didn't cause this." He gave Izuku a penetrating stare, his neon blue irises in his all black eyes seemed like lasers. "Can I count on you to keep your mouth shut?"

Izuku nodded rapidly. "I can keep a secret," he promised with utter sincerity.

The deflated All Might lifted the now hugely baggy white t-shirt he was wearing and revealed a horrible crater in his side. It was pink and inflamed, the skin around it puckered. Surgical scars cut through it all like a child's drawing of a sun, but this wasn't a happy, innocent picture. It was a tale of complete physical devastation. Izuku covered his mouth in horror, tears burning his eyes.

"Pretty gross, right? I got this about five years ago. My lung on that side is pretty much gone and my stomach has been removed. All the surgeries have wiped me out. It can't be fixed. This is as good as it gets. Truth is, I can only do hero work about three hours a day before I return to this."

"No way…" Izuku breathed, horrified on so many levels. That the invincible All Might could be so wounded, that the Symbol of Peace - the icon who had drastically reduced crime rates all around the world by his mere existence - was so vulnerable. "Five years ago? Toxic Chainsaw did this to you?" He couldn't believe it!

All Might gave a humorless laugh. "Wow. You really are a fanboy." He shook his head. "No. Most of the world never heard of this fight. I did everything I could to keep it under wraps." The hero gave a tired sigh and looked up at the sky. "This job isn't easy. Pro heroes always have to risk their lives." He looked back down and met Izuku's eyes. "So can you be a hero like me?" His voice was hard and unyielding. "Not without a powerful quirk."

Not expecting the blow, Izuku literally flinched away. His heart stuttered in his chest. "Wh-What?" he whispered, voice broken.

"If you want to help people, there are plenty of other ways to do it." All Might stood and walked toward the door to the stairs. He opened it and paused. "It's fine to have a dream, young man, but make sure it's obtainable."

Then All Might was gone.

Izuku was still sitting with his back to the railing. He felt numb… floaty… It was all too much to take in. He'd actually met his childhood obsession - his favorite hero - All Might! He'd gotten his signature! He'd touched him! All Might had told him his secret! All Might… had crushed his dream…

An explosion in the distance brought Izuku's head around. He frowned and turned, squinting. Another explosion… And it sounded _familiar_. Suddenly Izuku was running. He was running as fast as he could. It was stupid. Anything could make an explosion like that, but he couldn't help thinking it was Kacchan. And if it was Kacchan, he had to be in real trouble!

…

Katsuki had ditched school as soon as the last bell rang. He usually stayed to use the gym, but he wasn't in the mood. He walked, hands in his pockets, a scowl on his face, in a random direction. Just walked. He'd turned to go through a small shopping square between two tall buildings when something wet and disgusting hit him from behind. It wrapped him up before he could even draw breath for an angry shout: it covered his hands, wrapped around his forehead, looped around his legs.

"The fuck!" he screamed, furious, and both hands went off in a huge explosion.

Slime splattered the walls and a small dumpster was blasted away. The trash inside ignited sending a huge billow of foul smelling smoke into the air, but the slime was still wrapped around him, tighter than ever, his hands submerged once again.

"Get off!"

People were screaming and running. Katsuki strained with all his might to pull free, but he hardly moved. Sirens cut through the air as police and fire trucks sped toward them. As slime slapped over his mouth and nose, smothering him, Katsuki let off an even bigger explosion. More screams went up, windows shattered, a fruit stand caught fire, a metal sign came crashing down from the building next to them, but it also sent enough slime flying that he could breathe again. The slime flung itself around him again, and this time Katsuki could hear the asshole _laughing_.

"I like a meat-suit with a little fire!"

"How dare you prey on a child!"

Katsuki's eyes opened wide as Death Arms, the Punching Hero, came flying down and delivered a furious punch to the center of the blob wrapped around him…

…Nothing fucking happened except the stupid ass hero got his big fat fist stuck in the slime! A whip of slime lashed out and flung Death Arms away with such force the hero left an indent in a closed metal shutter.

"Stay back or I'll snap his neck," the slime said in glee.

Katsuki was so fucking pissed! He forced his face free of the slime with a scream of rage. "You picked the wrong guy to mess with!" he roared. "I'm going to send you back to whatever sewer you crawled out of!"

He'd always held back, but not anymore. All of the rage - the helplessness - Izuku crying on the other end of the phone; being the one who made him cry! - _You'll never be a hero! All your good for is hurting people! _\- The lash of the belt against his freezing cold skin - His father looking away, leaving the room - All the fucking shit in Izu's notebook; the evil that humans were capable of -

"LET ME GO!" Katsuki screamed and he let the glands on his hands secrete as much nitroglycerin as they could.

The explosion blew back heroes and civilians alike. People rolled like tumbleweeds out into the next street. Windows in both buildings blew inwards on either side and curtains and blinds on the first two floors caught fire. Smoke billowed upward. Debris rained down on them, flaming. Fire was everywhere: beside them, above them, littering the alley! There were so many people screaming. Heroes began rescuing people from the burning buildings. Backdraft used his water to try and put out as much fire as possible, but not one came near Katsuki or the slime monster.

The monster laughed. "You've got so much power! I've really hit the jackpot. With a quirk like yours under my control, I can take All Might down with one punch!"

Katsuki was pulled deeper into the sludge, only his eyes were free now. He looked around, fear beginning to bloom in his gut. His explosions didn't work! The heroes… They were standing back… helping everyone but Katsuki… HE COULDN'T BREATHE!

Slime pushed into his ears, up his nose, into his mouth… Holy shit! He could feel it _wiggling_ inside him! Katsuki thrashed in horror, revolted and violated. It went deeper and deeper inside him. Rage was giving way to terror. His eyes opened wide and somehow - impossibly - he looked through the crowd just standing there gawking - and Izuku looked back at him, green eyes wide in horror.

Instantly Izuku sprinted forward, through the crowd, past the line of useless heroes, into the fire-strewn path of debris. Katsuki tried to shake his head, true terror igniting in his blood. Izuku! No! Don't! But Izuku was already halfway there. His horrified look had morphed into rage. He slung his backpack off his shoulders and spun, tossing it with all his might.

The slime recoiled! It must have hit something vulnerable because Katsuki's face was free and he was hacking up slime and gasping in air, the black crowding his vision shrinking. Breathing had never hurt so much!

"KACCHAN!" Izuku's cry cut straight through Katsuki, his friend clawing ineffectively at the slime binding him. "Aim for the eyes!"

"What the hell are you doing? Get back!" Katsuki screamed even as he obeyed. He worked his arms, straining with all his might to aim his palms upward toward the monster's face.

"I couldn't just stand there and watch you die!" Izuku cried desperately in answer.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Katsuki screamed once more, but now he was afraid to let go another barrage of explosions, not with Izuku so close.

"YOU! I'll kill you!" the slime monster roared with absolute hatred. Half Katsuki's face went under again, leaving just his eyes free once more, and he lifted a whip of slime that had nearly crushed a powerful hero, and aimed it at Izuku! Katsuki screamed, releasing all his air, desperate for his friend…

That's when he saw fucking _All Might _leap over the heads of the gawkers and heroes. He landed right behind Izuku and took the blow from a slime whip like it was nothing!

"Seems I wasn't living up to my own ideal! Pro heroes are always risking their lives! That's the true test of a hero!"

Katsuki's arm was grabbed. He could feel Izuku's arm next to his own, trapped in All Might's huge fist.

"DAMN YOU, ALL MIGHT!" the villain bellowed and reared back for a more powerful blow at the hero.

But All Might was faster. "DETROIT SMASH!" he yelled and let loose a punch so powerful, the wind sheered the slime right off of Katsuki.

Katsuki literally went flying, Izuku's body colliding with his own. He wrapped his free arm around his friend, both of them held in place by All Might's grip on their arms, like they were human kites. A fucking tornado sucked up and blew out all the fire at once. Then Katsuki hit the ground hard, Izuku on top of him.

Rain pelted down on his face. People were cheering, the police moved in, the heroes rushed forward. Katsuki could only lay there and gasp, barely conscious. Then Izuku was lifted off him. Katsuki was gently helped to sit by one of the heroes who had stood by uselessly. His vitals were checked.

Katsuki turned his head, looking for Izuku, and saw that his friend was being scolded for rushing in. He wanted to snarl at them! Like they had any right to fucking say anything when they were going to just stand there and watch him fucking die!

"Man, you're tough kid! And that quirk is something else!" the nobody hero exclaimed above him. "When you want to go pro, come to my agency! I'd love for you to be my sidekick while you're training!"

Katsuki sneered, but he was careful not to let the pathetic hero see. Instead, he stared at Izuku. He'd told his friend he couldn't be a pro hero, but today he was more courageous and intelligent than all the pro heroes here! He had a feeling he'd really fucked up.

As soon as all the talking and pictures were over, he grabbed Izuku's wrist and stormed off. Once they were in the residential area and there were no more people on the street, Katsuki let his hand slip down Izuku's wrist to his hand where he held it tight. His feet slowed and then stopped.

"Are you okay, Kacchan? Really?" Izuku asked softly, knowing he would have downgraded any injuries he'd sustained in the attack.

"I'm fine," he promised. He turned and stared into Izuku's big, green eyes. "I was wrong. You _can_ be a hero. You were better out there than the pros!"

While Izuku's eyes widened and his mouth fell slightly slack, Katsuki leaned forward and kissed him, hard and full of feeling. He stepped into Izuku's space and wrapped his arms around him. Boldly, he slid his tongue all the way into his friend's warm mouth. The gasp this earned him made him hold Izuku even tighter to his chest, neves beginning to slip in past his courage. Then Izuku sucked, his tongue stroking along Katsuki's, and fire lanced down Katsuki's spine.

He pulled back with a gasp, his cheeks burning a deep red to match Izuku's, and rested his forehead against his friend's and stared into his pupil-blown eyes. "UA got rid of the rule that said you had to have a quirk to enter the hero course, and you'll be the one to prove they were right to do it."

Tears filled Izuku's eyes, the sunset sky of orange and gold reflecting in them. "Kacchan…" he gasped.

The look on Izuku's face was too much. Katsuki abruptly turned and stomped off. "You better not give up, Deku!" he called over his shoulder, his face as hot as his palms after an explosion.

…

Izuku stood dazed and stared after Kacchan's form until he disappeared around the corner. They had kissed before and held hands, but not like THAT! Izuku shivered, a smile stretching his lips wide. Wow! Floating on cloud nine, Izuku swerved like a drunk as he turned to finish walking home.

"_I guess I was wrong. Deku doesn't mean useless. It means never give up." - "You can be a hero. You were better out there than the pros!" - "You better not give up, Deku!" -_ And Kacchan's mouth on his, searing hot, as the blond pulled him so close, right up against his chest, and held him there.

Burning, Izuku reached down to adjust his pants. He was still getting used to it getting hard like that. It was awkward and embarrassing, but he hardly noticed this time. This time all he could think about was the way Kacchan had tasted…

"I AM HERE!"

Izuku gave a shocked cry as All Might in his muscled hero form came sliding around the corner right in front of him. "A-All M-Might?!" A puff of steam blinded him for a second and the much smaller, skeletal truth of All Might stood before him. Izuku felt such a pang of sorrow for the man that tears burned his eyes. "Are you okay?" He stepped toward him, expression concerned.

All Might held up his hand to stop him. "Young man, I am here to thank you and also to discuss your question from earlier. If you hadn't told me about your life, if you hadn't rushed into that fight, I would have remained a worthless bystander watching from the crowd."

"No!" Izuku protested. "It was my fault! If I hadn't wasted your hard work and your time, that villain would never have escaped and hurt Kacchan!"

"I'm not finished," All Might interrupted, his eyes like blue lasers. Izuku instantly shut up. "When I saw this timid, quirkless boy act to save a life. It inspired me, too!"

Izuku's eyes widened and held his breath.

All Might continued, a smile on his lips, his voice gentle. "There are stories about how every great hero became great. Most have one thing in common. Their bodies moved before they had a chance to think. Almost on their own. Completely heedless of the danger to their own person."

Izuku felt uncontrollable tears well up. The litany of people who'd said he couldn't do it - would always be lesser and weak because he was quirkless - rushed through his mind.

"And today. That's what happened to you," All Might continued.

Izuku gasped and let out a sob. He fell to his knees before his hero.

"Young man!" Power resonated in All Might's voice. "You, too, can become a hero! And if you will have me, I will help you become that hero!"

"Yes," Izuku sobbed, smiling in pure joy even as he cried. "Yes! Thank you! _Thank you!_"

All Might grinned. "No hesitation! I like that spirit, young man!" His grin widened. "You're going to need it."

…

Katsuki was in bed almost asleep when his phone rang. He rolled over and grabbed it off his nightstand. "What?" he growled roughly, his eyes still not open.

"_I need to see you."_

Katsuki opened his eyes and sat up. The clock read: 10:43 pm. "Park," he said and hung up.

His chest still ached from the fucking slime monster, but he pulled on some jeans and slipped his feet into a pair of sneakers, not bothering with socks. He ran into his mother in the hallway. She'd been on her way to bed.

"Where are you going this late?" she asked, tone and body language stiff.

Katsuki met her eyes and pretended his heart wasn't pounding a mile a minute. "I'll be right back. I'm going to the park. Izuku said he needed to see me."

She glared at him. "Can't you see him tomorrow?"

"It might not be something he wants our fucking classmates to see, Mom," he growled and walked passed her. "I'll be back soon."

"That boy is trouble," she said lowly, anger making her voice a hiss.

Katsuki ignored her, disarmed the door, and made his way to the park.

There was only one reason Izuku ever called him like that, a vision. Now that Izuku was trying to investigate and rescue alone, he only ever called when it was especially bad. Scowling, Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to prepare himself for whatever fucked up shit Izuku was about to tell him about. What he found instead was Izuku sitting on a swing, grinning ear to ear.

"The fuck, Deku?" he growled. "This better not be a fucking joke." His mother was pissed and he'd have to deal with her accusing glares and cutting comments all fucking week after this.

"Kacchan!" Izuku lifted a notebook off his lap and thrust it at him. "Look! It's for you!"

Katsuki braced himself, but it was just Izuku's shitty hero notebook. "Deku…" he was seriously getting pissed.

Izuku opened it for him and All Might's signature sat bold and clear spanning two full pages.

Katsuki's hands tightened involuntarily on the notebook in his hands. All Might was great with his fans. He posed for pictures and did interviews, but he was more careful about his autograph. This would sell for half a million yen easy!

"Izu… How… Are you sure?" he tripped over his words like an idiot. Izuku was an even bigger fan of All Might! To give this to him… His chest constricted and he felt a hot lump in his throat.

Izuku beamed at him, eyes shining with love. "It's yours! But that's not the only reason I asked you out here!" He tugged on Katsuki's wrist until he sat in the swing next to Izuku's. "I have so much to tell you!"

Katsuki listened in horror as Izuku told him the story of being attacked by the slime monster before he got to Katsuki. Izuku had done much better against the villain than Katsuki had! Pride and shame made his cheeks flush in equal measures.

"And when I came to, he'd already signed my notebook!" Izuku's voice dropped, his excitement dimmed. "He kind of leapt away, but I grabbed ahold of his leg. That's how the slime monster got free again." He took a deep breath. "It was really stupid and All Might got pretty mad at me for it, but… I had to ask him. I had to know if he thought I could be a hero even without a quirk… He shot me down pretty hard."

Katsuki's hands clenched around the notebook. He suddenly wanted to burn the autograph into ash!

"But then!" Izuku's eyes practically glowed. "After he rescued us from the slime monster, he found me when I was almost home! He said I showed great courage and that he was wrong. I could be a hero! He even offered to train me, to help me get ready for UA's entrance exam! He wrote up this huge training regiment! Every minute of the day is completely filled in, even my sleep! It's my last chance, Kacchan! And All Might himself is going to help me!"

Katsuki could only gape at him. Holy… Shit… "Wow…" he tried to close his mouth. "That's… really fucking incredible, Izuku… Number One Hero All Might's going to take time out to help train you…" He was so fucking jealous and happy at the same time, and the swirl of mixed emotions was starting to make him feel sick.

"I can show you his training regiment," Izuku immediately offered. "But he said he tailored it specifically to compensate for my lack of quirk and my physical condition right now. Still, it might give you some good ideas!"

Katuski felt his heart melt, the queasy feeling evaporating along with his jealousy. He roughly tousled Izuku's already wild hair. "Thanks, Deku," he rasped, voice hoarse.

"No problem!" Suddenly Izuku's expression went solemn. "I was hoping… I mean… I'll do my best to fit in any rescues, but I might have to ask you to help me with tracking down locations. That part takes so much time and All Might has me pretty booked… I know it's not fair to ask…"

"Of course it is!" Katsuki practically exploded. "Of course you can ask me! It's not every day fucking All Might - The world's best fucking hero! - offers to train you! You better make the most of it while it lasts, Deku. It's a once in a lifetime thing!"

Izuku flung himself out of the swing and practically tackled him. Katsuki was ready for it, though, and caught his friend, holding him on his lap as Izuku cried hot tears into the shoulder of his shirt. Smiling, Katsuki looked up at the stars and thought, _'No one deserves this chance more than you, Izu.' _ He also felt a flame of fire ignite in his core. It felt good and hot, excitement and anticipation making his heart pump strong and hard.

"Work hard, Deku, because I'm not going to let you fucking leave me behind! I'm going to train harder than ever, too!" he promised, voice fierce.

Izuku pulled back, tears staining his cheeks, but he was grinning. "You're on!"

**End **-

Soooooooo? What did you think of my rendition of these episodes?

I mostly stuck close to canon, but the further we go - the further I'll branch off. Big events should still appear.

I had All Might not mention his quirk passing ability yet - I always thought that was too soon in the anime. I mean, this is a one time thing - like marriage. Sure Izuku impressed him, but still! So I'm going to have him train Izuku, test him, get to know him, and at the end MAAAAAYBE offer up his quirk…


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of you who helped me figure out Izuku's quirk and how One For All might effect it. I think I'm starting to get a clear picture on what will happen.

So I'm really anxious to know what you think about this chapter. There's a lot of development between the boys - some really cute, adorable moments (and steamy moments, too). Also some training…

It's technically a filler chapter, I think, but there are also some really important moments in their lives happening.

**Let me know what you think!**

…

**Countdown**

Izuku hardly slept after talking to Kacchan at the park, and he was up and out of the house again just before dawn because All Might had asked him to meet at Trash Beach before school. Despite the lack of sleep, Izuku felt excited and energized as he rode his bike as fast as he dared.

As soon as he rode around the corner and the parking lot came into view, he saw All Might in his deflated form, skinny and hunched, standing on the boardwalk above the beach. The parking lot was empt except for a large moving truck parked near where All Might stood.

"Good morning, young Midoriya," the hero greeted with a smile.

"Good morning! Thank you again for helping me, All Might!" Izuku gasped, red-cheeked and breathless.

"Not so loud, kid," the blond hero held up his hands in a stop gesture. "No one can know about my condition. Call me Toshinori when I'm like this, remember?"

Izuku blushed beet red. "Sorry, T-Toshinori-sensei."

He couldn't believe he was calling All Might by his real name! A name no one in the world knew (except All Might's closest friends). And it was even All Might's first name! All Might thought his last name, Yagi, was too formal, so he'd asked Izuku to call him by his first name instead. Izuku was just barely able to comply, but only if he added the honorific for a teacher to the end.

"I remember. I just didn't think anyone was around. That's why we're meeting here, right?" He looked up at his teacher curiously.

Toshinori laughed. "Yes. That is an added benefit, but that's not the main reason. I did a little online research yesterday. Turns out this part of the beach used to be really beautiful, but it's been a total mess for the last few years."

Izuku nodded. "That's right. Because of the ocean currents, things dumped into the ocean end up here." He couldn't even see the ocean from the paved walkway that separated the parking lot from the sand. Broken furniture, rusting appliances, bags of decomposing trash, even busted up vehicles. It was piled higher than his head and stretched widein either direction. "My mom told me that the community used to take care of it, but they stopped and trash started to build up. People took advantage of that and started to dump their trash illegally. Now all the locals avoid this place."

Toshinori clasped his hands at the small of his back and looked out over the heaps of trash. "Heroes nowadays are all about catching flashy villains. Things were different before quirks. Heroes were people who helped the community. Service was what mattered." He turned suddenly, his blue eyes piercing Izuku to the core. "On your schedule where it says community service - one hour before school and three hours after - you'll restore the coastline for this entire section of the beach. That's the first step, young man, on your path to becoming a hero."

Izuku gaped at him. Slowly he turned his head and stared at almost a mile of trash. "All this? By myself?" His eyes fell on the rusted out shell of a truck. "That's impossible!"

"Heroing isn't easy to do without a quirk. That's not fair, but that's the reality." Toshinori's voice was serious as he gripped Izuku's shoulder bracingly. "UA is the hardest hero course to get into. That means you've got to go beyond the possible to get in. That said, you don't have to go to UA, young Midoriya. At any point you can quit, no hard feelings, but that means you have to look into a different career. Agreed?"

Izuku stared up at All Might, his jaw set, his eyes shinning. "I'll do it!"

Toshinori grinned. "I'm glad to hear it." He let his hand fall from Izuku's shoulder. "You better get started if you're going to make it to school on time. You have an hour of work here to do before you can leave."

Izuku's eyes widened and he practically ran down the stairs that led to the sand. He grabbed a broken tv.

"Carry what you can up here and load it into the moving truck I borrowed," Toshinori called from above him.

Izuku obeyed, running up and down the stairs with all the trash he could carry. He was very quickly out of breath and his legs and arms began to seriously scream at him. He quickly figured out that he was using different muscle groups depending on the shape and size of the trash he hauled up to the truck. He was cleaning the beach, sure, but this was really a hardcore workout designed to turn him into a hero!

"Pick up the pace, Midoriya! You're not on vacation down there! You have UA to get into and we only have ten months!"

"Yes, sensei!" Izuku cried and forced himself to keep going.

One hour later, Izuku was shaking and gasping, lying at Toshinori's feet. The moving truck wasn't even one-fourth full.

"Follow the schedule I made. Come back after school, put in three hours, and then go for a run. Do the full yoga routine I showed you before bed. I'll check in with you at the end of the week." He put his finger up and wagged it playfully in Izuku's face. "I'll know if you did it or not."

"… Yes, sensei…" Izuku gasped. "I won't… cheat! I'll do… exactly what you've said…"

Toshinori smiled and it looked almost villainous. "Good."

…

Katsuki looked up to see Izuku limping badly into the classroom a few minutes after the bell rang.

"Is everything okay, Midoriya?" the teacher asked, frowning.

"Yes…" Izuku had answered breathlessly. At least his smile looked genuine. "I'm just a little sore from my new training regimen." He straightened and met his teacher's eyes defiantly. "I'm going to take UA's hero course entrance exam in February, and I'm going to get in!"

Katsuki grinned as the teacher flushed red. He looked around and saw that their classmates looked equally shocked. They liked Izuku, but they didn't think he could do it.

"Sit down, Midoriya. You're interrupting class."

"Yes, sir." Izuku obediently hobbled to his chair and sat gingerly with a soft groan.

Katsuki looked forward and set his jaw. He would have to really pick up the pace to match.

…

Izuku walked into his apartment almost dropping with exhaustion. He'd just worked for three hours at the beach. He'd nearly burst into tears of relief when he realized his time was up and he'd actually filled the entire moving truck. He felt like he was dying, but he wouldn't give up!

"Izuku!" his mother had come out of the kitchen at the sound of the door. "What happened?" She rushed forward to support his staggering steps.

"I'm…" he gasped in pain and leaned into her. "… Working out some."

"Working out?" Her eyes were enormous as he, moaning, sat gingerly in a kitchen chair. "I don't understand."

Izuku looked up at his mom and told her a bit of the truth. There was no keeping this from her, anyway. He needed her help. "I found a personal trainer. He says if I follow his instructions, I might have a chance of getting accepted into UA's hero course."

He tried not to squirm with guilt when she put her hands over her mouth, her green eyes tearing up. "UA? The hero course? Izuku…"

He held out his hand and she took it. "Mom, I know you love me and want me to be safe, but… I want to be a hero… I've always wanted that… I feel like my life wouldn't be the best it could be if I wasn't helping as many people as I could."

"No… Izuku…"

He interrupted her tearful denial. "I promise I'll keep my quirk secret, but… Mom, you have to understand. I see people get hurt, I feel it in my head, in my heart… If I ignore it… I'll be killing a part of me. Can't you understand that?"

"Oh, Izuku…" She clutched his hand almost painfully hard. Tears streaked her cheeks. "Honey… It's so dangerous, being a hero… You could get hurt…"

Izuku gave her a smile. "That's what training is for, Mom. If I'm prepared, I won't get hurt, and I'm going to work really, really hard. UA won't accept me if they think I can't make it. I just… really want to give it my all and see… Please?"

His mom resisted a minute longer, fear in her eyes, but she folded, bending forward to carefully hug him. "I'm still worried about this, but I'll support your decision, honey. I can tell you've really thought about it…" She pulled back, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh, Izuku, I love you so much. Promise me you'll do everything you can to be safe."

"Thanks, Mom." Izuku hugged her around the waist. "I… um… have a menu, actually…" He smiled bashfully. "From my trainer. To help me get stronger and stay healthy while I train."

She stared at him and then began to laugh. "Go get your menu."

Beaming with joy, Izuku hobbled to his bedroom to get the diet regimen All Might had created for him.

…

One month:

"I thought… this was stupid at first… but it's actually… really hard…" Katsuki gasped.

Izuku had been training with All Might for a month and already Izuku's body was changing. The kid was always stiff and sore, walking around like a zombie and falling asleep during class, but he was getting stronger. Currently, it was almost eleven at night and Katsuki had gotten permission to sleepover for the weekend.

"Pay attention," Izuku scolded as the alarm sounded. "You have to remember the sequence. All Might made me promise not to write it down or record it. It's his secret workout." Then he contorted his body in a new position, saying, "Dancer."

Izuku stood on one leg and lifted the other behind him, one hand reaching back to grab his lifted foot. His head stayed facing forward and his free hand was bent in front of him on level with his face in a mediative position with the first finger touching the thumb, making a circle. They had to hold each position for exactly sixty seconds. Izuku's phone was on the floor next to them and it chimed to let them know when time was up.

"I have a fucking… good memory, Deku…" Katsuki growled, copying Izuku's form as best as he could. "And we've … done this fucking routine… every morning and night… all weekend… I think I've got it… memorized."

He'd never realized just how long sixty seconds could be until he'd been forced to contort his body into these painful ass posses and hold it. He was dripping sweat at this point, his muscles trembling from the workout - and holy shit was it a workout! - but he could already tell it had drastically improved Izuku's balance, control, and flexibility. Izuku was building muscle at a rapid rate and All Might was smart to make sure those new muscles remained limber.

_Chime_ \- "Dancer," Izuku said again and replicated the same pose but switched his standing leg.

A lot of the poses had to be done twice - once for the right side of the body and once for the left - so Katsuki didn't have to memorize sixty positions, but it was still a lot of poses. Good thing he was a genius.

… Mountain - forward bend - four-limbed staff - upward facing dog - downward facing dog - three-legged downward facing dog - quarter dog - fierce pose - warrior 1 - warrior 2 - reverse warrior - open triangle - rotated triangle - half moon - extended side angle - rotated side angle - intense side stretch - wide-legged forward bend C - warrior 3 - tree pose - dancer - standing hand to big toe A and then B - eagle - standing split - goddess - side plank - staff pose - seated forward bend - intense east - head to knee A - one-legged seated spinal twist - boat - pigeon - double pigeon - lizard - butterfly - and finally ending on sleeping hero…

As the last chime sounded, Kastuki fell sprawled on the floor. Every muscle in his body trembled and his joints ached. Izuku sat next to him cross-legged. The green-eyed boy beamed at him, clearly enjoying an endorphin rush.

"Isn't it great?" he exclaimed. He was sweaty, too, but not to the extent Katsuki was.

Katsuki glared. "I'll get back to you next week," he growled. He was going to do that fucking sequence three times a day everyday until he could come in here and do it like it was nothing.

Izuku laughed and Katsuki couldn't help it. He found himself grinning back at him.

…

Two months:

Izuku strained with all his might. He had ropes wrapped around a fridge and had wrapped the ends around his shoulders. His feet dug into the sand. He pulled, face turning red, grunting. The fridge didn't move an inch. He collapsed, gasping.

"People move these every day you know, and most of them don't have super strength," All Might boomed.

"With you sitting on top… it adds six hundred pounds," Izuku panted.

"I've lost weight. I'm down to five-sixty… in this form anyway."

Izuku groaned.

…

Three months:

Izuku skipped the beach that morning in order to go to Kacchan's house before school. He'd just have to add an extra hour in the afternoon. He jogged up the walkway and knocked on the door. As usual, it was Mr. Bakugou who answered.

"Good morning," Izuku said politely, but inside he felt the icy breath of contempt. He knew things were better and Kacchan was happy, but Izuku still hadn't forgiven them.

"Good morning," Mr. Bakugou replied, voice subdued. He wouldn't meet Izuku's eyes. "Come in. Katsuki's still in his room."

"Thanks." Izuku walked past him and ran up the stairs. Thankfully, he didn't meet Mrs. Bakugou this time. "Kacchan!" he called as he swung open the door… and froze like a stricken deer, eyes huge, breath caught in his throat…

Kacchan was sprawled on his bed, his sheets and quilt kicked down to the bottom. His shirt was pulled up, caught in his teeth, exposing his developing abs and a teasing hint of pink nipples. His boxers were scrunched down around his solid thighs, and his hands… his hands were in his new red gloves that absorbed his combustable sweat… and one of those gloved hands was wrapped around his cock…

It was red and tall, the tip glistening. Izuku gasped, feeling weak in the knees as just at that moment Kacchan came, shooting white strands over his stomach and chest. Izuku wished he'd been looking at Kacchan's face because he'd missed it.

Kacchan immediately rolled to face the wall and yanked the sheet up over his legs and waist before sitting up. "Fuck, Deku! What the hell!"

Izuku stood there dumbly.

"Shut the goddamn door!" Kacchan screamed, face blood-red with a murderous glare.

Izuku reached behind him blindly, groping, before catching the knob and pulling it closed against his back. He couldn't take his eyes off his friend.

"What the fuck! Haven't you heard of knocking! Jesus, Deku! The hell is your problem? Stop staring at me, you freak!" A pillow came flying across the room and hit Izuku square in the face.

"I… I'm sorry!" he cried, snapping out of it. "I just… and you… I mean…"

"Shut up and get out! I have to get dressed!" Kacchan spat, furious and upset. His blond hair stood up in messy spikes, a sheen of sweat coated his skin.

Izuku swallowed hard, his hands shaking. "You were really beautiful, Kacchan…"

Kacchan's mouth fell open. No words escaped.

"I'm sorry for walking in like that," Izuku continued, compelled to go to him. He couldn't stand there and do nothing when Kacchan looked so upset!

When he wasn't hit or screamed at, Izuku reached forward to carded his fingers gently through the slightly damp blond hair and bent forward to gently kiss him. In a whisper, he confessed against Kacchan's lips, "… I've never seen anything so beautiful…"

Kacchan blushed and grabbed Izuku by the jaw with one hand and kissed him deeply. The feel of Kacchan's gloved hand against his skin made Izuku instantly hard. He whimpered as Kacchan licked the roof of his mouth.

Kacchan broke the messy kiss, smirking. "You act like you've never done it," he taunted, posturing, but his blushing cheeks gave away his embarrassment.

"I… I haven't…" Izuku admitted, blushing himself.

Kacchan's eyes widened and let Izuku's face go. "Jesus, Deku. We're fourteen. Don't you _think_ about it?"

"I've been so tired!" Izuku protested, defending himself, then blushing darker admitted, "I'll be thinking about it _now, _Kacchan_._"

"Yeah?" The blond was clearly pleased to hear it. His smirk was sinful, his red eyes heavy-lidded. "Good," he said, voice rough and low.

Izuku shivered.

After that, he was flushed and flustered all during breakfast. He knocked over his half-filled glass of milk into Kacchan's mom's lap. He dropped his fork against his plate and it made a loud clang that made everyone stop and stare at him. He even choked on the eggs and had to cough them up into his napkin. Izuku was mortified! The only good thing about it was Kacchan looked close to tears from holding in his laughter. At least the blond had forgotten his embarrassment.

They were almost to school, fingers loosely entwined when Kacchan asked, "You came to give me your notebook, didn't you?"

Izuku nodded. He let go of Kacchan's hand and grabbed his Death Book out of his backpack. He handed it over sadly. "Are you sure you don't mind? I know you're training really hard, too."

"I've got this," Kacchan assured him, voice quiet but strong. "I'll let you know the time and place, and we'll do the rescue together."

Izuku pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Kacchan," he said, meaning it from the bottom of his heart. "You're the best."

…

Four months:

"You're really taking this seriously," Yasui said in awe.

Izuku squeezed the hand grip exerciser again and again. He kept his hand in his lap, under the desk, so the teacher wouldn't see and scold him. He flashed Yasui a tired but determined smile. "I'm going to try my best!"

Yasui smiled back.

The bell rang and Kacchan appeared in front of him. "Come on, Deku. You and me." He spun the chair in front of Izuku's desk around and sat in it, putting his elbow on the desk and holding his palm open.

Izuku accepted the challenge. He stared into ruby eyes and tried not to think about the fact that they were practically holding hands and everyone was watching. He missed Kacchan so much! He still thought about finding Kacchan that morning, shirt rucked up and… Izuku really hoped everyone thought his blush was from armwrestling.

Kacchan's lips turned up into a smirk; he knew what Izuku was thinking about. Izuku blushed harder and pushed with all his might! Izuku had never won a match yet, but this time… This time!… Kacchan's hand started falling. Izuku strained and gasped - then the back of Kacchan's hand hit wood. Izuku had won! He looked up at Kacchan's scowling face, triumphant. A cheer went up around them.

Yasui practically flung himself at Izuku. "You did it! You beat Bakugou! Way to go, Midoriya!"

"Shut up, you losers!" Kacchan barked, glaring hotly. His eyes returned to Izuku. That crimson stare was so focused it made Izuku's heart beat faster. "Left hand. Now."

Izuku complied, swallowing hard. He met Kacchan's stare head on and put his all into it, but Kacchan won.

"You've gotten stronger, Deku, but I'm going to win both hands next time," Kacchan promised hotly before storming away.

Izuku felt electrified with happiness at Kacchan's acknowledgement.

"Woah, turn down the watts," Yasui joked, bumping Izuku's shoulder. "You're blinding us here."

…

Five months:

Izuku felt like he was dying. Thirty-minutes of suicide sprint runs in the sand with Tosnhinori yelling at him to go faster Faster FASTER, and then his normal three hours of carrying trash up the stairs and filling another moving truck, and Izuku had never felt so destroyed.

"There, there," Toshinori said comfortingly as Izuku puked into the sand. "You're doing great. The beach is more than a quarter of the way done from the looks of it."

Izuku's stomach heaved.

…

Six months:

Katsuki had convinced Izuku to skip school on Sports Day. It didn't count for their grade and they weren't allowed to use quirks, so it wouldn't even be good for that, and there was no point going up against their classmates physically. They had left them in the dust long ago.

Izuku had argued that it was a good chance to bond with their friends, but Katsuki knew those losers weren't friends. They were acquaintances if anything. It wasn't like Izuku ever told them when he was sad or mad or worried. He was kind to them and helped them because they were weak and needed to be taken care of. That wasn't friendship. Izuku understood that deep down. That's why he eventually gave in and agreed to skip Sports Day.

However, Katsuki still spent the morning alone. It was the price he had to pay for Izuku's agreement. Izuku wanted to spend four hours on the beach. He only had four months left and he still had a long way to go before the shore was clean. While Katsuki waited, he cleaned his room and ran through All Might's Yoga from Hell twice.

"Hi, Kacchan," Izuku said with a smile as soon as Katsuki opened the door. He was filthy and exhausted, but he was there; that's all the mattered to Katsuki.

"Hey," Katsuki answered, shutting the door behind him. "Go take a shower. I'll make lunch."

Izuku did as he was told and Katsuki made sandwiches. While they ate, he noticed Izuku looking at him weird and finally snapped. "What, Deku? Just spit it out already!"

"…You turned Nana down yesterday…" he said softly, eyes suddenly downcast.

Katsuki frowned, brows scrunched. "Of course I did." What the fuck was Izuku thinking? "Did you expect me to say yes?"

"No…" Izuku fidgeted some more.

Katsuki sighed and gave in. There was no point pretending not to know where this was going. "Izu… I know we haven't said it or anything… but… We're going out, right?"

Izuku face turned a cute cherry red. He looked up at Katsuki with shining eyes.

Katsuki grinned slowly. "We hold hands… Kiss… You even saw me jerk off…"

"Kacchan!" Izuku gasped, completely scandalized.

Katsuki laughed.

Smiling now, Izuku shyly asked, "So… We're boyfriends?"

Katsuki wrinkled his nose at the title. It sounded so weak. He didn't like to be chained to things. He didn't like having weaknesses, but… He looked into Izuku's emerald eyes and knew there was no denying it. "Yeah. We're boyfriends."

Izuku was out of his seat and sitting on his lap, hugging him, in less than a second.

Katsuki caught him and chuckled, amused that Izuku was crying. "You're still such a crybaby."

Izuku only nodded.

Katsuki tangled his hand into Izuku's green hair and pulled his face to his. Their lips moved together with familiarity, opening and closing with gentle suction. Their tongues touched, shyly stroking inside, making them both shiver and lean closer together. Izuku closed his teeth carefully over Katsuki's bottom lip, and an instinctive growl-like noise vibrated up Katsuki's throat.

Without their lips parting for more than the second it took to breathe, Katsuki slid his hands down Izuku's sides and up his back before gripping at his shoulders. The contours and curves, the lean muscle, were still unfamiliar under his hands, and he loved to explore each new angle, gliding his hands over Izuku's shirt, mapping the changes.

Izuku practically melted, a soft, breathy moan lifting from his lips and Katsuki drank it down, getting drunk off it. Unable to take the tightness in his pants any longer, he shifted Izuku until the other boy was straddling him. "Izu…" he groaned. He pulled Izuku's hips so they were flush against each other. "Rock against me…"

Izuku back arched, his mouth breaking away as he gasped. "_Kacchan…_"

Katsuki stared up at him. Izuku's pupils were huge, his hair was even messier than normal, his freckled cheeks were flushed and his lips were red and swollen… Seeing him like that, Katsuki felt his own control unraveling… His heart pounded, half of him shocked they were doing this at all while the rest of him was too blissed out to form anything more coherent than the word_ more!_.

Izuku rested his arms over Katsuki's shoulders and rolled his hips, his head falling back as another gasp fell from his lips. Planting his feet, Katsuki pressed up, increasing the friction. He could feel Izuku's hardness pressing against his stomach. He was just as hard and rocked up against Izuku almost desperately.

"…Kacchan… _Kacchan_…"

"Fuck," Katsuki growled and leaned forward to bite lightly at Izuku's shoulder.

Izuku went rigid on top of him, crying out almost sweetly as his body arched abruptly, and -_ holy shit_ \- Izuku was cumming! That knowledge sent Katsuki tumbling over his own edge. It was so sudden and blinding it took his breath away. He clutched Izuku to his chest hard enough to bruise as he curled over, spurting in his pants.

They sat still, breathing heavily, staring at each other in awe. Then Izuku turned bright red and practically tumbled off Katsuki's lap. Katsuki would have laughed, but he was just as embarrassed. He felt shockingly exposed. He looked away, cheeks burning.

"I'll clean up the dishes," he offered awkwardly.

"Y-Yeah…" Izuku climbed to his feet, his hands visibly shaking. "O-Okay…" Then he ducked in and kissed Katsuki's mouth one last time. "Thanks, Kacchan."

Katsuki growled, but Izuku was already running away before he could say anything. Alone in the room, he let his scowl relax into a soft smile. It didn't last, though. He stood and grimaced at the feeling inside his pants.

"You better fucking hurry up in the bathroom, Deku!" he yelled and was answered with the muffled sound of laughter.

…

When Izuku got home, the smell of curry filled the air. He swallowed the anxious lump in his throat, pulled off his shoes, and made his way to the kitchen. His mother turned, smiling. "Welcome home," she greeted happily. Her dark green hair was up in a messy bun and her face was slightly flushed from cooking over the hot stove.

Izuku went to her and kissed her cheek. "Dinner smells delicious."

She laughed and swatted at him. "You think everything is delicious lately. I've never see you eat so well! It makes me love cooking again."

Izuku smiled and realized he was her height now. He'd gotten taller. "I love you." It just came out. He couldn't help it.

She looked at him curiously, but answered easily and honestly. "I love you, too, honey."

"No matter what," he said, voice becoming quieter.

His mom took a good look at his expression and turned off the stove, setting her spoon aside. "What is it, Izuku? What's happened?"

"I… I'm dating someone…" He stared at her, his whole body tense.

Her face lit up and she reached for his hands. "Oh, honey! That's great! When can I meet her?"

"Well…" Izuku shifted on his feet awkwardly. "You've already met him… I'm dating Katsuki, Mom. We've been such good friends and it just kind of… became so much more…" He squeezed her hands, looking earnestly into her eyes. "I love him more than anything, Mom, and…" A look of wonder softened his expression. "Katsuki loves me, too."

She blinked a few times, but then she slowly began to smile, tears gathering in her eyes. "Of course he loves you!" She sniffed and quickly wiped her tears away. "You know, I'm not really surprised when I think about it." She pulled Izuku into a tight hug. "Oh, Izuku! Katsuki-kun is a wonderful person. I know you'll take good care of each other."

Izuku hugged her back fiercely. "I love you," he said again.

"No matter what," she echoed his words from earlier and kissed his head. "Now go wash up. Dinner's almost ready."

…

Seven months:

_Night. Cool wind feels good. Laughing. Friends. Pavement, street lights. Soft blur around everything. Dropping a can of beer and kicking it - clatter - "She was all up in your face," he said, laughing at his friend, taunting. "You going to do something about it or not?" He was shoved in the shoulder. "Fuck you, Yukio!" Staggering, more laughter, then…PAIN - shocking, breath-stealing pain up his back… _

_Staggering forward, turning. Teen, messy hair, wide wild eyes, manic grin. "You didn't think I had it in me did you, Shibata?" the crazed teen yells. "Thought I'd be a loser forever, didn't you! Well, what do you think about that?" _

_He can do is reel at the pain - burning hot cold spreading down his lower back, ass, legs - the words nearly meaningless. His friends: "Holy fuck!" "Yukio!" The manic teen rushes in. Flinching back but slow, so slow, and the teen's up against his chest already and PAIN piercing burning pain in his stomach. _

_Looking down. There's a knife, sticking out from his gut. Shaking, heart thundering, SCREAMING! falling - "Yukio!" Friends hovering over him - fear and pain - HURTS! Phones - friends calling on the phone - can't hear them over his own screaming PAIN! Terror. Cold and shaking. "Yukio!" Hurts, cold… hurts… scared… dying… dead…_

Izuku gasped and raised his shaking hands to his stomach, but of course there was nothing there (even though he could still feel it; the blood as it gushed free, his stomach acid burning him from the inside). Izuku blinked rapidly, his breath rasping in and out in harsh pants. He had to pull himself from the vision. Breathing was first. He had to focus. He had to control it. Deep as he could, in through the nose, and hold for a count of three, and slowly out through the mouth. Again - in… and out… Again… In… and out…

His heart was still pounding, but he could think now. Izuku wiped sweat from his forehead and looked around. He was in a convince store, standing in front of the milk. His mother had sent him out; she'd forgotten to pick some up. He pulled a rubber band from his pocket (he always carried them now) and snapped it around his wrist. It stung, but that was the point. It helped him feel more in his own body. He snapped it again for good measure.

With a hand that only shook a little bit, he grabbed the milk and carried it to the register. He gave the cashier a friendly smile and paid. He kept his pace even and deliberate. When his hands began to shake too badly, he snapped his rubber band and kept forcing his breathing slow and even.

"I'm back!" he called, pulling his shoes off. His wrist was red and tender, but it would fade in a few hours.

"Thanks, Izuku," his mother came and took the milk with a grateful smile.

"No problem." He gave her a fake smile back and turned toward his room, calling over his shoulder, "I have to get some homework done, but call me when dinner's ready."

Izuku closed the door to his room and went to his drawer. He was sweating profusely. Anxiety was crawling up his spine, he couldn't quite get his breathing under control. He felt the stab to his back, to his stomach again and again, that overwhelming fear, and the moment of death - his life extinguished as his blood poured from his body… It hovered and clung to Izuku. He could feel death even now in his lungs on every inhale and exhale, invading him.

With shaking hands, Izuku took out a long piece bright red, nylon cord. Taking the rubber band off his wrist, he began to wrap the cord around his arm from wrist to shoulder. He did it carefully - not so tight as to cut off circulation but tight enough that he was constantly aware of its presence. He wrapped it in a spiral pattern, like a candy cane. As he wrapped it, he visualized it holding in the panic, fear, and pain. The cord locked it all away one loop at a time until he stood there calm and just breathed for a minute.

"I'm going to save you, Yukio Shibata," he said quietly, eyes closed, trying to find balance. "You're going to be fine. I'm going to find you, and I'm going to save you."

The cord was a promise and a reminder, but more importantly it grounded him. When it got really bad, Izuku could also wrap his thighs. If even that wasn't enough, he could wrap his whole body - neck to ankles. Fortunately, the arms felt like they were enough for now.

The cord wasn't overly thick, so you couldn't tell he was wearing it under his clothes. It was cool enough that he could wear long-sleeves without drawing attention. If you touched him, however, you could feel it there. Kacchan knew about it, of course. When Izuku had told him about how it helped but that he was worried it was weird, Kacchan had shrugged and asked if that even mattered.

"No one else is dealing with the shit you are, so they don't have the right to an opinion," he'd said fiercely.

Smiling at the memory, Izuku grabbed his Death Book - the cords wrapped around both arms giving slight resistance to his movement, holding him together, holding everything in - and began to write and draw when he'd seen. He had a boy to save.

…

Eight months:

Katsuki had gotten home about thirty-minutes ago and had a shower to clean off all the dried sweat from his workout. He'd stayed late at school and had missed another dinner, but it was worth it! He'd begun to really make things happen with his quirk.

"Your teacher called."

Katsuki looked away from the inside of the fridge to see his mother in the doorway. His stomach gave a hungry growl, but he shut the fridge and crossed his arms, facing his mom. "Yeah? What about?" he asked, scowling in annoyance.

His mom came into the kitchen. She wore a sweater over some jeans. Her blond hair was tied back in a short ponytail and her red eyes were narrowed and intent on him. As she walked up to him within arm's reach, Katsuki didn't move or flinch, but he could feel sweat gather at his hairline and down his back. His heart began beating faster.

"Your teacher seemed really impressed with the work you've done with your quirk," she said, voice harsh. "Said you had a decent chance of getting into UA considering that and your grades." Her face twisted into an angry sneer. "That your plan? You want to go to UA and be a hero?"

"You know I do," he said, voice low with his fists clenched.

"UA can't make you a hero, Katsuki."

"What the hell does it matter to you?" he exploded. He swung his arm, his fist hitting the fridge door behind him with a thud. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to fucking realize that you weren't meant to be a hero!" she spat at him. "You're too violent! Too angry! And the more you use that fucking quirk of yours, the more likely you are to kill someone!"

"I'm going to be a hero! I'm going to UA, and you can't stop me!" he snarled.

"You keep this up you'll become a fucking mass-murderer just as I always said you would be!" she snarled back. "You need to stay away from heroes! Stay away from fights and all that shit and keep your quirk under control!"

"My quirk is under control!" Katsuki boldly lifted his palms and let them pop and flash. "But that's not good enough! It never was! No, you won't be happy until I fucking cut my hands off!"

She grabbed his collar and shook him. "I'm trying to help you! Why the fuck can't you see that? Don't you remember what happened with that slime monster? You blew up that street, Katsuki! That's all you're good for!"

He knocked her hand away from him with a violent swing of his arm. "You're wrong! Just leave me the fuck alone! Pretend I'm not here like Dad does!" He stormed past her, letting his shoulder bump hers hard enough to make her take a sidestep.

"He's not your dad."

Katsuki froze in the doorway. His stomach gave a lurch and he had to grip the doorframe as a wave of lightheadedness passed over him.

"Your dad… He's in prison where he fucking belongs…" Her voice hissed behind him full of venom and hate. "He was a murdering arsonist and rapist… He burnt houses down with people still inside… He murdered dozens of innocent people… Families… Kids…"

Katsuki turned, still gripping the doorframe. "You're fucking lying…" he rasped, heart pounding like a sledge hammer.

She gave him a grim smile. "He killed my parents and my little sister… raped me while they all burned alive… left me for dead, but I flung myself out the window… I testified and he went to prison…" She walked toward him and pressed her finger against his chest. "That's what you come from, what's inside you. That's who your father is. His fire quirk mixed with my glycerin sweat, and I got you. A boy who can create explosions in the palms of his hands. Your father would be so _proud_."

Katsuki ran. He ran to his room and locked the door before flinging himself onto his bed. He couldn't breathe. He was hyperventilating and sat up to put his head between his knees, his hands locked behind his neck. My god… Was it true?… He couldn't think around the rushing roar in his ears. He was choking, crying. Tears fell to the carpet making dark circles. He couldn't stop shaking.

Desperate, he flung himself at the window and threw it open. The fresh air helped some, but he still felt wild and sick. He had his phone in hand and was dialing before he even realized what he was doing. The sound of the phone ringing in his ear almost shocked him. He pulled it away shakily and hit end.

The fuck was he doing? The thought of telling Izuku what his mother had told him… It made his stomach roll. No way! No way could he tell him! The phone rang and Katsuki nearly dropped it. Shaking, he looked and saw it was Izuku.

He couldn't answer, but god he really wanted to. Tears were still streaking his face. He bit his lip nearly hard enough to split it. His fingers creaked around the phone he held it so tight. His legs gave out and he slid down the wall, sitting hard. Like a fucking child he pulled his knees to his chest to hide.

The call ended. A text came through. He didn't bother looking at what it said. The phone rang again. Rang until it was silent. Katsuki curled up, buried his face against his legs and tried to shut everything out. A soft touch to his head had him gasping. He looked up to see Izuku crouched before him.

"Kacchan?" he asked, soft and sweet.

"Why aren't you training?" Katuski asked, voice dull.

Izuku's emerald eyes were liquid with concern. "You called, but it only rang twice… I just… I got this bad feeling when you didn't answer my calls or texts… So I came over."

Katsuki looked past his friend and saw his door was still shut and locked. He looked up at his window. It was open. "You didn't come in through the window," he stated, numb. His room was on the second floor!

Izuku gave an awkward grin. "I leapt from the wall around your yard. I'm surprised you didn't hear me. I practically fell inside." His smile faded. "I saw it open and thought… It's late… You might not want your parents to know I'm here… so…"

"I didn't ask you to come," he spat with a glare, anger beginning to grow deep inside his belly. "I don't fucking want you here."

Izuku wasn't put off. Instead he only looked more concerned and reached for him, putting his hand on Katsuki's knee.

Katsuki was suddenly on his feet, towering over his friend. "Get the fuck out, Deku!"

Izuku didn't stand and meet him head on, he didn't give him anything he could fight against, instead he stayed on his knees and looked up at Katsuki with this worried, stubborn look. "You don't have to tell me what happened if you really don't want to, but I can't leave when you're this upset. I love you."

Katsuki suddenly burst into tears.

Izuku quickly stood and wrapped him in his arms. He rocked him and promised it was going to be okay. Katuski just clung to his shirt and sobbed. He couldn't stop. It was just too fucking much for too fucking long. He'd tried so hard to keep his family together. To get past the fear and anger his mother inspired. This… He couldn't fucking fix this… This was too much… But eventually he grew quiet. The tears stopped. He was just exhausted. Completely exhausted.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Izuku asked softly, still holding him.

Katsuki pulled away and roughly wiped at his face. He couldn't meet Izuku's eyes. "Just my fucking mom messing with me."

He waited for the pity, for the sympathy. It made his stomach roll and he clenched his fists trying to contain his rage. Instead, Izuku took his phone out of his pocket and began tapping at it. Katsuki almost punched him, but then Izuku put the phone on the floor.

"Wanna do All Might's yoga?" he asked as he straightened.

Actually… Yoga sounded really fucking good - the stretch and burn - the silence. Katsuki was exhausted, but no way would he be able to sleep. He was still rattling around inside his skin, so he gave a nod and got into the first pose. "Bring it on, Deku," he said with a tired grin, his tense shoulders relaxing. He hoped Izuku saw the 'thank you' in his eyes. From the soft smile Izuku gave him as he got into position, he did.

…

Toshinori showed up in the park when Izuku was scheduled to run. Izuku was happily surprised. Toshinori was busy more often now and checking on Izuku less. This time sensei declared he wanted to test Izuku's stamina. Izuku was nervous about what that would entail, nervous to disappoint his hero, but he braced himself to do his best.

'Test his stamina' apparently meant Izuku had to run through the park with a cement block on his shoulder until he couldn't anymore. Toshinori made it clear he expected Izuku to be able run straight out for at least an hour at this point in his training. So Izuku ran. He ran while Toshinori buzzed along on a segway always just a few feet ahead of him.

After awhile, Izuku hit that place in his head where everything tuned out but the rhythmic beat of his shoes on pavement, the sound of his breath like the in and out of the ocean waves. It was like his mind went still - he was his legs and lungs - nothing else existed. It was peaceful… Until he felt himself fading, falling…

The concrete block hit the pavement with a loud thump, shocking Izuku back to reality. He was lying on his face. His heart thundered in his chest; he felt like a fish suffocating out of water. Toshinori was scolding him from somewhere above him.

"You're overworked. My plan was fine-tuned to make sure your progress was swift but manageable. That means you haven't been sticking to it. You're overdoing things! That's going to have the opposite effect."

Izuku gasped and moaned, trying to crawl forward, to get up. "There's only two months left," he panted into the dirt, his hands curling into fists. "I have to work harder!"

Kacchan had mastered the ability to fly. He'd strengthened his arms and legs to withstand the speed, found the exact right amount of force, and mastered his trajectories. He was breathtaking and powerful and unstoppable. How was Izuku supposed to compete with that?

And there would be other amazing kids with amazing quirks at the exam. Izuku had to work harder! He was determined to stand at Kacchan's side and be a hero! Izuku could do it; he knew he could! Kacchan believed in him; All Might believed in him! Izuku had to prove them right! With a grunt of pure effort, he pulled himself forward another inch.

"I don't just want to get in to UA, I want to excel!" His arms screamed at him, his mind was going fuzzy, but he crawled forward. "I want to be like you and Kacchan!" He looked up and met Toshinori's eyes with desperate determination. "I want to save people… make them feel safe just by smiling… So I'll keep on trying until I have what it takes to do that!"

Toshinori expanded into his massive hero form in the space of a second. "I love that spirit of yours, fanboy!" He easily lifted Izuku off the ground by the back of his shirt like he weighed nothing. Neon blue eyes pierced through him. "I understand what you're feeling! And that determination is what I truly admire about you, young Midoriya. That said, now's not the time to rush progress! Fear not! I can get you back on track! Trust this old man to adjust your plan."

Izuku sniffed, tears falling from his eyes, and went limp, putting himself in All Might's capable hands. "I'll do whatever you say…" he promised.

…

Nine months:

Katsuki opened blurry eyes to the sound of Izuku's alarm going off. It was pitch-ass black in the room still, the sun nowhere close to rising. He rolled over and dropped his arm pointedly over Izuku's waist. "Too early, Izu," he growled, sleepily. "You'll freeze to death."

"No, I won't," Izuku's soft voice answered him back. He shifted under Katsuki's arm, rolling toward him. Soft lips touched his cheek. "Toshinori-sensei said he'd be gone these last four weeks. Something came up. I really, really want to surprise him and get the beach done. I'm pretty sure he doesn't think I can actually do it."

"Because it's insane," Katsuki muttered, but he sighed and let Izuku go. "You should let me help you."

"No." Izuku's voice was stubborn as hell; there'd be no changing his mind. "I have to do this by myself. To prove I actually deserve to go to UA with you and all the other kids with amazing quirks."

Katsuki couldn't let that go. He rolled over, pinning Izuku to the bed. It was still pitch-black, so he lowered his face to lightly bite at Izuku's cheek so his boyfriend could feel his displeasure since he couldn't see it. "You deserve to go, Izu. It's not about deserving, you hear me? It's about possible or impossible."

"Kacchan…"

Katsuki shut him up by slotting their mouths together. It was almost gritty and a little sour with morning breath, but he actually kinda liked it like that. He pulled back, a little breathless. "I demand compensation for you waking me up in the middle of the fucking night." He leaned more against Izuku's chest, already hard and aching.

They'd been so busy lately - both of them training harder than ever as time ran out - that they'd hardly messed around at all. Even with Katsuki staying the night three days a week to escape his home, like now, the most they did was cuddle and kiss because they were so tired, their bodies sore.

Well, he wasn't tired now and he had Izuku under him. He let their hips align and rocked forward. Izuku clutched the back of his shirt and stabbed his tongue forward with a moan. Katsuki sucked hard, biting gently, and rolled his hips again.

Their boxers bunched and gathered over their hard cocks. It was fucking uncomfortable. Heart thundering, hands shaking, Katsuki boldly lifted up onto his knees and shoved his boxers down. If it weren't pitch ass black he'd never have done it. Groping blindly, his hand hit Izuku's thigh before he found Izuku's boxers. He waited for Izuku to stop him, but instead Izu lifted his hips to help, and Katsuki pulled them down enough to get them out of the way.

Then Izuku was pulling him back down, against his body. Sensitive, heated flesh touched for the first time, skin on skin. It made their hearts pound fiercely and their breath come in harsh pants and gasps. It was almost too much. Katsuki lay still, trying not to back out because he'd fucking started this. To distract himself, he licked into Izuku's mouth, sucking softly. When his heart rate settled, he experimentally rocked his hips.

"… Kacchan…" Izuku said tentatively, and it wasn't a moan of pleasure.

"Fuck!" He was embarrassed and pissed as hell because it didn't fucking feel good at all. It was awkward and too rough on his sensitive cock. He rolled onto his back next to Izuku with a frustrated growl and grabbed his own dick in his hand.

"No… wait…" Izuku panted. "Take your boxers off."

Katsuki was tempted to ignore him, but with a growl he let his hand fall away and did as he was told. Izuku got out of bed and fumbled around blindly, bumping into stuff, hissing as he hit his shins. Eventually he was back. Izuku crawled over him and slotted their bodies together once more. This time… Katsuki sucked in sharply… Holy Shit!

He arched up into the firm planes of Izuku's hardened body, gripping Izu's shoulders painfully tight. Izuku was slick between his legs and along his stomach. Their skin slid together, gliding with just the right amount of friction and HOLY SHIT there were no words for how good it felt.

Katsuki planted his feet and rocked his hips up, moaning. Izuku moved with him and it was fucking heaven. They swallowed each others moans as they kissed, their bodies working together. Izuku had his knees planted on either side of Katsuki's hips, squeezing them as he rubbed up and down. Katsuki planted his hands on Izuku's ass, pulling him down harder even as he thrust up. A squelching, slapping sound invaded their space and Katsuki blushed hotly at how dirty it was.

"Fuck, Izu…" he gasped, shocked, but he wasn't stopping.

"So good…" Izuku sounded drunk. He fell against Katsuki's chest, his panting breaths hitting Katsuki's cheek and ear, and Katsuki couldn't help lifting one hand from Izuku's ass to grip the other boy's hair.

"Izu… come on… Don't stop," Katsuki growled, but Izuku's thighs were shaking. He could feel it through his own body. With a flex of his hips, Katsuki rolled them so that he was on top, and he easily slipped between Izuku's open thighs.

"Ah!" Izuku cried and Katsuki quickly covered his mouth.

"Shut up, Deku," he hissed, hips slapping against Izuku's without stopping. "You'll wake… your mom…"

In answer, Izuku slipped a hand between them and fluttered his fingers over their cock heads. Katsuki had to bite his lip to keep from crying out, it felt so good! He spurt a little, sweat dripping from his chin despite the chill air. He was so fucking close… Everything felt so fucking good… His hand tightened on Izuku's face, heating up.

Izuku pulled the hand off his mouth and linked their fingers. "_Kacchan_…" He was fucking _begging_, his voice wrecked. Then Izu pulled his hand away and gripped their cocks, using both of his hands to wrap tight around them. "Please… _please_, Kastuki…"

He heard his whole name fall from Izuku's pleading lips and lost it. Katsuki slammed into the channel Izuku created, hips punching forward again and again until they were both cumming, making it even wetter between them. He groaned, low and long, curled over Izuku's body.

He went boneless, sprawled on top of Izuku, and blinked stars from his blind eyes. When he could fucking think again, he said, voice hoarse and raspy, "How'd you know to do that?"

He could feel Izuku's blush as he pressed his face against Katsuki's neck. "… research…"

Katsuki laughed quietly. "Nerd."

**End -**

**A/N: **Whew! Let me know about the pace. I got a lot in there in a short span - was it too fast? Just fast enough?

And thank you for everyone who has been helping me! I couldn't do this without all of you!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n: **Happy Fourth of July! Decided to update just for the holiday. Not much for loud noises, so I tucked in and wrote. A longish chapter ahead… Hope you guys like it!

x

**Fateful Choices**

Izuku worked for nearly twenty-four straight hours at the beach. He didn't sleep and he only took breaks when his body absolutely demanded it. Either his mom or Kacchan brought him food every few hours, but when they saw how close he was to achieving the utterly impossible neither of them could bring themselves to tell him to stop. Because the beach… It was finally clean!

The latest moving truck All Might had parked in the parking lot was completely packed full by this point, so Izuku had to pile up the last of the trash and junk next to it on the boardwalk, but the sand… The sand didn't have a speck of trash left on it!

Izuku stood on this pile of trash, the sun breaking the horizon. The water glittered as the golden orange and pink light danced on the surface of the waves. The sound of the surf rushed in and out. And for as far as the eye could see, the sand stretched pristine in either direction. The wind was cold and clean, carrying the scent of salt. It was absolutely beautiful.

Tears streamed down Izuku's face unbidden. He was exhausted to the point of fainting, but he felt so incredibly proud he couldn't contain it. Throwing his head back, he let out a scream of triumph. "AHHHHH!" Heart thundering, adrenaline and joy filling him to the point of bursting, he let out another soul-deep scream of defiance and victory. "AHHHHHHHHHH!"

The world spun, his head grew faint, and he lost his balance. He fell off the boardwalk wall and dropped nearly fifteen feet to the sand of the beach, but something caught him. He looked up, dizzy and grinning, at All Might in his hero form. The man cradled him in his arms easily.

"Hey, hey, holy crap, kid! Holy… stinking… SUPER CRAP!"

"I did it, All Might," Izuku rasped, tears falling from his eyes. "I cleaned the beach."

All Might grinned down at him and cradled Izuku closer. "Excellent work, young man. Seriously, there's not a single speck of trash left. Only a few minutes to spare, but you exceeded my expectations!"

Izuku was set on his feet. He wobbled a bit, but he found his balance. All Might held out his phone with a photo pulled up. Izuku looked at it. It was him from ten months ago - scrawny and struggling to move a large tv. Now Izuku could easily haul that tv up on his shoulder and pick up other things along the way.

"Look at this! It's you from ten months ago!" Then All Might snapped a new picture and showed it to Izuku.

The difference was startling. Izuku didn't have a shirt on, so in the picture you could see his squared off pecs, his six-pack abs, the muscles of his biceps. Even his neck and shoulder joints looked more muscular. Izuku's lips trembled, overwhelmed. It didn't feel like this was real. Was that really him?

"Look at you! Such improvement!" All Might put his hands on his hips, smiling widely as he looked down at Izuku. "I gotta say I'm impressed. I knew you had it in you, but this is beyond! You even cleaned up outside the area I told you to! Izuku Midoriya, I have found you WORTHY of a very special gift!"

"All Might…" Izuku waved his hands frantically in denial. "No! You've already done so much! You put so much time and energy into helping me! I can't accept anything more!"

All Might held out his hand to stop him. "It was your hard work that did this, not mine! Someone told me this once: there's a difference between being lucky and deserving. One is an accident, the other a reward. Never get the two confused! Take that to heart, young man."

Izuku stared with his mouth open, choked up with tears again.

All Might gentled his voice, his expression kind as he reached forward and put his large, warm hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Now, for your reward." He stared so solemnly that Izuku held his breath. "Young Midoriya, I offer you the chance to inherit my power!"

Izuku blinked. "…What?"

All Might deflated back into his skeletal form and absently wiped at a trail of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. "Journalists have called my quirk 'super strength' or a 'boost', but I'm sure you're aware I've never officially explained what my quirk actually does. I always make a joke or dodge the question. My quirk isn't super strength. It's an accumulation quirk that can be passed on to others. Someone else passed this quirk on to me like a sacred torch just as I am passing it on to you. It is called: One For All!"

Izuku swayed. "… Passed it on to you? One for all?… But quirks are inherited from your parents… Right?"

"Not this one," Toshinori said softly. "In fact, I was quirkless just like you. One For All is unique, and its secret must be kept at all cost, Midoriya. I hope you can appreciate how important that really is. If evil were to learn that this power could be taken, then that would be the end of this quirk forever."

Izuku shivered at the tone in his mentor's voice. He swallowed hard. "I… I swear… I won't tell anyone…"

Toshinori smiled and ruffled Izuku's hair. "I believe you. You could have alerted the world at any time these last few months of my true condition, or told a friend who would have done so, but no rumor has gotten out. You have proven yourself trustworthy."

Izuku smiled at the praise.

"The truth is this: One For All is a powerful and precious ability." Toshinori clenched a fist in front of him. "One person cultivates the power and passes it on to another who also cultivates it and passes it on again and again, and each time the quirk becomes stronger. Each punch you wield has the power of all the predecessors who've wielded One For All behind you. Every blow you receive is received with the endurance cultivated by those same heroes who've endured great hardships in the name of justice. The true heart of this quirk is the need to help others, to stop evil, and it will grant you unimaginable strength to answer those cries for help."

Izuku blinked, legs and hands trembling. He felt his legs fold and knelt in the sand. He stared up at his mentor, green eyes wide with shock. "And… you want… to pass it on to _me_?… Why?"

Toshinori sighed and sat next to him on the clean sand. "Young Midoriya, without a quirk you fought hard against that slime villain. You defended yourself just long enough for me to get there, never giving in to fear or despair. Then you acted more heroically than the official heroes who were standing nearby when that slime monster almost killed your friend. It inspired me! I saw that you were special, and I decided to test you.

"Over the past ten months, you never once slacked during my difficult training! Every time I upped the ante, every time I made it harder, you never backed down or complained. Your goal was to get stronger so you could save people and you were willing to suffer and work hard in order to make that happen. You even pushed yourself to collapse several times!" Toshinori swept his arm out dramatically to indicate the beautiful view of sand and surf. "And you exceeded my expectations by clearing the entire beach!" Blue eyes met his own. "Trust me, Izuku Midoriya. You are worthy of this power. Inside you is the spirit of a true hero!"

Izuku was crying again. His secret burned in his mind - the secret of his quirk - but he quailed at the thought of telling All Might that he wasn't really quirkless, not after all that All Might even be impressed with him if he learned Izuku actually had a quirk all this time?_ (Never tell anyone about your quirk! - _his mother's voice, low and strident and frightening.) So his voice shook and trembled as he asked, "All Might, do I deserve this? Are you sure?"

Toshinori smiled kindly. He put a gentle hand on Izuku's shoulder. "This is a gift you've earned with your own valiant efforts, but are you willing to accept it?" His expression became more grim and his free hand hovered subconsciously over his near-fatal wound. "Think carefully, Midoriya. Truly. Because this power will change your life and maybe not for the better. If you accept, you will be obligated to constantly risk your life in the service of others. It will be a painful road, Midoriya."

Toshinori pulled his hand away from Izuku's shoulder and told him gravely. "I must be honest with you. You've worked hard. You've really given it your all, and I am sincerely impressed or I wouldn't have made this offer. I know I told you that I would help you be a hero, but I made that promise knowing I might make you this offer."

His mentor sighed. "The truth is, even with all the progress you've made, it is not likely that you will be accepted into UA or even become the type of hero you envision without a quirk. The world of heroes is a dangerous and brutal place. In fact, you will live a much more peaceful and pain-free life if you refuse. However, if you accept, you will come face to face with evil. You will know fear and pain. You will know loss. But I can guarantee you will become a world-renowned hero. You will even surpass me."

Toshinori stared into Izuku's eyes and it felt like the whole world had come to a stop. Sounds were muted, the feel of the cold wind off the ocean faded, the smell of salt disappeared - all that existed were his mentor's piercing blue eyes. In them, Izuku could see the remarkable strength of will that All Might possessed. He could see pain but also triumph. They were the eyes of a hero.

"You have to be really sure what path you want to take, Midoriya," his mentor said gravely. "Will you accept the burden of One For All… or will you continue as you are?"

Izuku's hands twisted in front of him as he bit his lip nervously. "Y-you have to be quirkless to accept? I mean… you were quirkless, too? A-And I've never heard of someone having t-two quirks…"

"No. One For All is unique. It can be passed to anyone regardless of their quirk or lack there of." Toshinori gripped Izuku's shoulder tighter. "I know you love to study quirks, Midoriya, but we can go over the finer details of One For All later. You will be late for the exam soon. I need your answer. Will you accept this power?"

Izuku's breathing came harsh and ragged. His mind whirled, but the answer was bright and clear inside him. He held All Might's piercing gaze. He understood this was dangerous, understood he'd have to go through really scary things, but he also knew this meant he'd get to finally stand at Kacchan's side as an equal, that he'd get to make the world a better place just like All Might had!

"Yes…" he said firmly. "I mean, if you're sure… Yes, All Might, I accept your power!"

Toshinori expanded into his hero form. His laugh was a boom in the silence. "I really do admire that fearless spirit, young Midoriya! Very well!" He reached up to his head and pulled out a strand of golden hair. "Eat this!"

Izuku accepted the hair automatically, but he stared at in confusion. "…. what?"

"To inherit my power, you have to consume my DNA! Come on, there's no time. You'll be late for the exam! Now… EAT!"

Eyes wide at the shouted command, Izuku opened his mouth, put the hair inside and swallowed. It didn't go down at first. His eyes watered and he screwed up his face as his tongue tried to help push it down. Eventually he had enough spit to actually swallow the thing. Gasping, he stared up at All Might and gave a shaky thumbs up.

All Might smiled down at him. "It should kick in after about three hours. Should you need to use it during the exam, just clench all your muscles and scream 'SMASH' at the top of your lungs. It will come to you."

"Th-Thank you, All Might!" Izuku flung himself forward and hugged All Might around the waist. "I won't let you down!"

With an almost sad smile, All Might gently pushed him toward the stairs. "Go, Midoriya. You really will be late."

Izuku nodded and ran up the stairs on numb legs. He got to the top, turned, and waved.

Once more in his skeletal form, Toshinori waved back at him from the pristine sand.

…

Katsuki looked up to see Izuku running toward him. He'd gotten Izuku's text that he was running late after a meeting with All Might, so he'd told Katsuki not to wait for him and instead meet him at UA's gate, but this was ridiculous. They had ten minutes to find their exam room and the place was fucking huge!

"The hell, Deku?" he snarled, falling into step with Izuku.

Together they jogged through the three massive arches that stood over the wide brick path that was laid down past the front gate of the enormous school. The school had four glass and metal sky-scrapers that towered thirteen stories tall. These towers were built on top of the first floor of the building, a white, concrete structure that served as the towers' foundation. A glass and metal hallway connected each of the four towers so that no matter which side of the building you were looking at, the school looked like a gleaming capital letter H. It was a marvel of architecture and just looking at it you knew you were entering a marvel of technology.

"Sorry for making you wait," Izuku gasped, panting, but he didn't slow. His face was flushed with excitement. "I did it, Kacchan! I finished the beach! Toshinori-sensei was really proud. I have so much to tell you!"

Katsuki flashed his friend a grin and slammed his hand onto his back. "Good job, Izu."

Izuku grinned back, barely staggering under the blow, which was a huge change from ten months ago when that blow would have knocked him off his feet. "Thanks!"

They found their room assignment and sprinted to the correct classroom. They made it with barely five second to spare and were just slipping into their assigned seats when the bell rang. A bored looking teacher in a suit sat up from his position leaning against the chalkboard. His hair writhed, elongating. Like octopus arms, it grabbed stacks of paper and placed them on the front row desks.

"Welcome to hell, applicants. Anyone who scores under a ninety percent on this entrance exam will be shown the door. Begin. You have exactly three hours."

Katsuki cut a glance at Izuku. The green-haired boy took the test packet, his face set in determination. Katsuki grinned. No way was he going to let that nerd score higher than him. He opened his booklet and got to work.

Three hours later:

Their scantrons were collected and fed into a computer for grading. Ten minutes after the end of the test, those who had passed had their score and name posted on a huge electronic board in the center of the lobby. Already the three thousand applicants had gotten reduced to a tiny fifteen hundred and fifty-six! And they still had the practical exam to go!

"Oh man! I barely passed," Izuku cried, eyes wide, face pale as they left the digital score board. He'd scored a ninety-three.

Katsuki gave him a smirk. He'd scored a ninety-six. "It was fucking easy. Quit complaining."

Izuku smiled, star-struck by his boyfriend. "You're brilliant, Kacchan. Of course you thought it was easy!"

Katsuki linked his fingers in front of his chest and bent them back, cracking the lowest joint. "I can't wait to start the practical." He gave a sharp grin. "A little exercise will feel great after sitting for so fucking long."

"Y-yeah," Izuku answered, clearly nervous. He ducked his head so his wavy green hair obscured his face. His freckles seemed darker than normal on his pale cheeks.

Katsuki's smile fell. For a second he'd forgotten that it was the practical that might block Izu from becoming a hero. He cast Izuku a worried look, but Izu gave him a nervous smile and shook his head.

Katsuki wore a dark scowl as they followed the stream of remaining applicants into one of the schools auditoriums and found their assigned seats. Once everyone was seated, the lights clicked off and a spotlight was placed on the stage. Katsuki made use of the cover of darkness to slide his hand over to cover Izuku's. Izuku glanced over, blushing faintly, his body relaxing.

"Welcome, listeners!" a loud voice boomed.

Katsuki looked to see the Loud-Mouthed hero step centerstage. He had silver headphones, sunglasses, and long blond hair that stood up like a troll doll's. He wore a big grin and gave the audience a few energetic poses.

"It's Present Mic," Izuku practically gushed. "I listen to his radio show every weekend!" He cried as if Katsuki didn't already know that. "Can you believe UA has a staff of all pro heroes! It's so exciting! I wonder who else we'll see."

"I'm here to tell you about the practical exam! Are you ready to rock?"

Katsuki sighed, leaning his chin into the palm of his free-hand, his elbow propped on the desk. He wanted to get this thing started, but it looked like he'd have to sit through a lot of blah blah blah first.

"Okaaaaay. Well, today's test consists of a point-based system of combat in an urban setting. That's right, listeners! You'll have to defeat fake foes in order to advance to the next round!"

"Looks like they don't want us helping each other." Katsuki flashed Izuku his card.

"You're right. Even though our numbers are sequential, they have us in different testing groups." Izuku frowned. He tilted his cared this way and that and Katsuki could see the word quirkless printed on it. "We have to prove ourselves without help from friends, which makes sense. Not that many of the strongest contenders would even want help."

_Like you, Izu, _Katsuki thought wryly to himself, and he frowned as the rules were practically screamed at them. They were simple and straightforward. It wasn't impossible for Izuku to make a good showing. Izu was smart. He could figure something out to rack up some points, but Katsuki was worried about the other applicants. With the right quirks, they'd be more effective and efficient. It might leave very few openings for Izuku to make a move.

"What a douche bag," Katsuki growled irritably as a kid in glasses interrupted the spiel to criticize the presentation and ask a stupid question. Then that same asshole turned around and called Izuku out on talking during the intructions, which was a fucking laugh! Glasses had interrupt the whole damn thing unlike Izuku who had bothered no one but him!

"Sorry!" Izuku cried and slouched in his seat.

"Don't apologize to that asshole," Katsuki said coldly, glaring at the kid in glasses. He didn't bother to lower his voice. "You weren't doing anything wrong."

"Thank you for calling in, but there is a fourth foe," Present Mic interrupted their stare off. "It is worth zero points. I recommend you avoid it instead of engaging as there is no benefit in doing so. Now… Are you ready?" He struck a dramatic, rockstar pose. "Then let me leave you with these words of wisdom from the hero Napoleon Bonaparte. True heroism consists of being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us. So with that, I leave you! Good luck and go beyond. PLUS ULTRA!"

"I hope that fucker's in my group," Katsuki muttered, glaring at Glasses until he disappeared in the crowd.

"Don't worry about him. Let's just do our best," Izuku suggested, always the peacemaker.

Katsuki ignored that advice. If he saw a chance to put that asshole in his place, he would! Then he saw the sign for his group pointing left. Izuku had to go right. He met Izuku's eyes. "Good luck, Deku. Show these fuckers what you're made of."

Izuku gave him a brave grin. "You, too, Kacchan. Kill it out there!"

They bumped fists and Katsuki stormed off. He popped his knuckles again, a fierce grin stretching his face. Oh, he was going to show them what he was made of alright. This was going to be fun!

…

Izuku was funneled into a locker room. He was given a number and inside that locker was the gym bag he'd brought. He quickly changed into his teal jogging pants and matching windbreaker. His battered red sneakers went on his feet. His heart beat like a drum in his chest and he took a deep breath trying to calm it.

Outside they were led across a field to the high walls of an urban arena. He could see the tops of buildings just over the lip. It looked like a miniature city.

This was it.

This was the moment that would decide his fate.

All that training, all the work All Might had put in, all of Kacchan and his mother's support… This was the moment he proved it was worth it. The pressure felt like a ton of bricks sitting in his stomach, and it made Izuku feel nauseous.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl with thick brown hair that fell just short of her shoulders. Her bangs were a little longer parted on either side to frame her round face. She had big brown eyes and rosy cheeks. She was on the shorter side, a little shorter than Izuku. She was lifting her arms and breathing in, dropping her arms as she breathed out. It was a yoga move.

Feeling a kindred spirit, Izuku made is way toward her until a very heavy hand landed on his shoulder, turning him around. A tall teen with short, dark hair and glasses stared sternly down at him.

"You're that boy from the auditorium. What were you going to do just now? She looks like she is trying to concentrate. Distracting her right now would be very unsportsmanlike!"

Izuku blushed as he felt the stares of everyone around him and his back straightened. He'd learned long ago not to let others walk all over him. Not if he wanted to be someone dependable that people looked up to. So he gently knocked the boy's hand off his shoulder and made firm eye contact.

"I'm not sure you know how you come across," Izuku began, keeping his voice light and informative. "But thinking you know my intensions is very presumptuous and offensive. You haven't even introduced yourself and touched me without permission." He gave the boy gaping back at him a neutral smile. "My name is Izuku Midoriya, by the way. As for the girl, I noticed that she was doing a breathing exercise. I was going to ask her about it as I also practice yoga."

Izuku didn't get a chance to hear the boy's response. Present Mic appeared on a tall tower near the gate.

"What are you waiting for, listeners? There are no countdowns in battle! You have ten minutes! Go GO GOOOO!"

Izuku blinked and turned around to see the gates had opened soundlessly and his whole group was already bolting inside. He was the only one standing there like an idiot. Eyes wide in alarm, Izuku sprinted after them. The streets were narrow - only one car would be able to pass down them. The buildings were two to five stories high. There were a lot of windows in all of them. There weren't other props though, just buildings. No cars or bikes or people. No shopping stands or merchandise. The buildings were completely empty.

A green metal robot came skidding around the corner. It was as tall as a one-story house. It moved like a tank. It had grasping arms and red glass balls that looked like eyes in it's square head. A robotic voice said, "Target acquired. I'll kill you now." Before Izuku had a chance to move or strategize, a beam of white light came from a side street. The robot was flung to its side off its wheels, a hole in it's armor. It went still, smoking.

"That's what I call teamwork! Thank you for distracting it, mon ami!" A blond boy with a french accent called cheerfully. He had a belt with a glass circle at the front about belly level. He had his hands over his head and his stomach thrust out, which had been the source of the laser. Then he dropped his arms and ran.

Izuku raced to the nearest building and ran up the stairs. He stood on the roof, looking out. The buildings weren't that far apart. He jogged backwards and then sprinted. He cleared the distance and landed on the next roof. He looked desperately for another robot.

A metal pole sat at the edge of the roof. He grabbed it up. It was longer than a baseball bat, but not quite as long as a staff. It was solid steel. He could do some damage with it. He leapt over to the next building, rolling to his feet. Below was a two point robot.

Izuku jumped, steel bar in hand, but before he could strike the soft spot where the neck had many wires exposed, the boy with glasses from earlier came flying out of an alley. His legs were smoking and making a rumbling sound like an engine. His kick dented the robot's head and it toppled over, smoking. Then he was sprinting off at inhuman speeds.

Izuku bit his lip and got up from the ground. It had been a hard landing - he'd expected to land on the robot to break his fall - but he didn't have time to whine about it. He went running down the street, looking for another robot.

No matter where he looked he found robots already torn to pieces and smoking. They were being destroyed faster than Izuku could find them! He began to panic as Present Mic called a time warning. He had to hurry! The kids around him were calling out their points… twenty, forty-three, thirteen… Izuku had none!

"Come on… Think!" he hissed to himself.

Then suddenly the ground began to shake. It felt like an earthquake and his heart leapt into his throat even as his arms went out for balance. A huge dust cloud obscured the street, but towering over it, a good ten stories tall, stood an enormous green robot. It put its massive hand on one of the building tops and leaned down before punching the street with his other hand.

The wind force knocked several students over. Izuku raised his arms in front of his face to protect it. A huge crater sat in the middle of the street. Debris from broken buildings fell with huge thumps that shook the ground. Kids were running away. It was the zero point robot! There was no point in fighting it.

Izuku turned to follow them when something caught his eye. The girl from before with the large brown eyes… Her leg was trapped under rubble! She looked exhausted and dirty. She reached down toward her trapped leg, but winced and collapsed before reaching it. Izuku looked up. The robot was gearing up for another punch and she was right below it!

He was moving before he even thought about it. Anger pumped strong in his veins. UA was a great school, three thousand kids from around the world had come to tryout, but this was too much! She could get killed! No entrance exam was worth that!

Power surged in his body. He could feel it burning like lava under his skin and he let out a hoarse scream through clenched teeth. With an enormous spring, he leapt into the air, and before he knew it, he was right at the robot's face!

Izuku brought his fist back and let it slam forward with a screamed, "SMASH!" His fist impacted the metal surface of the robot's square head. In a dream-like state, Izuku saw the huge dent in the metal, saw the enormous thing tilt backward. Explosions erupted down its neck and into its body. As it fell, so did Izuku.

He looked down. The ground was coming up at an alarming rate, but piercing agony had him looking over to see his arm (his windbreaker sleeve had been torn off somehow), already black and blue, flapping brokenly in the wind. It looked like a ribbon being held out a car window. Nausea made his stomach roll; pain nearly blinded him. He clutched at the shoulder of his shattered arm, almost willing to rip it off to stop the pain. The ground was nearly in his face!

He let go of his arm, screaming with the agony, and prepared another punch. Anything to save himself… SLAP! Izuku bit back another scream of pain as he was suddenly floating in midair. The girl was lying on a broken robot head, floating fifteen feet off the ground. With an expression of great strain, she put her fingertips together and said, "Release."

As Izuku's body impacted the street, he let out a pathetic scream of pain. He lifted his head, lying on his stomach. One minute left. Tears burned down his cheeks as he realized he couldn't move his legs, both shattered as horrifically as his arm. Gritting his teeth against the excruciating pain, he used his good arm to crawl forward.

He'd failed. He knew he'd failed, but he wanted at least one point! One point to show to the people who had given so much to help him! "Please… Just one point…" he gasped, begging.

"TIME!"

Izuku's heart broke at the announcement. With nothing to hold it back, the agony of his shattered limbs became so intense that he blacked out.

…

Katsuki stalked through the school to the infirmary. Yeah, this school didn't have a nurses office; it had a whole fucking infirmary! Just what you'd expect from UA. He was still in his gym clothes: a stretched out black tank-top and dark green sweatpants. He was dirty and grimy, soot coating his skin. The scowl on his face was so fierce that no one tried to stop him or ask him questions.

He flung open the infirmary door and looked around, zeroing in on Izuku's mop of wavy green hair. Izuku looked over at the sound of the door banging open. He gave a wan smile, looking utterly exhausted and defeated. Katsuki's heart sank, his fists clenched. _Fuck_.

"Are you injured, lad?"

An old lady approached. She was tiny and had a huge bun on her head. Of all things, a syringe stuck up out of it. She had a walking cane, a lab coat, and protective lab glasses. Recovery Girl - she possessed one of the most powerful healing quirks around. That made Katsuki's shoulders relax some and his scowl lessen into a mild glare.

"What the fuck's wrong with him?" he asked, striding over to his friend.

The old lady followed him, seemingly unbothered by his attitude. "I'm afraid patient confidentiality…"

"It's okay," Izuku told her, his voice completely flat and empty. He refused to meet Katsuki's eyes. "Both legs and my right arm were shattered."

Katsuki bit back a snarl of rage. The fuck? The robots were programed to actually hurt them? What kind of fucking test was that?

"I see. He's a friend." Recovery Girl moved to stand on the other side of Izuku's bed. She smiled across at Katsuki. "I healed him with my quirk. His bones and tendons will be sore for about a week, but he'll make a full recovery. Please remind him to take it easy for the full seven days and to get lots of rest. My quirk accelerates the body's natural healing, so it uses his reserves of energy to fuel it. I understand he lives locally, about three miles from here? If he takes it slow, he's strong enough now to make it home, especially if you help him along."

"We can manage," Katsuki assured her.

"Well, then!" She gave him a sweet smile. "Have a great day! And take these gummies! I'm giving you seven. Have him take one a day to help speed up his recovery!"

Katsuki got Izuku's bare arm over his shoulder, the sleeve of his windbreaker completely torn away, and helped him stand. They didn't say much as they went back to the locker rooms to get their bags. Katsuki put both bags on his free shoulder and wrapped the other arm around Izu's waist. They weren't even past UA's gates when he heard Izuku start crying.

"I d-didn't even g-get one p-point," Izuku whimpered sadly.

"Fuck." Katsuki hefted Izu a little higher up on his shoulder. That made Izuku's head roll closer to him and Katsuki bumped his forehead gently against Izuku's temple. "Defeating stupid robots does not prove anything, Deku. You know that. And with all those wannabes crowding up the place… That test was shit! No real life situation is like that."

"I bet you did amazing," came Izuku's soft reply. "How many points did you get?"

Katsuki felt a surge of pride even as he felt a bit queasy for doing so much better than Izu. "Seventy-seven," he stated as evenly as he could.

Izuku turned his head, his nose brushing Katsuki's cheek. "I knew it," he said, tears in his voice but he was also smiling. "I bet the judges were amazed!" A wet chuckle. "I almost feel bad for whoever was in your group. Did you leave any robots for them?"

"That's their problem," Katsuki said carelessly, completely unrepentant.

"I really… I really let Toshinori-sensei down…"

"Deku…" Katsuki snapped, glaring, but his friend cut him off.

"You don't understand…" and in a soft whisper Izuku told him about accepting One For All and what really happened with the zero point robot.

Katsuki's steps slowed. As he listened, he grew more and more furious. By the end, he'd come to a complete stop. Izuku's arm slid off his shoulders and the green-eyed boy stared up at him, tears falling down his pale face with anxiety painted across his features. Katsuki hardly noticed. He was so mad he could hardly breathe through it!

"Why do you have to be so reckless?" he demanded, voice low and slow, the storm brewing inside him. "You didn't even know what that quirk would do, or if you could even handle it…"

"That girl…" Izuku whimpered.

"Would have been fucking fine!" Katsuki yelled, anger exploding. "It was just a fucking test! UA wasn't going to kill her, and they have fucking _Recovery Girl_ on staff! You're the only one who got broken to bits, and you apparently did it to your own goddamn self! I can't believe your damn sensei didn't warn you what could happen! I mean, what the hell! You could have died from that fall! Punching the ground before hitting it…"

Katsuki shook his head hard, trying to eject the image of what Izuku had probably looked like in that moment - terrified, broken, falling. "That's fucking insane! You know how long it took me to get the right impact and trajectories with my quirk! What the hell do you think would have happened if you gave an All Might punch wildly at the ground like that? You'd have been flung sideways into a building or something crazy! You definitely wouldn't have landed soft as a fucking feather!"

"I'm sorry!" Izuku cried, stumbling forward to wrap his arms around Kacchan's neck. "I'm sorry, Kacchan! I messed up! I got ahead of myself thinking I could be like All Might if I had his quirk, that I could stand at your side, but I fucked it all up! I'm so sorry! Please don't be mad; I'm begging you. Please."

Katsuki pushed him off. "Don't, Izuku. You can't get out of this by crying. Not this time," he said, still coldly furious. "Because it's not even that you used a new quirk without even thinking about it. It's the fact that you fucking accepted it in the first place! You worked so fucking hard to show the world that you can be a hero even without a flashy quirk, just to, what?, agree with everyone in the end and upgrade?"

Unable to contain the anger, he shoved Izuku in the chest. It wasn't a hard blow, but in Izuku's current condition it made him stagger back several steps. "You almost killed yourself! You fucking broke your body to pieces… For what, Deku? To be like All Might? To be like me? Why can't you fucking see that you're good enough as you are?"

"But I'm not!" Izuku wept, standing on the sidewalk, completely heartbroken and forsaken. "I d-didn't get i-in even with all of s-sensei's help! I f-failed, Kacchan. I'll n-never be a h-hero. A-And s-sensei will r-regret e-ever believing i-in m-me."

Katsuki flung Izuku's bag off his shoulder at the other boy's feet. "You don't fucking get it, Deku," he spat, voice hard. "So what if UA doesn't fucking accept you? There are other hero courses! You don't need a fucking quirk or UA to be a hero! And right now I don't fucking care about your stupid _Toshinori-sense_i," he hissed the name with utter disgust. "I hope he's fucking miserable, that asshole!"

Glaring murder, hands popping he was so upset, Katsuki pointed at Izuku. "You want to be a fucking hero so badly? Well, think about this, _genius_. How many people will you save if you're fucking _dead, _Izuku? Huh? How fucking many?"

Izuku stood there crying, his green eyes wide and hurt, and it was clear he didn't understand.

"FUCK!" Katsuki screamed and thrust his hand above his head, letting a small blast erupt into the air. He couldn't take it. It was like talking to a wall. Glaring at the other boy, he hissed warningly, "Go home, Deku. I can't even look at you right now." Slamming his hands into his pockets, Katsuki turned and stomped off, leaving Izuku behind.

He was still steaming mad when he burst through the door to his house and slammed it behind him. He caught his dad in the hallway. He'd been rolling his sleeves up and had been about to turn into the kitchen, likely to start dinner.

"Katsuki?" He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Are you okay? You're filthy."

Katsuki flashed his teeth and tried to storm past the man, but his dad's voice stopped him.

"Did something happen?"

Katsuki whirled. "Like you fucking care, old man," he snarled, voice low and dangerous. "You can stop pretending, you know. Mom told me weeks ago that you're not my father."

Masaru paled. "Katsuki…" he said, voice faint. "Don't."

"Don't?" Katsuki laughed. "That's all you've got to say? Don't?"

In a sudden flash of temper, Masaru stepped closer, his expression tightening into a glare. "What happened was horrific and terrible. It effected all of us, not just you."

Katsuki couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm sorry… How did it effect you?… I mean, besides having to raise a monster's child, pretending it's yours." He sneered. "Not that you did a very good job at pretending."

Katsuki saw the slap coming, but he didn't even try to dodge. The palm of Masaru's hand hit his face, making his cheek burn hot, but it hardly even rocked his head to the side. Katsuki sneered in contempt at the man. Masaru stared back, face red with emotion.

"Don't you dare make light of this. Your mother lost everyone that night, her entire family! And her body was violated! Only I was left to put her back together again. You have no idea what it was like. How close it came to breaking both of us."

His voice softened, the anger draining out. With a jerky gesture, he pulled his glasses off his face. "When we found out she was pregnant…" He sighed. "That monster had taken too much away from us, so we thought maybe it was only fitting he give back, too. We got married and decided to try to start over, to build from the ashes, but the pregnancy was very difficult. So many times Mitsuki had these terrible panic attacks, and we worried that we made the wrong choice."

Katsuki turned to flee. He couldn't hear this. Hear how much he'd been a burden and unwanted, but Masaru grabbed his arm, pulling him around to face him.

"I cried the day you were born," he told his son thickly. "You were so small and beautiful. We named you Katsuki because you were our victory over the past, and we knew as soon as we saw your tiny face we'd made the right choice. Those first four years of your life were the happiest we'd had in so long. It was like a dream."

Katsuki stood there breathing hard, fists and jaw clenched. He didn't want to hear this. It was killing him, but he was rooted to the spot.

"The day of your quirk manifesting…" Masaru looked away, guilt in his expression. "You have to understand, Katsuki. Your birth father… He truly was evil… We wanted to prevent you from walking down that dark and painful road. We wanted to raise you with the knowledge of right and wrong…" His eyes came up and met his son's. "I was afraid, Katsuki, afraid of what such a violent quirk would do to both you and your mother… I knew Mitsuki was going too far… but I was blinded by her fear and pain and was unable to see yours."

He stepped close enough to put his hands on Katsuki's shoulders. "But all of that is in the past. We can't make up for what happened. We can only make today and tomorrow better, and it has been better, hasn't it? Your mother loves you, Katsuki, more than you will ever know. She only wanted to protect you, to help you."

Katsuki knocked Masaru's hands aside. "She beat me," he rasped, voice raw, tears falling down his cheeks. It was the first time he'd said it out loud. The first time he acknowledged the truth of what had happened. "I was only four goddamn years old and for a year she stripped me naked and kept the house freezing cold. There wasn't ever a time I wasn't shivering when I was home. My teeth chattering would wake me up at night until I got used to it."

He was gasping for air, blind to his father standing in front of him, voicing truths he'd long kept locked away. "And she'd make me put my fucking hands on the wall while I stood naked and afraid. And she'd beat me with a belt until I couldn't take it and fell sobbing at her feet. She beat me for years until Izuku stopped her. And she'd tell me again and again that I was a villain. I was a murderer. I was a monster."

Masaru stepped back, away from Katsuki. His head shook side to side in denial. When he answered, his voice shook and trembled. "She may have gone about it the wrong way, but you are a strong and good boy, Katsuki. You aim to be a hero."

Katsuki grabbed Masaru's shirt in a tight fist, preventing him from retreating. "You think that's because of her? Is that what you're fucking telling yourself? Her voice still lives in my head! Telling me I can't do anything good. That all I can do is hurt people. It's been beaten into my body! So don't fucking tell me it's better now. Not when she's still in my fucking face telling me I'm trash and all my quirk is good for is hurting people! To give up on being a hero because I'm not fucking cut out for it! Throwing this shit about my real father in my face, using it to hurt me, like she always fucking does! It's not fucking better! I feel fucking sick every time I see her fucking face! Every time! And when I look in her eyes, all I see is judgment and hate! So don't tell me she loves me!"

"She's hurting, Katsuki!" Masaru cried, desperately. "Can't you find some sympathy in your heart for her suffering? Can't you feel compassion for how hard this is for her?"

"CAN'T YOU FEEL SOME FUCKING COMPASSION FOR ME?" Katsuki roared back. He shoved Masaru away from him and stood panting, furious beyond measure.

Masaru caught his balance and ran his hands shakily through his hair. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, pained. "If it's so bad still, explain how you're doing so well? You're even applying to UA."

"Because I have other voices in my head, too!" Katsuki screamed. "Izuku's telling me I'm a fucking hero already and that I have an amazing quirk. His voice goes as far back as Mom's! And I have my four-year-old voice still echoing in my head chanting over and over after every time I'd been beaten that I will be a hero just to prove that old hag wrong!"

Katsuki took a threatening step forward. His ruby eyes glittered with malice. "But you know whose voice I don't have rattling around in my fucking head? Yours! You're fucking silent as you've been my whole fucking life! It's too late to change that now, so shut the fuck up and get out of my fucking face before I do something we both regret!"

His hands popped and flashed loudly, miniature explosions in his palms, and Masaru flinched violently. With a vicious sneer, Katsuki turned and ran up the stairs two at a time and slammed his door so hard he heard the wood frame crack.

He screamed, furious and frustrated, and flung himself on the bed. He screamed again, not bothering with a pillow. He wanted to explode the whole room! He wanted to burn the house down! He wanted to run and run and run… Instead, he screamed his rage out. He screamed until his throat tore and he couldn't scream any more.

**End -**

**A/n: **… So… Yeah… The boys are having their first real fight! (_cringes_) I hate it! And poor Katsuki is just having the worst time… Sorry about that…

This chapter had quite a few moments a lot of you asked about, so PLEASE let me know what your think. Did I write it the way you were hoping?


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n: **So this is a shorter chapter, but it felt like a natural stopping point where I ended it. And it may be short, but there is a lot of stuff going on here. Lots of foreshadowing! _(wink)_

x

**Enhanced**

Izuku lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He didn't really remember the walk home after Kacchan left him, but he did remember his mother's worried questions and upset voice following him to his room. She'd been stopped at his bedroom door when he shut it firmly between them with a muttered apology and a request to let him sleep. He'd been up for two straight days, after all. He could hardly think straight; he didn't have the energy to take care of her, too.

Katsuki's angry voice resounded through his head again and again on a painful loop. The memory of the blond turning his back and walking away, fury in every line of his body, was burned on his mind. "Zero points" buzzed and zipped through it all, and in the background burned the remembered agony of three of his limbs shattered mixed with the terror of that deadly fall. Struck mute and numb, Izuku laid there, unable to even cry.

Time passed, but it felt like it almost passed for a different person - like watching a fast forward of light moving across the wall - dark to light to dark again. His mother unlocked his door using a key at some point during that time. She fussed at him. Got him to sit up and drink water and a cup of soup. She walked him to the bathroom. She helped him pee, gave him a sponge bath, and changed his clothes.

Izuku was so far inside himself that he couldn't even be embarrassed. He hardly noticed any of this. Because it was all over, wasn't it? All of it. He'd betrayed his own dream; he'd been corrupted by ambition and accepted All Might's quirk when he didn't even deserve it. It hadn't even made him a better hero. Instead, it had broken him to pieces. All Might had been fooled, but One For All had not. It knew he was not a worthy vessel. And on top of it all… He'd lost Katsuki. The disappointment, the anger, the disgust - it burned Izuku's heart like acid. He had well and truly lost _everything_.

And then… on the second night after the entrance exam… the moon rose full and bright… and Izuku descended into true Hell…

…

Katsuki was woken by the sound of his phone ringing. He opened blurry eyes to see it was half past one in the morning. He cursed as he knocked his phone off his night table and had to lean out of bed to scoop it off his floor.

"What?" he growled, answering the call.

"_Katsuki-kun, I am so, so sorry for calling so late. I just… I didn't know who else to call…Please, something's wrong with Izuku… I don't know what to do…" _

Katsuki sat bolt upright as Izuku's mother's voice came over the line. She sounded desperate. Suddenly Izuku give an agonized shriek in the background. "I'll be right there," he promised and practically flew into some clothes.

He was at Izuku's apartment in less than ten minutes. He glared at the neighbors who were standing around worried and upset. "Outta the way," he snarled and pushed past them. Izuku's front door wasn't locked and he went inside, locking the door behind him.

He ran to Izuku's room and saw Izuku on his bed, his back arched violently as he let out a hoarse scream. He was covered in sweat and he clutched the sheets so tightly they tore in his hands. Inko was on her knees beside the bed, trying to hold him down.

"I don't know what to do," she said again, hysterically. "It's… It's his quirk… I know we said he doesn't have one… but it wasn't safe to tell people… It's never been like this!"

Katsuki ignored her and climbed onto the bed, wrapping his body tightly around Izuku's. Izuku went limp, wailing brokenly. "Izuku! Please! Wake up!" Inko cried, but Izuku couldn't hear her. His body spasmed against Katsuki's hold and he let out the most pitiful whine. Blood began to trickle from his nose.

… _Izuku is being chased, his lungs aching, falling, the burn of asphalt on his knees and palms, scrambling back to his feet but too late, too slow. The agony of a spike of bone driven through his back and out through his diaphragm, the pain and terror as he chokes on blood until he dies…_

"Oh my god! IZUKU!" Inko screamed.

"Inko!" Katsuki said firmly. He stared into her hysterical green eyes, trying to ground her. "Your neighbors are about to call the cops. You have go out there and calm them down. I've got Izuku."

"But!" she gasped, panting in fear.

"Trust me. I've got Izuku," he repeated. "Just… please… you need to go."

She stared at him uncomprehending as if he was speaking another language.

Katsuki glared at her. Izuku was shaking under him as if he were about to fall apart, but he forced his voice to stay calm. "Go deal with the neighbors. Please."

Inko slowly released her grip on her son and shakily got to her feet. Katsuki gave her a firm nod and she clumsily backed away.

As soon as she was gone, Katsuki turned his full attention to the teen under him. Izuku was drenched in sweat by this point and hard to hold on to. His heart beat at an alarming rate and his breath came in desperate gasps between pained screams and broken sobs. Blood was smeared all across his face from his nose.

… _Izuku is pinned against a brick wall. His clothes dissolved to nothing by an acid that makes his skin sting. A hand pinning his face to the rough brick, cheek burning under that palm. Screaming and crying and begging as his legs are kicked open. "Whore" and "Slut" and "Take it". Something stiff thrusting up into his body, filling a place that was supposed to be his, breaking him forcibly open. The sickening push-pull of that invasion and the spinning blackness as he slowly gasps for air that refuses to fill his lungs. It's slow and painful, but he dies, his murderer still rocking his body violently against the wall…_

Katsuki flung himself out of the bed and locked Izuku's bedroom door. As soon as he was no longer holding Izuku down, Izu arched with a shriek as if he were being murdered, which he kind of was. Katsuki flung himself at Izuku's closet and dug out the box Izuku had hid in the back. It had all of Izuku's ropes.

He jumped back onto the bed and hefted Izuku up. He put his back to the wall and pulled Izuku's up against his chest. He locked his legs around Izuku's, pinning them to the bed. Then he pulled Izuku's arms together and began to wrap them tightly at the wrist, leaving no space between each loop.

… _Screaming in rage, swearing it's over. "I don't have to put up with this anymore!" Grabbing the keys from the bowl by the door. Slammed into it. Bouncing off. Hurt and shocked, staring up at the man screaming at him. Cowering, crying. Being slapped across the face hard enough to daze him and then being dragged by the hair into the kitchen. Kicking helplessly. So scared can't even think straight. The knife gleams in the kitchen light. SCREAMING but the knife punches brutally down again and again until everything goes dark and cold…_

"I've got you, Izu," Katsuki said in his ear. "You're not really there. We're going to save them, I promise, but you have to hold on to me, to the here and now. Listen to my voice. Feel me all around you. Hold on to it, Izu. Don't let me go."

Izuku whimpered and sobbed, but he'd gone limp and relatively quiet. Katsuki kept wrapping Izuku's arms. He was almost to the elbow now. The doorknob rattled.

"Katsuki? What's happening? Katsuki!"

"It's okay. I'm getting Izuku calmed down," he called back. "We'll be out soon."

"Let me in this minute!" she cried, not having any of it.

Katsuki gave it one last try. "Inko, Izuku would be really embarrassed if you came in right now. Can you just give us a minute?"

There was silence on the other side. Katsuki was wrapping Izuku's elbows now, as tightly as he could, but there was still about four inches between each. That distance would only grow the higher he went up, but it didn't matter as long as Izuku felt the pressure, felt bound and grounded in his own body.

Izuku was limp, head lolling back on Katsuki's shoulder, sobbing and gasping. He was still trapped in the vision, but he wasn't fighting it so hard. He was holding on to reality just barely. The door clicked as a key was turned in the lock and it swung open to reveal a very frazzled Inko. She gaped at him. Katsuki avoided her eyes, still wrapping Izuku's arms.

… _Izuku walks across a parking lot at night, humming, tired after a long day. There is very few cars around him. A figure rushing out at him. Heart slamming with adrenaline. Turning to fight. Taking a hit to the head. Spinning, ears ringing. Hitting the ground. Fists like sledgehammers slamming down on him again and again. Hearing his bones break - the snap, crunch, thud. The sheer physical pain of it exploding inside him until cold death steals him away…_

Izuku arched against his hold, his legs trying to come free from where Katsuki had them pinned under his own. He gave a guttural cry of agony that shot straight through him and Inko both. Katsuki held tight, and when Izuku went limp again, he kept wrapping until both of Izuku's arms were bound in front of him from shoulders to wrists. Inko covered her mouth with shaking hands, tears streaking her face.

Katsuki felt compelled to explain, holding Izuku tight to his chest as the other boy gasped and whimpered, still caught in the worst fucking vision Katsuki had ever witnessed him go through. And holy fuck how long was this going to last?!

"He gets lost. He can't tell what's real. Thinks he's actually dying in his visions with the people who are being murdered. He found out that it helps him to be grounded. It reminds him what body is really his."

Inko dropped her hands and visibly braced herself. She wiped her face and gave a nod. "Whatever helps Izuku," she said firmly. "I'm going to get a washcloth to wash his face." Then she turned and walked away.

Inko came back and washed Izuku's face as promised. Then they waited. Katsuki watched the clock. After another ten minutes of suffering, Izuku began to get restless again. He jerked in Katsuki's embrace, a scream building in his throat.

… _Standing on the roof. Holding her hand in his. Filled with so much love it isn't possible to describe it in words. Just knowing he loves her so much it hurts. Lips sliding together in one last kiss, and it's so sweet it nearly breaks his heart. And then falling, but her hand slips from his. She stays on the roof, watching him fall, and he knows. He knows she isn't coming. The knowledge that he is alone is more devastating than knowing he's about to die, and in a bright flash of agony, he hits the ground already broken…_

Katsuki was sweating, his muscles aching from having to hold Izuku down. He tried to pretend Inko wasn't there and bent his head to bite down on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku went limp. Katsuki held his teeth there until Izuku's rough breathing evened out into soft sobs once more. He lifted his mouth from Izuku's skin, terrified of what Inko would say, but she just gave him a worried smile and smoothed the hair from Izuku's sweaty cheeks and forehead.

"How long's this going to go on?" she asked.

"It's never been this long," Katsuki answered, hoarse. He looked at the clock. He'd been here twenty minutes. It was almost two in the morning. "How long was he like this before you called?"

"I don't know. Not long," she answered and wiped at Izuku's nose. It had started bleeding again.

Katsuki tightened his hold. "Come on, Izu. Wake the fuck up already," he said, resting his head against Izu's sweat-damp hair.

"How long have you known? About his quirk?"

Inko's sudden question had Katsuki's heart pounding. He lifted his head to see her staring directly at him, expression closed off in a way he'd never seen before. He swallowed hard. "Why?" he asked, dodging the question.

She stared at him, eyes hard. "You haven't told anyone else, have you?"

Katsuki couldn't help shivering at the look. It was so not like Inko. "No," he told her honestly, a glare forming on his face. Here he fucking was, Izuku in his lap with his arms wrapped up with not an inch of skin exposed, biting him and pinning his legs down, and Katsuki was getting interrogated by Izu's mom? Seriously, this was so fucked up!

Inko's expression broke, fear washing her features as tears fell from her eyes. With a frightening urgency, she begged, "Please, Katsuki-kun. You must keep it that way. Izuku's quirk… If the authorities found out… They'd take him away. Izuku wouldn't be free ever again! You can't tell _anyone!_"

"I won't say anything," Katsuki promised, wide-eyed.

Inko sniffed. She ran shaking hands over her face and got to her feet. "Okay… well… You have things in hand… I'm going to be in the kitchen. Please call for me if anything changes."

Katsuki nodded, relieved she was finally leaving.

…

_At some point, through the pain and death and fear, a small part of Izuku realized this wasn't really him. That his body was not here in these violent moments. It was held safe. That knowledge let him put the smallest bit of distance between what he was experiencing and his mind, even though it still felt painfully, horribly real. With every vision, Izuku could feel himself growing weaker. He was beyond exhausted at this point, and as death came for him again in another vision, he felt like this time he would truly die… _

_Blackness wrapped around him, but it was different. It wasn't the cold blackness of death. This blackness was soothing somehow. Pale arms came around him, someone hugging him from behind. "You're not alone, Izuku," a male voice told him, the words gentle and kind. "I know it's hard and it hurts, but you will never be alone again. We've been waiting for you."_

"_Who?" Izuku asked, voice weak and fragile as he huddled in that warm embrace._

"_We are here with you through One For All. You are the one we've been waiting for. The one who can utilize One For All fully and fulfill our true purpose. Hold on, Izuku. Be strong. You're not alone."_

… Izuku opened his eyes, battered and broken down. He was in his room. Arms were wrapped around him from behind, but he instantly recognized them as Kacchan's. His own arms were bound tightly in front of him, the red of the rope grounding him further - reminding him of Kacchan's eyes, which was the reason he'd chosen it. The warm, soothing blackness was still there, wrapping around his mind, holding him in a safe place.

Izuku took several deep breaths. His whole body ached and his face felt wet and tacky. He tilted his head back and rested it on Kacchan's strong shoulder. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. His throat felt like it was on fire, tight and nearly closed. Unable to talk, he turned his head and butted it gently against Kacchan's cheek.

"Izu?" Kacchan's voice was rough and raw.

The blond slowly began to let go of his restraining hold. When Izuku didn't panic, Kacchan released him completely and crawled out from behind him. Izuku slumped back against the wall. Kacchan knelt next to him and gently touched his face. Kacchan's blond hair was a mess, his face was pale with fatigue, but his eyes were sharp and piercing.

"Izuku? You with me?" he demanded.

Izuku nodded, still swaddled in darkness. He weakly lifted his bound arms and Kacchan immediately began to untie him.

As soon as the last of the rope was off, Kacchan pulled him forward into a hard hug. "What the fuck was that? You scared the hell out of me, Izu!"

A broken croak was all Izuku could manage.

"Shit. Okay, don't talk. Here…"

Kacchan lifted a glass of water to his lips and Izuku drank it all. His eyes grew heavy. His consciousness faded, sinking deeper into that comforting blackness. He was barely aware of Kacchan laying him flat and placing his head on the pillow. He was gone.

…

Katsuki woke and immediately searched out the clock. It was eleven am. Izuku had finally snapped out of it around four before passing out. Katsuki had checked in with Inko to tell her it was over and that Izuku was sleeping, then he'd crawled into Izuku's bed, exhausted, and fell asleep himself.

The sound of paper rustling drew his attention. He shifted to the edge of the bed to see Izuku on the floor kneeling in front of several maps. They practically covered the floor. Izuku didn't have a shirt on and his red rope had been wrapped up both arms and around his torso like candy cane stripes. One loop sat snug around the base of Izuku's throat. His movements were tense, but they weren't hysterical. He worked with a single-minded determination that Katsuki had become so familiar with after visions.

"I saw them…" Izuku spoke without looking up or stopping what he was doing. "I saw them all… I think it was every murder over the next four weeks… This last year I haven't really worked on my quirk… I was so focused on training… but I think I've figured it out…"

Katsuki sat up, putting his feet on the floor and rubbing his hands through his hair. "Yeah?" he asked, voice rough from sleep.

"One For All… It's not really a quirk per say… It's an amplifier… That's why it can be given to people how already have quirks… It amplifies the wielder's physical abilities as well as their natural quirks… It amplified mine, too… Look!" Izuku pulled one of the maps off the floor and handed it to Katsuki. "These red dots are all the rescues we've done. See?"

Before Katuski could really see what Izuku was trying to show him, Izu took the map from his hand and placed it on the bed, drawing a wide circle to encompass all those dots. The circle spanned across two and a half districts, but it was centered around their neighborhood. Around Izuku.

"There is more than a time limit to my quirk. It has a radius as well. It was about five miles wide with me in the center, so two and a half miles out from me in every direction."

Izuku dove to the floor and grabbed a new map of the city. It had five red dots on it, but some of them were much further out than the previous map. "One For All boosted my quirk, see? Look, the circle is wider. Doubled." And it had. The circle was now about ten miles across, spanning five districts, with Izuku in the center.

Their city was a large one, so it had been broken up into twenty-three districts each with their own police. It looked roughly like a daisy with twenty petals and three blockier districts in the center where downtown and the skyscrapers resided. Izuku and Katsuki lived in a petal east of those three main districts. UA was in the district directly above them. Izuku's new vision radius covered most of their district, the one above, the one below, and pieces of two of the three blocky districts in the center. It was a lot of ground to cover, but Katsuki was more concerned with something else.

He counted the red dots: five. Was Izuku saying he had five consecutive visions? Katsuki vividly remembered Izuku's state after just two visions that had been within a week of each other because of the Alleyway Child-Killer. He couldn't even fathom what Izuku's mental state was like after five consecutive visions.

"I think I was only strong enough to see the first murderer of each month within my radius before my quirk reset at the full moon. One For All boosted my distance, but it also let me see all the murders for the month. Better yet, I know where and when, Kacchan. I just… know it, somehow."

Izuku scrambled for his notebook and began flipping through pages. Katsuki tired not to wince at the minimalist sketches of broken bodies and dead people. He focused more on the dates and times and place names, along with the basic sketch of each killer's face.

"After… after they e-ended…" Izuku had to swallow, his movements growing choppy for a split second as he spoke of the deaths he'd experienced. "There was this blackness… I've never felt that before… and a voice. The voice told me I wasn't alone. Something about being able to use One For All to its fullest extent. That it had waited for me. Is that crazy?"

Bright green eyes just barely containing hysteria looked up at Katsuki for the first time since he'd woken. "I know I fucked up," he said, voice raw with emotion. "All Might offered me his quirk and I took it because I wanted to be like you and him, sure, but I also took it because people are suffering, Kacchan. So many people need help, and it felt wrong to turn away a tool that could be used to help save them. I went about it all wrong. I used it without learning how first and I got myself really hurt, and you're right! I can't help anyone if I'm broken or dead. I know it's too late and you can't forgive me, but I'm going to do this right from now on. I'm going to be careful and train using One For All so that I don't hurt myself when I use it." He took a deep breath, tears filling his eyes but not yet spilling over. "I'm going to be a hero, Kacchan. A real one."

Then Izuku's eyes darkened along with his voice. It became vicious and hard, a tone Katsuki had never heard from his friend before. "I'm going to save people and stop every villain who thinks _nothing_ of killing. No matter what it takes. With or without UA. Nothing's going to stop me from protecting them."

Chills ran down Katsuki's spine, but it also set off a hunger in him. His mouth stretched into a sharp grin and explosions burned under his skin. He had the same need, to destroy all villains, to wipe them from the earth. "Fuck, Deku. Come here," he rasped.

He grabbed Izuku by his wild mop of hair and slotted their mouths together. He hungrily swallowed Izu's gasp of surprise and the soft, needy whimper that followed. Izuku's hands came up to rest, trembling, on Katsuki's shoulders, and Katsuki lapped inside of Izu's mouth, dragging his tongue against the other boy's. When he pulled away, a thin string of saliva connected their wet lips before breaking.

"Don't tell me what to do, Deku," Katsuki said low and husky, thrilling at the way it made Izuku shiver under his hands. "I'll forgive you this time, but you're not an idiot, so don't act like one. If you're going to use All Might's quirk, be fucking smart about it."

Izuku practically crumbled. He reached up and wrapped his arms around Katsuki's neck and burst into heartfelt sobs. Katsuki pulled him up so that Izu was off his knees and sitting on the bed next to him. As he held him close, Katsuki made a secret promise to himself. _'I'm going to get strong, stronger than anyone, and I'm going to help you, Izuku. We'll stop them all.' _

Izuku's tears came to a stop and he pulled away, wiping at his cheeks. He gave Katsuki a beautiful smile. "I love you, Kacchan," he said sweetly, his freckles hidden by a cherry-red blush.

Katsuki swallowed hard. He looked into Izuku's wet, green eyes and said almost angrily, "I fucking love you, too."

Izuku's mouth fell open and his eyes widened in surprise.

Embarrassed, Katsuki got up, stepped carefully over the maps strewn everywhere, and went to the door. "Come on. Your mom's probably worried sick by now. Let's get something to eat and figure out some plans to stop your visions."

Izuku hurried after him, red ropes wrapped around his arms and torso, grinning ear to ear.

**End- **

**A/n:** Well, it started rough, but this chapter ended on a much happier note! Hope you liked it! :D


	12. Chapter 12

**Meetings, Dates, and Rescues**

Katsuki was as good as his word. He spent the next few days at Izuku's house and they worked hard to plan out the rescues of the five victims Izuku had felt die. It was during these planning sessions that it became clear to Katsuki that this wasn't going to work for much longer.

Katsuki threw down the map and rubbed his eyes roughly. "It's just not possible no matter what train we take. We can't get from the first murder to the second in time, not when they are less than two hours apart and directly opposite each other on the outside edges of your range." He looked over at Izuku with a frown. "We either split up or arrange for the police to arrive at one of them without us there."

Izuku sat on his bed, cross-legged. More maps with sticky-notes were spread out around him. "We'll split up," he said, subconsciously rubbing his arm over the ropes that wrapped his arms from wrist to shoulder. "We can't guarantee the police will get there in time, and we _can't_ let them die."

Katsuki didn't like the idea of splitting up at all. The first two visions both had killers who used their quirks directly in the murder. That always made the killer more difficult to subdue. On top of that, the first one was in a center district in the city late at night, so it was going to be really dangerous and hard to control that terrain. The second one was the rapist with the acid. He didn't really want Izuku at either scene alone.

"Kacchan…"

Katsuki looked up, glaring unhappily. Izuku stared at him with eyes gone dark and penetrating. "I promise I won't mess up."

Katsuki sighed. He turned in the desk chair so he was facing his friend and rested his forearms on his thighs. "It's not just that, Izu, and you know it," he said lowly, glaring. "Now that your range is wider and there're more murders every month, we can't keep this up. Not all of the murders are at night, and we'll be starting high school soon. We're going to need help."

Izuku looked away, crumpling the note he held in his hands on accident. "I'll figure it out," he said tightly.

"Izuku!" Katsuki yelled, making the other boy look at him. He got up and crossed the distance between them before grabbing the smaller teen by the shirt. "I know what you're fucking thinking. That I'm going to be too busy and you don't want to bother me, that you'll fucking do this on your own. I'm not disappearing, Deku! We're still in this together, but there's no way around it. We're going to need help saving them all!" He glared into Izuku's eyes from only a few inches away. "You need to tell All Might, or we need to make some kind of contact with the police. We can do it anonymously, but we can't be in all these places at all these times. Not once school starts."

Izuku pushed his hand away. "I won't be as busy in whatever hero course accepts me," he said softly.

Katsuki stood and glared down at him. "It won't matter, Izu."

"Let's just get through this month. We have it off, so…"

Katsuki crossed his arms. "You want us to split up because you have to fucking make sure each person is saved, but you're willing to fucking risk their safety by not asking for help?"

Izuku deflated, tears in his eyes. "I'll tell All Might. I will. I just… have to plan it." He looked down, his wavy hair hiding his face from view. "I still have to tell him I failed the exam," he said quietly.

Katsuki relented. "You haven't called him?"

"I did," Izuku protested, miserable. "He didn't answer and he hasn't called me back."

Katsuki fell back into his chair. "Fine," he said with a tired glare. "Let's just get through this month. We'll figure out what we'll do once we start school later."

Izuku nodded and went back to his notes.

…

The planning helped Izuku stay focused and sane during the day, but at night it was another story. He was exhausted from Recovery Girl's healing and the emotional toll of the visions, but sleep without nightmares. Kacchan was woken three to four times a night by Izuku's screams. He did his best; he'd hold and soothe Izuku until he tumbled back into exhausted slumber, but it never lasted. After an hour or two another nightmare would sink its claws into Izuku's mind and he'd start screaming all over again. It left them both feeling worn and ragged after only two nights. Inko was the one to draw the line.

"It does no good for you both to be so worn out. Katsuki-kun, we appreciate all you've done, but it's time to go home. You need a break. Don't worry about, Izuku. I know he doesn't like it, but I'll give him some sleeping pills to help him through the night."

Izuku gave his boyfriend a smile and a hug. "Mom's right. You should go home and get some rest. I'll text you if anything happens. Promise."

Izuku spent that night drugged and alone. He woke up groggy, his mind fuzzy. He hated the feeling, but he knew he needed the rest or he'd get sick. As for Kacchan, he'd gone to bed as soon as he'd gotten home and hadn't woken up until noon the next day, getting almost fourteen hours of sleep. Izuku felt bad he'd been such a burden, and he resolved not to let Kacchan stay over when he was like this.

"Izuku!" His mom came scrambling into the kitchen practically on her hands and knees. "It's here!"

Izuku blinked slowly, his heart rate picking up as stared at the white envelope in her hand and caught sight of UA's seal. The adrenaline dump helped clear his head. Swallowing, he gave his mom a brave smile and took the letter. "I'll open it in my room, if that's okay?"

His mom just stared at him, eyes wide and full of anxiety, so Izuku got up and went to his room, shutting the door. Sitting at his desk, he turned on his lamp and just stared at the letter. He had no idea why this was so hard. He knew what it would say. He'd failed, that was obvious. The official notice shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Determined, he tore the envelop in two and a metal disk fell out. It bounced once before rattling to a stop and a projection appeared in the air before him.

"_I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!" _All Might's voice came through the tiny speaker in the disk.

Izuku gaped stupidly. All Might was in his hero form, large and strong. His grin was as wide and white as ever with his two bangs standing tall like wings, but instead of his hero costume or the casual clothes Izuku was used to seeing him in, he wore a yellow suit with a blue tie.

Izuku hadn't heard from All Might since the morning of the exam, and the anxiety of having to tell his mentor how poorly he'd done was always at the back of his mind. To see All Might with no warning sent Izuku's heart into overdrive and sweat beading along his hairline.

"_I'm sorry for not contacting you sooner, young Midoriya. I had to do some paperwork that took more time than I expected."_ All Might gave a polite bow before straightening and striking a pose. Izuku stared dumbly. _"Actually, the reason I came to this district in the first place was to work at UA."_

"All Might's at UA?" Izuku couldn't believe what he was hearing. Although, it did make sense. With his injury, All Might had to be close to retiring.

"_Even though you passed the written exam, you earned zero points during the practical."_

Izuku cringed. So All Might already knew… Defeat and disappointment soured his stomach and he wondered how much of All Might's silence was actually due to paperwork. Izuku gripped his pants at his thighs and curled inward, biting his lip as tears filled his eyes. He'd tried so hard…

"_But that is not all there is to it. Take a look at this video!"_

Izuku gaped as All Might showed him a video of the brown-eyed girl asking Present Mic to give Izuku her points. She made the case passionately that he had saved her and deserved some points for that. Izuku flushed as a rush of emotion swamped him. He'd never heard someone he'd saved thank him before, and it filled him with such a sense of accomplishment that tears spilled down his cheeks.

"_The entrance exam was not graded only on villain points!" _All Might told him, replacing the recording of the girl. Izuku's breath caught. _"How can a hero course reject people who saves others and does the right thing even at a cost to themselves? This is a job that requires that kind of self-sacrifice!"_

Izuku was on his feet, trembling as sobs rose in his chest. This couldn't be real!

"_Therefore, we have rescue points!" _All Might continued. _"And they're given by a panel of judges watching the exam. Izuku Midoriya, you have received sixty rescue points! And Ochaco Uraraka, forty-five rescue points! You both pass!"_

"Oh my god…" he whispered.

All Might stretched out his hand. _"Come, young Midoriya. You have been accepted into UA's Hero Course!"_

Sobbing, Izuku grinned. "I won't let you down!" he promised recklessly through his tears. "I swear I'll work harder than anybody!"

The projection went dark, and after getting himself together, he went out with the letter of acceptance that had been in the envelope along with the disk and gave it to his mom. She grabbed him into a tight hug, crying into his shoulder. He cried with her, so happy that he could hardly stand it, but eventually he pulled away.

"I have to call Kacchan."

Wiping her eyes, his mom gave him a big smile. "This may not be what I wanted for you, but I know how hard you worked to get to this point. I'm so proud of you, Izuku."

Izuku hugged her tighter. "I love you, Mom!"

She hugged him back for a minute before pulling away. "Go on now. Go call Katsuki-kun."

Grinning, Izuku ran to his room.

"_What?" _Katsuki asked, picking up the call.

"I got in, Kacchan! The judges of the exam gave me rescue points for saving that girl! I passed! I'm going to UA with you!" he cried, still completely overwhelmed.

"_Izuku…" _He could hear a grin in Kacchan's voice. _"Guess those fuckers aren't as dumb as I thought."_

"Did you get a projection?" Izuku gushed excitedly. "All Might gave me my results!"

"_Same. I scored highest of all the applicants on the practical."_

"That's amazing!" Izuku was seriously impressed but in no way surprised. He already knew Kacchan was extraordinary. "Let's celebrate! Let's go shopping tomorrow."

"_Shopping?" _Kacchan's tone turned sly. _"You asking me out on an actual date, Deku?"_

Izuku blushed bright red, but he didn't back down. "Yeah. I'll buy you an ice cream," he offered, knowing how much Kacchan loved the sweet treat.

"_You're on,"_ came Kacchan's answer.

Izuku grinned, happier than he'd ever been in his life.

…

Katsuki stepped out of his house in a pale blue t-shirt and a black hoodie. Izuku stood at the gate and turned when he heard the door open. He gave Katsuki a big smile, practically glowing with happiness.

"Good morning, Kacchan!"

"Yeah whatever," he said without heat and stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets. "Let's go."

They walked side-by-side to the station. Katsuki listened absently to Izuku's chatter. He watched him carefully, wondering how many ropes Izu was wearing. The one around his throat was still there. The first murders were in three days, but you would never know Izuku was worried about something that dark from the way he practically skipped at Katsuki's side, smiling, and babbling about UA.

"What do you want to do first?" Katsuki asked, cutting into Izuku's chatter as they arrived at the entrance to the mall.

It was huge and designed in the shape of a dome. The ceiling was made completely of glass. It was pretty amazing during a storm, actually, but - Katsuki looked up to see a deep blue sky with hardly a cloud in sight.

"I'd like to check out the shoe store… If you don't mind?" Izuku asked, looking up at him hopefully.

Katsuki snorted and started in the direction of the shoe store. "About time you got new shoes, Deku. Those are falling apart. It's embarrassing."

The store was pretty busy. Spring break usually started toward the end of March and ran into the first week of April, but for third-year middle school students, they were released a few weeks early so they could prepare for high school entrance exams. That meant they ran into a few losers from their class, and all of them stopped to say hello to Izuku.

Katsuki kept his distance, watching as Izuku accepted congratulations for getting into UA and gave his own compliments in return.

"I'm so glad you got the courage to ask her out, Yasui. You make a great couple!" Izuku told them.

The girl standing with their old classmate blushed. "We just got matching bracelets. What do you think?" she asked.

Katsuki watched as Izuku's face lit up as he held her wrist, admiring the bracelet. The girl giggled happily and took her boyfriend's hand. He wore the same bracelet on that wrist and it created the illusion that those hands were meant to be together. It was then Katsuki found a pair of bright red sneakers that he knew Izuku would love. The kid really had a thing for the color red. He dropped them by the nerd.

"Found you a pair," he said, glaring at the two lovebirds. They hardly even noticed.

"Thanks, Kacchan!" Izuku said happily and immediately began to try them on. Of course they were a perfect fit. "I'll go pay for them! Bye you guys! Congratulations again!" Izuku gave them a wave and made his way to the register.

Katsuki followed, a box under his arm.

"Did you get a pair? Let's see," Izuku asked as they waited for a register to open.

Katsuki hesitated, but then he turned the box flat and opened the lid. Izuku stared at the shoes inside and then lifted his eyes to Katsuki's. Tears gathered at the edges, making the green seem to glimmer. Katsuki had grabbed an identical pair of red sneakers in a larger size for himself.

"We'll match," Izuku stated quietly, cheeks flushing. He hugged his shoebox to himself, grinning like an idiot. "That's… I mean… You don't even like red that much…"

Katsuki had been into red for a little while but now he preferred black and sometimes orange… Of course, he really liked the color green as well, not that he'd admit that. He shifted his weight and pushed Izuku forward. "Shut up, Deku. She's waiting."

Izuku stumbled froward, still blushing, and paid for his shoes. Katsuki bought his, feeling a bit hot in the cheeks himself. As they left the store, he spoke before Izuku could, trying to prevent things from getting awkward again. "Where do you want to go next?"

Izuku looked at him, all big eyed and smiling, but he said, "Let's go to the arcade!"

Katsuki grinned. Izuku didn't really like the arcade, it was loud and noisy, but Katsuki did. He knew it was a thank you for the shoes and he planned to make the most of it. They played for a couple hours, Katsuki winning more than he lost, of course. Then they went to the food court for burgers and fries and the ice cream Izuku had promised him.

More of their ex-classmates found them there. Katsuki couldn't be bothered to remember their names. He gave grunts and bored looks to anyone who tried to talk to him, but Izuku had them laughing. Katsuki finished his fries and got up.

"Gotta go! See you guys later," Izuku called with a big wave as he followed. "Kacchan, wait!"

Katsuki looked over as Izuku grabbed his arm and tugged him in the direction of the ice cream place. Katsuki waited outside, and Izuku returned with a vanilla cone covered in rainbow sprinkles. Triumphant, he handed it over.

"For you!"

Katsuki took it and bit the tip off. Mouth full of ice cream, he smiled and said, "Thanks."

Izuku gave him an amused smile, head tilted, eyes sparkling. "Where do you want to go next?"

"Wherever."

They ended up hitting a few clothing sales. Katsuki convinced Izuku try on a silver-studded, black leather jacket with matching leather pants. Izuku stepped out, expression shy and nervous, which made it fucking hilarious! Like a kid playing dress-up. Katsuki laughed so hard, tears formed in his eyes, and he took a picture of Izuku pouting with his arms crossed. Izuku demanded that Katsuki try the outfit on next as payback and got his camera ready.

Katsuki went into the changing room and looked at himself in the mirror. His mouth pulled into a smirk. Oh, this was going to be fun! He took his shirt off and put the jacket on over his bare chest and left it open. Then he pulled on the pants. They were tighter on him, skin-tight. He grinned. Next he messed his hair up even more than it already was. Making his eyes go heavy, he opened the door and stalked out, walking slowly up to Izuku who stood with wide-eyes and an open mouth.

Katsuki stopped and posed, doing a slow turn. "Well, Deku?" he asked, low and husky.

Izuku's cheeks went cherry-red. He stood speechless.

Katsuki took a quick look around. They were alone. Smirking, he closed the distance between them and trailed a fingertip over Izuku's hot cheek. "I asked you a question, Izu…" he practically purred. "How do I look?" He stepped back and slowly shrugged the jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor, leaving him bare-chested and bare-footed in tight black leather pants.

"Oh my god…" Izuku whispered faintly.

Katsuki laughed. He stepped forward again and grabbed Izuku by the hair, pulling him into a hungry, open-mouthed kiss. He nipped at Izuku's bottom lip as he pulled away. Izuku stood practically panting as Katsuki bent over to pick up the leather jacket and headed back to the dressing room. In the mirror, he watched as Izuku adjusted his pants.

Smirking, Katsuki turned and paused before shutting the dressing room door. "You could join me in here," he offered, actually curious if Izuku would take him up on it.

"Kacchan!" Izuku gasped, looking around in a panic.

Katsuki licked his lips slowly and popped the button on his pants. "You sure?"

Izuku visibly swallowed. He took a wobbly step forward before blushing even darker and shaking his head. "Just change!"

Katsuki laughed, but Izuku called his name before he shut the door all the way. He paused and looked over, eyebrow raised.

"C-Can I get a p-picture?" Izuku asked, soft and shy.

Katsuki smirked. "Sure." He leaned in the doorway, his pants still unbuttoned. "Jacket on or off?"

Izuku's whole face was tomato red. "Off," he said breathlessly before lifting his phone. His hand was trembling so much that it took a couple tries to get a picture that wasn't blurry, but he finally got it.

…

"I had a great day today," Izuku said softly as they walked home.

The sun was setting, casting the street in soft orange and shadow. Kacchan switched his shopping bags to his left hand and reached for Izuku's hand. "Me, too," the blond answered, voice more peaceful than Izuku had heard it in a while. It made him smile.

Curiously, he looked over at his boyfriend. "When we get to UA…" he began, but he didn't finish his question. He didn't want to ruin the good day they'd had.

"What?" Kacchan asked, tilting his head and looking at him curiously.

Knowing it would only piss Kacchan off if he hesitated and drew this out, Izuku finished what he started. "Are we going to tell people we're dating?"

Kacchan frowned, but he wasn't pissed and he kept hold of Izuku's hand. That was always a good sign. "I'm not keeping it secret, but when we're at school, I wanna focus on the training."

Izuku gave him a genuine smile. "Yeah, I'm really serious about doing well in the hero course, too."

Kacchan gave his trademark smirk. "I'm going to destroy whatever they throw at me and be number one."

Izuku felt the phantom pain of dying in many different ways and said lowly, "Not if I beat you there first."

Kacchan looked at him eyes wide for a minute, but then he gave an excited, hungry grin. "Oh, it's on, Deku."

Izuku shivered at being the focus of that hungry stare and refused to back down. He was going to give this his all, and he knew Kacchan wouldn't have it any other way. The best part was, it didn't matter who won, really. Because they would push each other to be stronger and better, and it was the people who needed saving who would be the real winners regardless of who earned first place between them.

Kacchan walked him to his apartment and kissed him goodnight. Floating on air, Izuku went up to his apartment and showed his mom the things he'd bought. He was modeling one of the new outfits - a long-sleeved white hoodie with a shiny blue down vest and baggy jeans. His favorite part by far were his shoes. His heart still fluttered when he saw them, knowing Katsuki had a matching pair - when his phone buzzed. Izuku picked it up, expecting a text from Kacchan and saw instead it was from All Might.

"Mom! I'm going to the beach for a little bit!" he called as he took off.

Izuku ran to the beach and got there in just over ten minutes. Panting, he found All Might in his skeletal form waiting for him at the water's edge staring out at the ocean. When he heard Izuku's feet on the sand, he turned.

Izuku felt his heart swell in his chest. He'd dreaded this moment for so long, but instead of standing before his hero and admitting he'd failed, he stood instead as someone who'd been deemed worthy to attend the best high school for heroes in the world. "All Might!" he cried, tearing up.

Toshinori coughed up blood as a couple on the now clean short pier called out, "All Might? Where?"

"Say you made a mistake," Toshinori hissed urgently.

"Oh! Sorry! Just kidding!" Izuku yelled out. "Sorry," he said, lowering his voice, cheeks burning with shame. It was like he couldn't help messing up in front of his mentor. "I'm not used to people being on this beach. I wasn't thinking."

Toshinori gave a huge sigh and his stern expression softened. He raised his hand. "Congratulations on getting accepted, Midoriya."

"Th-Thank you very much!" Izuku cried, beaming happily as he slapped Toshinori's palm.

"Just so you know, UA still doesn't know about our connection, so you got in on your own, if you were worried about that."

"Oh! No, I hadn't thought of it." Izuku gave a shy smile. "But thank you! I appreciate that. I was so surprised to see you come out of the projection! So that's why you came here, huh? I mean, your agency is in Roppongi in Minato, Tokyo, so it's not like you're stationed near by. I should have guessed sooner that you had something to do with UA…"

Toshinori gave a cough and flapped his hand. "Okay, okay, kid. Geez." He turned and walked toward the surf. "I couldn't tell anyone before the school announced it. I just happened to be offered a job from UA when I was searching for my successor and thought it would be a good place to start, so I accepted. That's when I ran into you, actually, while I was looking for a new apartment."

Izuku blinked. "Wait… Successor? You make it sound like there can be only one…" he trailed off, his heart suddenly in his throat.

Toshinori turned with a smile. "That's exactly right, kid. One For All can only be passed on once per wielder. You're my one and only successor now."

Izuku stood shocked to the core. He hadn't even once considered All Might could only pass on the quirk one time! He figured if he failed terribly All Might could just choose someone else or something! Izuku suddenly felt a lot more reckless and also ashamed because he hadn't understood exactly what All Might was truly offering before now.

The secret of his natural quirk burned like acid in his throat. All Might had given him his deepest secrets and the only copy of his quirk he could give. Out of all the people in the world, out of all the amazing students already at UA, he'd given it to Izuku! And Izuku hadn't been honest in return.

"All Might…" he whispered, guilt-stricken, but his mentor cut him off.

"Watch the name, kid!" Toshinori reminded him and smiled. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd freak out. It doesn't change anything, Midoriya. You're still worthy. You're still the one I would choose, and I'd choose you again and again, so stop fussing."

"My body broke with one kick and punch using One For All," Izuku argued, miserable. "You must know what happened if you know my results. I couldn't control it at all."

"I knew something like that might happen if you used One For All in the exam, but there wasn't time to prepare you. Look, your body is just barely strong enough to accept One For All and it's still straining at the seams. It will take practice and exposure for you to grow accustomed to One For All's power, just like it is for every kid who materializes a quirk. Give yourself that time before you lay into yourself, yeah?"

Izuku's eyes widened. "You knew I might get that hurt?" He was shocked that All Might hadn't given him any warning at all, not that it would have done much good. Izuku would have still have acted when he saw that girl about to be crushed by that zero-point robot.

"You wouldn't have listened," Toshinori said, as if he'd read Izuku's mind. "The point is that it can be controlled." He threw some punches, grinning. "You've already pulled out one hundred percent. You know what it feels like now, so how did it feel?"

Izuku scrunched his face up in thought. "Like fire? A sunburn on the inside?" He opened his eyes wide and slapped a fist into his open palm. "It was like an egg in the microwave right before it explodes!"

Toshinori laughed so hard blood trickled from the corner of his lips. "That's so boring!" he finally gasped, wiping at his mouth. "But, fine, if that's the image you have, then use it. Lower the wattage on the microwave or shorten the cook time. Learn to adjust how much of One For All you call at any one time."

Izuku stared at him, a frown tugging down his mouth as he listened intently. Control… He needed exposure and practice to get control… He needed to focus on the image of an egg in the microwave…

"Right now you're at one hundred or zero percent, but once you control it…" Toshinori bent down and picked up two spray paint cans that had been washed up on the beach. "You'll be able to adjust to what your body can handle. Like this!" He transformed into his muscular All Might form and crushed the two cans in an instant in a single hand.

"It is All Might!" a man cried from the pier.

"Let's go, young Midoriya!" All Might called and began to run up the beach.

"Yes, sir!" Izuku said and ran after him, keeping pace with his hero.

"You have three weeks before school starts! Focus on your image and try to adjust how much of One For All you summon. Keep focusing on it until you have more control. It won't happen overnight, but I'm sure you will be able to do it someday!"

"I will!" Izuku cried, determined.

All Might laughed and ran faster. "That's the spirit, fanboy!"

Izuku pushed his body to the limit to keep up, refusing to fall behind.

…

"… So that's what he said," Izuku said after telling Kacchan about meeting All Might at the beach the night before.

He looked up at his boyfriend who was sitting at the edge of his bed, one knee bent and his foot resting on the mattress. His arms were folded over his raised knee as he looked down with a scowl at Izuku who was sitting crossed-legged on the floor.

"So you didn't tell him," Kacchan said, voice even.

Izuku blushed. "I will! I just… People saw him and we had to run away, and then he said he had to go…"

"Izu…" Kacchan said darkly, glaring. "You're going to have to man up."

Izuku fidgeted and shot his boyfriend a sad look. "I know…"

"Well, let's try it," Kacchan said, still annoyed. "Pull up One For All, but don't use it. Just call it to you and then release it. Really try to be in the moment. Memorize how it feels to activate and deactivate."

Izuku nodded nervously and closed his eyes. He felt his face scrunch up as he thought back to that day at the exam. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was the fear of failure and pain, but he took deep breaths and let those feelings bleed out.

When he leapt… when he'd punched… what had it felt like when he'd yelled 'smash!'? Izuku could feel it… It was just out of reach, but the longer he sat there, the closer it came until… A feeling like lava - like a sunburn on his muscles - like an egg being heated up in a microwave! He opened his eyes.

His right arm was glowing! A faint golden light illuminated his skin. There were also red glittering lines crisscrossing over his arm, reminiscent of his ropes. His breathing picked up and, as he lost focus, the light faded.

Sweating and breathing hard, he looked up at Kacchan in triumph. "I did it!" he cried.

"And you didn't even break anything," Kacchan drawled sarcastically. "It's strange, though. It's not exactly like All Might, is it? He doesn't glow." He shook his head. "We'll have to figure that out later." He tapped his phone that rested next to his hip. "Took you almost four minutes to activate it. Before we do anything else, you have to get faster at calling it first."

Izuku nodded and set his jaw. He closed his eyes and tried to once more grab onto the feeling of the heat and energy of One For All.

…

Izuku practiced like this for the next few days as often as he could. He also began to try visualizing using less wattage in the microwave, calling only as much of that lava heat as his body could actually handle. He wasn't sure how successful he was, but he thought he could feel a little difference.

He and Katsuki also kept up with their physical training and prepared for their first two rescue missions. They were going to be the most dangerous of all the rescues for that month because they required them to split up and deal with killers who were using their quirks to kill.

When the night finally came, they used their tried and true method for sneaking out - Katsuki saying he was sleeping at Izuku's apartment and Izuku saying he was staying over at Katsuki's house. Then Izuku caught a train northeast and Katsuki caught a train southwest to the central districts and the city.

…

It took a little more than thirty minutes for Katsuki to reach downtown by train, and the ride there was tense. He didn't go to the city much. It was extremely crowded, the towering skyscrapers were overwhelming, and the people were generally always in a rush and rude. Not to mention there were more police officers all over the place.

On the other hand, it was nearly always busy there. Lots of places were open twenty-four hours, which made it was easier to be out on the street. Plus, he was older now, only a few months away from his fifteenth birthday, so it wasn't like he would be questioned about being out so late as much as he would have been if he was younger.

As he passed homeless people and thugs, Katsuki felt reassured he'd made the right choice. Izuku with his big eyes and empathetic aura would have been a target. Katsuki's dangerous glare made others wary. It helped that he wore all black except for his red shoes, which took on a dark, blood-red color in the night. He definitely didn't look like some innocent tourist or schoolboy. —

— Izuku stepped out of the train station in a typical suburban neighborhood with shopping plazas, general stores, small schools, and houses. He pulled the hand-drawn map of the neighborhood he'd prepared in advance out of his pocket and made his way toward the Happy Times Bar. A glance at his watch told him he still had about an hour and a half before the attack.

His heart beat smooth and hard in his chest, his stomach churned, but it wasn't nerves. He hated cases like this where there was a sexual assault before the death. Kacchan told him again and again, they had to get them in mid-act or the killer would go free, but it made Izuku feel soul-sick at the thought of letting someone get raped. He had to steel his heart because even though it didn't feel like it, he truly did understand it was the right thing to do in this case…

Unless he came forward about his quirk…

"_Don't tell anyone about your quirk, Izuku. Do you understand me? Trust no one!"_ his mother's fierce voice echoed in his mind.

She'd told him over and over throughout the years to keep his quirk secret, made him promise he'd keep it secret just as often. Her strident and fearful voice reverberated in his head whenever he even thought about telling someone, and it was why he found it so hard to tell All Might even though he knew he had to.

Sweat beaded on his brow and he shook his head hard. He had to focus. This wasn't the time to worry about telling someone about his quirk. He had a woman to rescue. Focusing on the mission ahead of him, Izuku casually slipped into the alley between the bar and a laundromat and scouted for a good position. —

— Katsuki found the kill spot behind a church. According to Izuku's vision, the victim would be chased from the convince store around the corner and would fall here on the paved walkway behind the church. The road had a few parked cars on either side, but there wasn't a lot of through traffic. The buildings around here were mostly apartments and day stores, which had long since closed for the night.

Katsuki put on a black beanie to hide his blond hair and sank into the deep shadows cast by the gothic architecture of the church. A quick check of his phone revealed the time and a text from Izuku saying he was 'at the movies' and would check in after it was done. (They had long ago realized that if their phone records were ever pulled they couldn't have anything incriminating in their texts and spoke in code.)

Same. _Txt soon_, Katsuki typed back and turned his phone to silent before slipping it into his backpack. Taking a deep breath, he settled in, predator still, to wait. —

— Izuku read the answering text from Kacchan and took a deep breath, slipping the phone into his backpack. His hands were shaking, and he deliberately ran his fingers over the coils of rope wrapped tightly around his arms.

Laughing voices reached his ears and he lifted his eyes to the mouth of the alley. His heart slammed against his ribs. The killer from his visions had just walked by, entering the bar. Izuku pressed himself deeper into the shadows, his hands clenched into frustrated fists.

The killer was going to sit and drink for an hour. The woman from his vision was probably already in there. He would talk to her, make her feel special, then he'd talk her into walking down this alley. That's when…

Izuku bit his lip, sliding down the rough wall to grab his knees. His eyes filled with tears, but they didn't fall. He was going to be a hero, and sometimes that meant making really hard choices. He _knew_ that! But that didn't make the choices any easier to make. —

— Katsuki heard the victim coming before he saw him and immediately pulled his beanie down so it covered his face. A strip had been cut out of it so his eyes were clear, but his face was completely obscured.

There was the slap of sneakers on concrete, then the harsh sound of someone breathing hard, then a teenager - about sixteen/seventeen bolted around the corner. He was tall and thin. He wore a baggy grey hoodie that almost fell to his knees and baggy jeans with a belt wrapped more around his thighs than his hips. Katsuki snorted in disgust as the kid had to hold onto his belt as he ran just to keep his pants up.

Right behind the kid was a shorter, more muscular teen. He wore a dark jacket over a dark t-shirt. His jeans were also low and baggy, but he wore them higher than the first kid and could run much more easily. He looked like a thug with gold chains hanging around his neck. Even one or two teeth flashed gold in his mouth. Katsuki could see them because, unlike the first teen whose face was tight with terror, his face was stretched in an open-mouthed grin.

The second teen lifted his arm, a laugh beginning to spill breathless from his grinning lips, and adrenaline dumped into Katsuki's veins. Everything seemed to slow. This had to be fucking perfect. One second late or early and he failed. He began to run, eyes wide and focused, face twisted into a teeth-barring grin behind his ski mask.

The killer's palm split and Katsuki put on a burst of speed. The guy's head began to turn, catching movement out of his peripherals, his eyes widening in slow motion. Katsuki hit the guy low around the waist and a split second later the fleeing teen gave a shriek of pain. The bone spike that had shot from the killer's wrist impaled the teen in the shoulder instead of dead center in his spine. He was alive.

Katsuki landed on the asshole hard, the wind getting knocked from his lungs, but that didn't slow him down. He rolled off the bastard and brought his arm down with the taser only to get a knee to the face. It took Katsuki on the cheek and eye socket. His head whipped backward as pain exploded in that side of his face.

Katsuki didn't fight it. He rolled back, getting distance and came up in a crouch. The killer was on his knees, both palms aimed, splitting open with the tip of white visible in all the dark, fleshy red. Katsuki flung himself flat just as the bone spears shot through the air like arrows of death. One nicked his ski mask, tearing it by the temple.

Heart thundering, furious, lungs working double time, Katsuki lunged up and forward, arm wound back and snapped it forward just inside the asshole's reach. It was sloppy, but the punch to the face knocked the bastard off balance. Enough that Katsuki, who had never dropped the taser, was able to catch the killer just under the ribs. The asshole went taut, limbs flailing as he went down.

Katsuki panted over him on his knees. He realized the other kid was still screaming, grasping the bone sticking out of his shoulder and wailing as if he were dying. "_Fuck_," he gasped and tried to get his feet under him. He flung himself into the church's shadows just as a hero landed dramatically next to the screaming kid.

"Hold it right there!" the hero demanded.

Katsuki bolted. He sprinted as fast as he could. Another hero burst onto the scene, trying to cut him off, but Katsuki was ready. He detoured into an alleyway and then turned down an even smaller, darker lane. He burst out into a crowd of people and ripped off his ski mask, dropping it in his haste.

He tore off his black sweatshirt and turned it inside out so that it was now a neutral blue. He stopped running and walked calmly, moving with the crowd. He was still breathing hard and his heart was pounding, and he had to pray that the hero chasing him didn't have some extraordinary tracking quirk.

As the minutes passed, his heart began to calm and his hands began to shake. His face hurt like a motherfucker, feeling tight and hot. His eye was already beginning to swell. Exhaustion and hunger hit next. Fuck, he hated the adrenaline crashes, but he was smiling because, shit, he'd done it! He'd taken that asshole thug down and escaped the heroes! He was a fucking badass! —

— Izuku pulled his ski mask down over his face as the killer helped his victim stagger into the alleyway. He bit his lip, muscles coiled and ready to spring at a moment's notice. He hadn't quite appreciated how small she would be. She was barely taller than the killer's shoulders. She giggled, sweet and high.

"You sure this is a shortcut?" she asked, hanging on his arm for balance.

"Yeah, sweetheart. Just a little farther."

They were just about to pass Izuku's position when another figure appeared in the alleyway. Izuku hunched down further, eyes wide. The girl was completely unaware, her back to the mouth of the alley and so Izuku hadn't seen the second man in the vision.

The man didn't come too far in, just enough to block the mouth of the alley. Izuku couldn't make out his features very well, but he looked bored. There was no mistaking what was about to happen and yet he did nothing to stop it. He had to be a lookout of some kind.

Izuku's heart hammered in his chest. The odds weren't good he could stop the killer without this other guy stopping him, and Izuku couldn't fight both. The alley was too narrow. Well, he could stop the killer for a minute or two, but then Izuku would be the one dead and the girl was too drunk to make use of the temporary distraction Izuku could put up.

Mind racing, he silently pulled his cell out of his partially zipped bag that sat next to him and put it under his sweatshirt, using the thick material to mask the screen's light. He turn slowly to the side, putting his back to the mouth of the alley and tucked his chin so he could see into his sweatshirt.

"Here's good enough," the killer said, voice changing from easygoing to dangerous.

The girl hit the wall of the alley with a soft thud as she was shoved and gave a scream. —

— Katsuki was stretched out on a bench watching the nightlife when he felt his phone buzz and he took it from his pocket. As he read the message that came through, he leapt to his feet and was sprinting through the crowd. He sent people flying as he hit their shoulders in his mad dash. They cussed at him, but he didn't care or slow. Then he was bolting up the stairs to a twenty-four hour internet cafe.

He practically flung the money at the person working the counter and burst through to the maze of cubicles behind the curtain. He dove into the first booth that was empty, signed in, and did a quick hack to use the computer to call the police.

"Excuse me!" The worker had followed him, pissed.

"Get lost, fucker, before I melt your goddamn face! I gave you the fucking money!" Katsuki snarled.

The worker cussed at him, but he left.

Katsuki didn't even let the operator say anything. As soon as he heard the line open, he was talking, giving them Izuku's location. —

— Izuku watched, sickened, as the girl's clothes seemed to just dissolve. Naked, irritated skin was revealed. The foul things falling from the rapist mouth as he panted grotesquely in her ear and kicked her legs open didn't bear repeating. Izuku glanced to the man in the alley to see him grinning, but he hadn't moved from his position just a few feet into the alley.

The woman gave a broken wail and Izuku looked back just in time to see the killer thrust into her unwilling body. She'd be dead in the next few minutes. Izuku launched from his position in the shadows and thrust the taser into the killer's lower back.

"The hell?" the man at the mouth of the alley cried and started forward.

Izuku backed up to let the killer and woman collapse on the ground. He knew by now that a shared volt wasn't nearly as strong so he kicked the killer in the side as hard as he could, flinging him away from her and taser him again, this time right on his exposed dick. The man gave a shriek, convulsing and frothing at the mouth. The girl's weak sobs filled Izuku's ears.

Something hard and sticky hit him on the side of his head. Izuku yanked away, his ski mask being pulled right off his face. He scrambled for traction and began to run further down the alley. He leapt at the right hand wall and used that to launch himself toward the opposite wall, reaching for the fire escape…

The hard sticky thing hit him in the back and he collided with the wall hard enough to wind him. He collapsed onto the alley floor and turned to look. The man who'd played look out skid to a stop, murder in his his eyes as his tongue retracted into his mouth.

"The fuck do you think you're doing kid?" he hissed and stomped down on Izuku's chest, pinning him to the ground like a bug.

Izuku bared his teeth and jackknifed his legs with all his strength. He was aiming for the guy's crotch, but caught him in the thigh instead. Either way, it got the guy off him. Izuku got to his feet and took a fighting stance.

"You bitch!" the guy spat and kicked at him.

Izuku lunged forward, taking the guy by surprise again and knocking him to the ground. Izuku kept moving, running past, sprinting to the mouth of the alley, but the guy's tongue hit him in the back again. He lost his balance, falling right next to the whimpering, crying girl, naked and shaking on the ground. The acid guy was on his knees and he brought his hand down, aiming for Izuku's face. His palm was bubbling and hissing, and Izuku rolled to the side, instinctively covering the girl with his own body.

"Everybody freeze!" a deep, masculine voice shouted from the mouth of the alley. —

**End - **

**A/n:**_(ducks thrown objects) _I know it was a cliffhanger! I'm sorry! I promise I'll have the next chapter up soon, but the next part has a different focus, and this chapter was getting so long, so I broke it! Please don't kill me!


	13. Chapter 13

**Facing the Truth**

Katsuki was anxious as shit as he waited for Izuku to contact him. He still wasn't a good enough hacker to get into the police system to see if they got there on time or if Izuku got away or not. So he had to sit there and stew, each minute dragging on for eternity. In the end, it took almost forty minutes before Izuku texted, _I'm ok. answering questions. text later_.

"Shit." Katsuki set his phone down with a sigh. At least Izuku wasn't dead, but getting grilled by the police couldn't be a good thing. Kicking the cubical wall in frustration, he scrubbed his hands through his hair. Fuck, he hated waiting! —

— Both the acid and tongue guy had been arrested. The girl had gone to the hospital, but the police weren't letting Izuku go. Officially, he'd come to the station voluntarily to answer questions, but the police had made it clear it wasn't really an option. He was just too suspicious. What was a fourteen-year-old dressed and armed the way he was doing in that alley, next to a bar, so late at night? To make it worse, Izuku wouldn't tell them his name.

He'd told them honestly what had happened in the alley, but he refused to say anything about why he'd been there. Nothing would really explain his clothes, mask, the rope in his bag, and the taser, so he said nothing. He just repeated the story of the fight. He told them when they took him in, and he told it again in the police car. Then he'd told the story a third time at the station in a small interrogation room eerily similar to the one he'd been in after the Alleyway Child-Killer.

Frustrated, the officer left him in the interrogation room and Izuku finally had the chance to use his phone. (He'd been worried if he brought it out where the officers could see, they would take it.) He immediately texted Kacchan, knowing his boyfriend was going out of his mind with worry. Then he bit the bullet and called All Might. It went to voicemail. Of course it did. It was almost three in the morning at this point. Izuku pressed redial. Voicemail. End call. Redial. Voicemail. End call. Redial.

"Hello," a voice said calmly from the doorway. "Mind if I come in?"

Voicemail. End call. Izuku looked up and his eyes widened. It was the detective from the Child-Killer case! Izuku felt the blood drain from his face because this guy knew exactly who he was.

"My name is Detective Tsukauchi." The man gave him a friendly smile. He looked the exact same (rectangular black eyes and slicked back hair) except this time he had on a tan overcoat over a white button-down and tie, but his face and body posture were still open and friendly. "May I sit with you?"

Izuku swallowed hard. "Uh? Yes?"

The detective's smile grew a little wider and he took the seat opposite Izuku. "So." He folded his hands before him on the table. There were no files with him this time. Izuku stared at him, petrified. "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

Izuku shook his head.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions, but I have to tell you that my quirk is called True Man, which gives me a feel for when something's not true. Also, since we assume you are a minor, if at any time you would like to use your phone there to call your parents, you can. Okay?"

Izuku began to frown. Did the detective not remember him? Izuku really, really doubted it. So… what was the man doing? Was it a trick? A mind game? Some high level police interrogation technique? Sweat rolled down Izuku's pale face.

As friendly as if they were talking over some fries at a fast-food restaurant, the detective said, "I know it's a pain and you've told your side of the story quite a few times already, but I just got here and it would be quicker to hear it from you than to read a report another officer typed up. Would you mind telling me one more time about the fight in the alley?"

Izuku had no reason not to tell him. He'd said it enough, as the detective had pointed out, and it was all true. He retold the story of the fight in the alley from start to finish, hiding nothing.

Detective Tsukauchi nodded as if everything Izuku had said was perfectly reasonable. "That was a really brave thing to do, trying to help that poor girl."

Izuku began to breathe fast. His hand tightened around his phone, making it creak. "I-Is she okay?"

The detective's expression became serious. "I don't have a current report, but from what I understand she was getting the best treatment possible."

Izuku nodded, feeling sick. Had she been exposed to too much acid? Had all of this been for nothing?

"Did you know those two men?"

Izuku shook his head, not making eye contract. There was a long silence and Izuku looked up to see the detective staring at him, head tilted almost curiously. Izuku subconsciously made himself smaller.

"Is there a reason you're so afraid of me?" the detective asked quietly, all soft concern. "Are you in trouble? I know it doesn't seem like it, and I'm sure you've been told a million times to never trust the police, but I want you to know…" He held Izuku's gaze earnestly. "You really can trust me. I won't let anything hurt you. Even if it means taking you into my home and guarding you twenty-four seven, I would do it."

Fat tears rolled down Izuku's face and the detective immediately got up and came around the table. He put a hand on Izuku's shoulder and crouched down so they would still be eye level. "What can I do for you?" he asked quietly.

Izuku's eyes darted to the mirror that took up a good portion of one wall. "C-Can we t-talk in p-private?"

Detective Tsukauchi searched Izuku's eyes for a long second and then he nodded. He stood up, tilting his head to the door. "Let's go for a walk."

Shocked that the detective had actually complied, Izuku followed the man back into the police station with his head ducked nervously. A few officers protested, but Detective Tsukauchi just waved them away or gave them a friendly smile and kept walking. He led Izuku to the fire stairs and they went up five floors before coming out on the roof. The detective led him to a bench that sat a good distance from the door.

"It's illegal to have recording devices here, and even if there were, the wind would make anything we say unintelligible," the detective explained. He sat on the bench and patted the seat next to him. "I swear anything you say up here will only be heard by me, okay?"

Izuku hesitated - his mother's frightened voice screaming in his mind - but he also had Kacchan's angry voice telling him that he had to tell _someone_, that the people in his visions needed more help then they could give - but louder than all of that was the pained, terrified sobs of the girl who'd been raped in that dirty alley. The guilt of sitting there, letting it happen were like hot claws piercing his chest!

Izuku didn't make it to the bench. His legs folded under him and he began to cry. Wide-eyed, the detective knelt next to him, his hand warm on Izuku's back. He didn't interrupt once as Izuku explained disjointed and out of order about his quirk - about trying to save people - about his mother warning him to tell no one - his fear of being taken away because of his visions - his burning need to be a hero - growing up with people thinking he was quirkless - miraculously getting into UA - It all just spilled from him, but not a word about All Might, One For All, or Kacchan passed his lips. Even half out of his mind, he would never betray them.

Detective Tsukauchi listened without interrupting, his presence warm and solid. When Izuku ran out of words if not tears, the detective took his overcoat off and wrapped it around Izuku as he helped him to his feet.

Izuku was completely drained and petrified now that he'd told his secret, but Detective Tsukauchi didn't say anything. He merely guided Izuku back to the stairwell, through the station, and out. They walked across the parking lot to a parked car. The detective opened the passenger side door and gently pushed Izuku into the seat before shutting the door and walking around to the other side.

As he started the car, the detective finally spoke, saying, "I want you to know you made the right choice. You're secret is safe with me, Izuku. You're not in trouble. I just need to speak to someone and I think that would help you, too, okay?"

Izuku nodded numbly, tears still falling down his cheeks. He rubbed his arms, feeling all the coils of his ropes, but it was barely enough. His breath still came fast and his heart fluttered like a trapped bird in a cage. Needing grounding, he turned his phone over and opened it to text.

.

Izuku:

Told Detective Tsukauchi. feel like i can trust him

he took me on roof so no one else could hear

now driving away from station

.

Kacchan:

WTF! You got in his car?

.

Izuku:

had to

please Kacchan

.

Kacchan:

I'm fucking tracking your phone.

don't let them take it or i really will fucking kill you

.

Izuku:

K

.

Kacchan:

no matter what i'd find you

i'd bust you out of anywhere

.

Izuku bit his lip as fresh sobs welled up. He texted, _love you too_, and then he let the screen go dark. He lifted his head to see they were driving back in the direction of his district, and he looked over at the detective wearily. "Are you taking me home?"

"Eventually," the detective said kindly. "But not yet." He glanced over. "Is that okay?"

Izuku didn't know if it was or not. He stared back, anxious.

"I think it would be best if you came with me," Detective Tsukauchi explained. "But if you really don't feel up to it, I will take you home."

Reassured by the promise, Izuku gave in. "Okay."

The detective gave him a warm smile and reached over to ruffle his hair. "Thank you. I promise your trust won't be misplaced."

Izuku slumped against the door, exhausted. In fact, he must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew the detective was shaking his shoulder. Izuku peered out the window to see they were parked in a parking lot in front of an apartment building, but it wasn't his. This apartment complex was further north, closer to UA.

"Come on," Tsukauchi said with a smile. "Everything's going to be okay."

Izuku nodded and climbed out of the car. The sky was that pale grey of pre-dawn, sunrise less than an hour away. It was the start of the second week of March so it was cold, but Izuku was still wearing the detective's overcoat so he was warm.

The apartment building was much nicer than Izuku's. It had automatic doors with big green ferns on either side and a nice lobby. They took an elevator up whereas at Izuku's apartment you had to use stairs that were built on the outside of the building. When the elevator doors opened, it revealed deep red carpet lining the hallway and golden light fixtures. Even the number plaque for each door was gold or gold plated.

Tsukauchi stopped at door eleven and knocked firmly.

"It's pretty early," Izuku ventured.

Tsukauchi smiled. "That's okay. He won't mind."

The door opened and Izuku's mouth fell open. Toshinori in his skeletal form opened the door, his hair standing every which way with bedhead. "Tsukauchi?" his mentor said, sleepy and confused. "Midoriya?"

"Good morning, Yagi. May we come in?"

Izuku's heart slammed against his ribs. He had no idea All Might lived so close by, but it made sense, didn't it? UA owned most of the district above them. Besides the school, there were commercial properties and such, but not a lot of residential areas. They didn't want too many people living close to the school for safety reasons, so you had to find something the next district over, Izuku's district, if you were looking for a place to live… Izuku realized he was babbling nervously in his head and forced himself to focus.

All Might's apartment was simply furnished. A blue couch, dark wood floors, a wooden coffee table, a decent sized tv. There were small landscape paintings hanging on the wall. Tsukauchi gently guided Izuku to the couch and brought him a glass of water. Toshiniori asked what this was all about, but Tsukauchi asked him to wait a minute as he got Izuku settled.

"I have to talk to Yagi for a minute, but we'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay…" Izuku said, unsure and wide-eyed.

Then the two men disappeared down the hallway. Izuku heard a door shut. He sat there, confused for a minute, just holding his water. Then he set it down and pulled out his phone.

.

Izuku:

at Toshinori's house

Tsukauchi is friends with him?

.

Kacchan:

wtf? that's crazy!

at least you're safe

.

Izuku:

i feel like i'm dreaming

is this real?

.

The phone rang immediately. Izuku answered the call and held the phone to his ear.

_"__Deku."_ Kacchan's voice came low and steady over the line.

Izuku realized he was breathing hard and on the verge of a panic attack.

_"__What's it like?"_ Kacchan asked, trying to ground him.

"Normal?" Izuku looked around. "A lot more subdued than I imagined it would be." He gave an anxious laugh, still breathing hard.

_"__I saved my guy," _Kacchan told him. _"He's perfectly fine and the asshole thug got arrested."_

Some of Izuku's tension drained out. His heart began to calm. "Thank god. Thank you, Kacchan. You're really amazing."

_"__The trains are running again. I'll meet you back at your apartment. Remember to breathe and tighten your ropes if you need to."_

"I love you," Izuku said softly, tears in his eyes.

_"__You got this, Deku," _he answered and the phone clicked off.

Izuku felt much better after hearing Kacchan's voice. He drank his water and breathed deeply for a few minutes. He even took off the overcoat and his hoodie to tighten the ropes on his arms like Kacchan had suggested. Then he waited, and he fidgeted. Eventually he got up and looked closer at the paintings. They were really calming, done in blues and greens, water and trees, but blurred like an impressionist painting.

Izuku heard a door down the hallway finally open and practically dove back onto the couch. Heart hammering again, he watched wide-eyed as Toshinori came walking out into the living room with Tsukauchi following after. Toshinori stood awkwardly just looking at Izuku, his head bowed slightly forward, looking upset.

"Sorry about that," the detective told Izuku with a smile, looking calm and relaxed.

He went to the kitchen to grab two chairs from around the dinning room table and sat them on the other side of the coffee table facing Izuku, blocking the tv. Not that it was on, but Izuku began to get nervous as the two men sat facing him, and he was seriously getting worried about All Might being so silent.

"I bet you were surprised," the detective said, drawing Izuku's anxious gaze. "I met Yagi quite a few years back and we became pretty good friends."

Toshinori spoke up then. His voice was quiet, subdued. "Tsukauchi helped me keep my identity a secret and helped keep the media away from the fight where I received this wound." He touched his side where the crater was.

"Oh." Izuku didn't know what to say.

"Yagi told me about the amazing young man he'd taken on as his successor, and when I heard your story about getting help training for the UA entrance exam, I put two and two together," Tsukauchi explained with a smile. "I think both you and Yagi need to talk about a few things. You guys are supposed to be a team, and that's not what's happening here. I believe that needs to change or one of you will get hurt."

"I agree," Toshinori said, voice grave. His blue eyes brighter for surrounded by black instead of white looked at Izuku sadly. "I've been distracted and my priorities haven't been where they need to be. You called me last night and I didn't answer. You were in danger and I wasn't there for you. That is not how a mentor behaves. My mentor would never have been so unreachable, and I am deeply sorry. My only explanation is that I have never had a family of my own. I am not used to being responsible for another person. I hope you can forgive me."

Izuku practically babbled reassurances, but Toshinori held up one of his large hands.

"No. Do not make excuses or forgive me so easily," he said seriously. "You have been my fan for a long time and I think that makes you more accommodating than you should be. You need to be more open about your needs, Midoriya, or how can I possibly succeed at being your mentor?"

Izuku sat frozen. He had no idea what to say. All Might had already done so much. It felt like the worst kind of ungratefulness to ask for more.

"Tsukauchi told me that you were pulled in for questioning in regards to an assault," Toshinori looked at the detective for confirmation and received a nod. He looked back at Izuku, concern clear on his features. "Will you tell me what happened?"

Izuku swallowed hard. He looked down at his hands, which were clenched on his knees, and saw the red ropes that spiraled up his arms and disappeared under the sleeves of his black t-shirt.

Why was this so hard? He'd already told Tsukauchi about his quirk, but he'd been hysterical at the time. This felt different, but he wasn't about to let fear rule his life. He knew this was the right thing to do, and no matter how terrifying it felt, Izuku was going to push himself forward. So Izuku closed his eyes and swallowed the paralyzing fear. Opening them again, he met his hero's piercing gaze.

"It started when I was three or so. I had these dreams when I was awake. The first one was about a neighborhood dog and a few weeks later it came true. Then I saw that disaster where you saved a thousand people by yourself before it happened. That's when my mom figured it out." Sweat rolled down his neck and his hands shook, but Izuku pushed on. "She told me if I told anyone I would get taken away and never see her again. She made me promise not to tell anyone and registered me as quirkless."

"That must have been very difficult," Tsukauchi said gently.

Izuku shrugged, shoulders stiff. "About a year after that, I had a vision of a teacher killing one of my classmates. I… I had never known the victim before, not that well, and I was really upset." His eyes suddenly gleamed with determination. "I had to save him!"

"This is the event Bakugou told me about?" Tsukauchi asked, carefully. "With my quirk, I can tell you are leaving something out. I assume it is him?"

Izuku flushed red. Even when he'd been been called out, he hesitated.

"If you are this unsure about trusting me, then Tsukauchi is right. I have done a poor job as a mentor," Toshinori said sadly. He leaned forward, forearms resting on his thighs. "I have not been there for you the way I should have been, but, Midoriya, you _can_ trust me."

Izuku slumped in defeat. "I… I was frightened, and I didn't have a quirk, so I asked Kacchan to help me. He was the strongest kid in class with the strongest quirk. He agreed and came up with the plan and we were able to save Tamachan. Afterward, we made a promise to work together to save the people I saw in my visions, but it took another year before we were able to save anyone. I mean, we were little and hadn't seen much of the city, so I often didn't recognize the places I dreamed about, but Kacchan inspired me to get smarter, stronger, and we worked even harder. I started riding around on my bike, getting to know as many places as I could. Then… we started trying to rescue people."

"That answers the question of the vigilante in the area," Tsukauchi gave Izuku a wry smile. "We've been trying to catch him for years."

Izuku didn't think it was funny. All he could think about was all the people he hadn't been smart enough to save. He shook his head and rubbed his hands over his ropes.

"Midoriya…" Toshinori said softly. "Talk to me."

Izuku looked up, tears in his eyes. "I failed to save so many people…" he confessed. "Dozens."

Toshinori got up and sat next to Izuku on the couch, draping an arm over his shoulders. "Izuku…" he said, using the teen's first name for the first time. "You cannot save everyone…"

Izuku turned his face away in rejection, but Toshinori squeezed his shoulder hard enough it brought Izuku's eyes back to his mentor's.

"But you save everyone you can," his mentor said fiercely, neon blue eyes piercing through him.

Izuku's breath caught.

"You can't save everyone, but you save everyone you can," All Might repeated. "Do you understand?"

Izuku nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks. And he did. He had to keep working hard. He had to keep getting stronger so that everyone he _could_ save would be _everyone_ who needed saving. "Yes," he said tearfully.

"Good." Toshinori gave him a smile. "So what happened tonight?"

Izuku looked carefully at Tsukauchi. "Well…"

"It's okay. He knows about One For All," Toshinori assured him, guessing what was holding Izuku back.

Izuku explained about the amped up visions and the dark place with the warm male voice. When he finished, he looked up to see his hero's reaction. "Was that real? Was One For All really talking to me?"

Toshinori was frowning. "I haven't experienced anything like that, but that doesn't mean what you felt wasn't real. One For All is still a mystery in many ways because it has been kept secret. From what I understand, One For All typically amplifies the strength and quirk of the user, so if I had Bakugou's explosion quirk it would become so powerful as to blow up entire buildings or allow him to use it in a new amplified way. Because I did not have a quirk, One For All manifested as simply amplified strength and resilience. As it seems to have also done for you as your quirk doesn't have a physical manifestation, but your quirk was definitely amplified, too, so it is possible."

"What what did it mean One For All's true purpose?" Izuku asked, but Toshinori didn't answer.

The hero looked at Tsukauchi with a frown before saying, "We will discuss that later." Looking back to Izuku, he said, "I promise I will reveal more to you later, but right now I want you to focus on harnessing One For All before you worry about anything else."

Izuku was disappointed, but he understood.

"Right now I'm more concerned about your visions," Tsukauchi cut in. "Saving people is important, but it's just as important that you and Bakugou stay safe so that you can reach your full potential."

"Yes," Toshinori agreed. "Let Tsukauchi and I handle the rescues from now on. Right now is the time for you to give your all to training. These rescues have eaten into a lot of your time and have put you at great risk. If Tsukauchi hadn't stepped in, you would still be at the police station and the secret of One For All would have been in danger."

Izuku looked from one to the other. "You don't understand. I have to save them," he said, voice tense with emotion.

"And they will be saved," Toshinori promised fiercely. "Trust me in that."

"My quirk allows me to sense the truth, but it also prevents me from out-right lying," the detective added. "If I explain to my superiors that I have a reliable source, they will believe me. We can stop the attacks before the victim gets hurt and still hold the perpetrator responsible."

Izuku felt his breath catch as sobs rose up to choke him. That girl tonight… The way the killer had dissolved her clothes and called her such horrible things… The way he'd kicked her legs open and violated her… The detective and All Might could have saved her that agony… As maddening as it felt to let go, to give up on the rescues, how could he possibly say no?

"O-okay…" he rasped.

Toshinori transformed into his hero form and pulled Izuku into a hug. "I can't imagine what you've been through, young man, or how hard you've pushed yourself until now, but I do know how hard it is to trust others. I promise you, Izuku, I will be here for you and I will not let you down again. I will give it my all to save everyone I can. And from now on… We will be proper partners. I will not be so neglectful again."

…

Katsuki was sitting on the first step of Izuku's apartment building. He was exhausted and his face fucking hurt like fuck, but he couldn't go home. Not until he saw Izuku safe with his own eyes.

As if summoned by his thoughts, he heard a car door shut. He stood up and saw Izuku walking up the sidewalk. He looked completely wiped, but his eyes widened when he spotted Katsuki. "You're face!" he exclaimed and practically tripped over his own feet to get to Katsuki faster.

"It's just a black eye," he grumbled irritably. "How'd it go?"

Izuku sighed, deflating. "Told them everything. They want us to stop the rescues and promised between the two of them they'd save all the people in my visions."

Katsuki felt a rush of relief. "Good."

Izuku took his hand. "Come on. We'll sleep here."

Katsuki was too tired to answer. He simply trudged after him up the stairs. "Was he mad?"

"All Might?" Izuku shook his head. "No. I think Detective Tsukauchi said something to him because they talked for a long time, and when they came out, All Might apologized for being a bad mentor. Can you believe it?"

Katsuki had nothing to say to that because, yeah, he could. He'd grown less and less impressed with All Might as the months went by.

Inko had already gone to work at this point, so they didn't have to be careful or quiet. Izuku grabbed a bag of frozen carrots from the freezer and handed them to Katsuki, then they both used the bathroom to wash up and changed before practically collapsing on Izuku's bed.

"No more splitting up," Katsuki grumbled, eyes already closed. "That fucking sucked ass."

Izuku steadied the carrots on Katsuki's face. "No more splitting up," he echoed.

"We stay together," he slurred before falling into an exhausted sleep.

**End - **

**A/n:** Sooooo….. wonder what Tsukauchi told All Might? Toshinori definitely got scolded. I was actually thinking about writing that scene, but I thought it would be more true to the story to stick to Izuku's and Katsuki's perspective the way I have so far. Let me know what you think of how Izuku's secret came out!


	14. Chapter 14

**Full Moons and First Days**

With All Might and Detective Tsukauchi taking over the rescues, Katsuki and Izuku spent the next three weeks devoted to training. While Katsuki used their middle school gym to practice with his quirk, Izuku meditated and practiced visualizing an egg in the microwave at less power. There was no easy way to tell if it was working or not, but Katsuki refused to let Izuku actually try using One For All because Izuku had't been cleared yet by Recovery Girl from when he shattered his arm and both legs.

Izuku also began to spar with All Might three times a week and continued his exercise and diet regimen. Of course he began to spar with Katsuki, too, (using no quirks) showing him what All Might was teaching him. They got more bruises and scrapes, but they were slowly getting better.

Izuku had a pretty bad panic attacks when one of his visions were scheduled to happen. Katsuki did his best to keep Izuku grounded and distracted, but until Izu got the call from Detective Tsukauchi that the victim had been saved, Izuku was a nervous wreck, almost running out to the scene in spite of being forbidden to do so. But All Might and the detective were as good as their words. Every single victim from Izuku's visions had been saved that month, and slowly Izuku's panic attacks grew less violent.

…

Izuku gave his mom a brave smile. "It's okay. I'm going to be fine, I promise. Kacchan's going to be with me the whole time. If we need anything, we'll call for you."

Teary-eyed, she gave him a tight hug. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

"Really, it's okay," he said and gently pushed her away. He hated that she worried so much. It made him feel sick with guilt. She worked so hard to provide for them both, had raised him by herself. She deserved to be happy, not made ill with worry. "It was scary the first time because I didn't expect it, but I can handle this."

Inko nodded, lips trembling. She smoothed Izuku's hair away from his face and kissed his forehead. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"I will," he promised and took a step back, shutting his bedroom door firmly. His shoulders instantly slumped.

"I bet she wished you'd be a florist or something," Kacchan joked from behind him.

Izuku sighed sadly in no mood for jokes. He went to his boyfriend. Kacchan was sitting on the edge of the bed with red ropes in his hands. Izuku looked into those ruby eyes. He wanted to thank him. He wanted to tell him that once he was secured to wait in the living room with his mom, maybe try to sleep, but that one look into Kacchan's eyes and Izuku knew that would be pointless. Kacchan wasn't going anywhere.

"How do you want to do this?" Kacchan asked, uncoiling the rope.

Izuku went to his desk and grabbed his notebook. He opened to a page toward the back. He'd sketched several pictures of kinbaku, or tight binding, that he'd researched and thought would help him. He showed it to his boyfriend, his cheeks burning red.

The first part involved creating a chest harness that would bind Izuku's arms behind him, elbows bent, forearms parallel and tied together at mid-back. It was pretty simple compared to some of the other stuff he had seen, but it would be enough for Izuku to feel like he was being held secure.

The second part bound his legs together at the ankle, knee, and thigh. Then the ankle and thigh bindings would be secured together, to force his knees to bend. Then the ropes securing his knees would be tied to the chest harness, forcing him into a ball or fetal position.

"I wrote out the instructions as carefully as I could, but there wasn't a lot of clear instruction out there." Izuku looked shyly into Kacchan's eyes. Red cheeked and voice quiet, he asked, "Do you think you can do it?"

"Clothes on or off?" Kacchan asked, completely confident. He didn't look nervous at all and that made Izuku relax.

"Clothes on. I want to feel safe, not exposed," he answered more confidently.

"Okay. This looks like it might take awhile, so let's get started. Kneel." Kacchan stood up, the red ropes in his hands.

Izuku felt his heart stutter in his chest and he slowly knelt, never taking his eyes from Kacchan's.

…

Katsuki kept his expression calm and did his best to conceal the pounding of his heart. The drawings had been shocking, but he got why it was necessary. He circled Izuku and shivered as those deep green eyes followed his every move, unblinking and utterly trusting. Katsuki had to bit his lip, scolding himself for finding this a bit arousing.

He crouched behind his boyfriend and gently pulled the boy's arms behind his back. He folded the rope in half and then wrapped it around Izuku's wrists, tucking the looped end, the bite, through to create two lengths to knot together like shoe laces.

"Too tight?" he asked, voice low and steady.

"No." Izuku's answer was breathy and submissive. It made Katsuki shiver, and he was glad Izuku couldn't see him.

Looking at the detailed pictures, Katsuki brought the rope up diagonally to the side of Izuku's upper arm. He then brought it straight across the front of Izuku's chest and over the upper arm on the opposite side to return the rope to Izuku's back. Then he wrapped it around Izuku's chest again, letting the length rest directly under the first.

"Too tight?"

"No," Izuku said again, softly.

Katsuki took the end of the rope and ran it under the rope that was diagonal across Izuku's back, hooking it and pulling it so that it now ran straight up and down Izuku's spine. To anchor it, he wrapped the end of the rope under the horizontal ropes that went across Izu's upper back. He did this twice on either side of the knot that had formed.

"Too tight?"

"No…"

Katsuki pulled the rope end diagonally downward toward the crook of Izuku's elbow and threaded it through toward Izuku's chest. He ran it under the rope running horizontally across Izuku's chest near his under arm and then threaded it back under the arm, across to and under the rope running down Izuku's spine. He repeated the same anchoring loop under the other arm.

"Good?" he asked.

"Yes…"

Katsuki wrapped the end of the rope around Izuku's body, creating another line over Izuku's chest and over his arms, this time halfway to the elbow. He looped the end of the rope around the rope running down the center of Izuku's back to secure it and keep it tight.

"How's it feel?" he asked curiously, coming around to Izuku's front. It looked like Izuku had two ropes wrapped across his chest, one across his collarbones and the other mid-chest below his chest muscles. The back was more intricate with the center rope and the ties as well as his bound wrists, but he front was very simple.

"Really good," Izuku said, voice almost hazy. His pupils were large and his breath came even and slow. "Can you wrap the leftover rope around my forearms?"

Katsuki went behind him and did as he was asked. "You still need your legs?"

Izuku nodded.

"Get on the bed and lay on your side."

Izuku obeyed.

Katsuki kept his hands on Izu to help steady him, his boyfriend's balance thrown off by his torso being bound. Once Izuku was comfortable, Katsuki bound and folded his legs, tying him in a fetal position. "Can you breathe easy?" he demanded, frowning. They did a lot of yoga and he knew how flexible Izuku was, but it didn't look comfortable. Of course, it wasn't supposed to be comfortable, Izuku wanted to feel it, but it wasn't supposed to be painful, either.

Izuku obediently took several deep breaths nice and easy. "It's great," he said, he head resting limply on the sheets. "Thank you, Kacchan."

Katsuki crawled up on the bed to sit with his hip next to Izuku's head. He roughly combed his fingers through the wavy, green hair. "I love you, nerd."

Izuku smiled sweetly. "I love you so much."

Blushing, Katsuki said gruffly, "Remember you're here with me. All Might and the truth detective will make sure none of what you see comes true."

Izuku nodded and pressed his forehead into Katsuki's thigh. "The gag."

Katsuki glared murder. He hated this idea. "It's not necessary."

"It is. The neighbors almost called the cops last time." His green eyes stared up at Katsuki and he asked quietly, "Please?"

Katsuki knew he could refuse. It wasn't like Izuku could do anything about it, not bound the way he was. But Izuku was trusting him. He couldn't disappoint that trust. Katsuki sighed and got off the bed. He went to the desk and grabbed the bandana Izuku had left on the desk. It was a vivid red to match the ropes. It was large and rolled up nice and thick. It would definitely muffle Izuku's screams.

Katsuki got back on the bed and secured it in Izuku's mouth, tying it tightly. "I'm here, Deku," he said again, bending forward to lay a kiss on Izuku's cheek. "You can do this."

Izuku nodded and went limp, breathing evenly and resting, knowing he was running out of time. Katsuki pet his head and spoke quietly to him, but seven minutes later, Izuku went tense, the ropes straining. Sweat almost instantly dampened Izu's hair and chest, making his shirt stick to him. Katsuki clenched his fist as a muffled scream resonated through Izuku's chest.

The visions had begun.

…

_Broken, bleeding, burned, strangled - Izuku lay in a fetal ball shivering in an ocean of darkness. Whimpers rose from his lips as tears drenched his cheeks, but he was too traumatized to cry. Warm hands cupped his head protectively. Izuku flinched and curled tighter, a broken sob rising in his shredded throat._

"_Shhh," a gentle voice told him, the sound wrapping around him gently. "I will not hurt you. Oh, Izuku, I am so sorry you suffer this."_

_Soft hands carded through his sweat-damp hair. Izuku shivered and flinched under each touch, but slowly his body stilled and his shivering came to an end. He lay exhausted and empty under those hands, unable to speak._

"_When you master more of One For All, I will be able to speak to you on another night when you are not so distressed. For now, please hear me. Take whatever comfort you can from my words. You are doing great things, Izuku. You have suffered the deaths of those poor people in their place and now they will live on. You're a true hero, Izuku."_

— Izuku blinked open his eyes. He was tied and bound on his bed. His jaw burned and his mouth was dry from the gag. His whole body hurt as if he'd been hit by a truck.

"Izuku? You with me?"

He gave a weak nod.

Kacchan had him out of the ropes in seconds. Not bothering with untying them, he simply cut Izuku out with a pair of really sharp scissors. Then he sat Izuku up, cradling him against his chest. A cup of lukewarm tea with a good helping of lemon and honey was held to his lips. Izuku didn't bother trying to lift his arms; they hurt too much. He simply sipped the tea, letting it soothe the lava burning in his throat. He was shaking again and crying, little hitching sobs of despair.

"You did it, Izuku. It's over. I've got you. You're safe," Kacchan said in his ear.

Izuku closed his eyes and let the sound of Kacchan's heartbeat below his ear lull him into a deep unconsciousness.

…

Katsuki woke to the inevitable sound of pencil on paper. He sat up, blond hair spikier with bedhead and saw Izuku at the desk scribbling away in his notebook. Yawning, he scooted to the edge of the bed and dropped his feet to the floor. Running his hands through his coarse hair, he observed his boyfriend carefully.

Red ropes wrapped Izuku from neck to waist and down his arms. He was wearing pants, so Katsuki didn't know if Izuku had wrapped his legs as well. From the feverish way Izu wrote and his pale face, Katsuki knew the murders had been especially bad or numerous, or even both.

"Talk to me," he said gruffly, alerting Izuku to the fact that he was awake.

Bloodshot green eyes flickered over to him before returning to the notebook. "Seven this time."

Katsuki winced. "Fuck." He grit his teeth and watched Izuku scribble away in that godawful notebook for several long minutes. He felt so fucking useless. He knew Izuku was suffering, but what could he do? Eventually, he got up and used the restroom and scrounged some food from the kitchen. He texted Inko to let her know that Izuku was awake and okay, but that he wasn't up for talking yet. Then he put his phone on silent and went back to Izuku.

Izu was sitting at his desk just staring out the window. His breathing was faster than normal and sounded tight. Katsuki put the snacks he'd brought down on the desk. Izuku frowned, saying he didn't want any, but Katsuki had a different plan in mind.

He grabbed the back of the chair and turned it firmly around so that Izuku was facing him. His face was pale and strained, eyes dark and haunted. Looking into those eyes, Katsuki sank to his knees and shuffled forward, pushing Izuku's knees apart enough that he could settle between them.

Izuku stared at him, surprised. "What…?"

Katsuki didn't need words. He reached up and slowly sank his hands into Izuku's hair until he cradled the back of his head. Then he pulled gently as he stretched up. Izuku's soft sigh caressed Katsuki's mouth just as they touched.

As Katsuki kissed him, soft and light, Izuku's arms wrapped around him and his hands clutched desperately at Katsuki's back. Izuku tried to deepen the kiss, whimpers rising in his wrecked throat, but Katsuki backed off until the tension went out of his boyfriend and he submitted to Katsuki's will.

Katsuki kept every touch slow and deliberate, every caress of their lips soft. Izuku had had enough violence. Katsuki was going to erase it from his boyfriend's mind and body if he could. So he trailed his fingers down Izuku's back, slowly danced them around his boyfriend's hips and over his thighs. He laid a trail of butterfly soft kisses from the corner of Izuku's mouth, up to his freckled cheek, before resting his lips against Izu's temple.

Izuku's arms had gone limp, his legs falling open. His eyes fluttered closed, and Katsuki pulled back to look at him. Izuku's lips and cheeks were stained red, flushing his pale skin with color. His expression was softer now, but Katsuki could still read grief in his features.

Lifting his hand, he used two fingers to trace down Izuku's forehead and slowly over the bridge of his nose. His thumb softly stroked Izuku's bottom lip, and he bent froward to gently kiss the tears that had begun to fall from Izuku's closed eyes.

He followed the trail of salty water, grazing his mouth down Izuku's neck and laying a line of kisses on the red cord that wrapped his throat. Izuku's breathing had gone deep and soft. With light fingertips, Katsuki traced the next coil of rope that wrapped diagonally over Izuku's chest, and his fingers brushed the horizontal bruises left behind by the coils of rope Katsuki had tied the night before.

Checks burning red, he gently stroked Izuku's exposed nipples with his thumbs, and Izuku's mouth fell open on a breathy gasp. Heart thundering in his chest, Katsuki leaned forward and pressed his tongue flat to the pebbled nub before laying a gentle kiss there. Izuku gave a louder gasp and his hand reflexively came up, pressing at the back of Katsuki's head, holding him there.

Katsuki's heart was beating so hard, he was worried he'd black out, but he couldn't stop now. Practically panting, he opened his mouth and closed his lips around the sensitive skin and sucked ever so softly.

"Kacchan…" Izuku sobbed, his breath hitching.

Katsuki pulled away from Izuku's chest and stretched up to kiss Izuku's mouth again and again until Izuku's breathing slowed once more. "I've got you, Izu," he promised, low and husky. Izuku shivered under his careful touch.

"Please," Izuku begged. His eyes fluttered open. They were the deepest green eyes Katsuki had ever seen, and they glistened with tears. "Please, Katsuki…"

"What?" Katsuki asked, stroking Izu's hair and kissing his cheek. "What do you need?"

"Touch me, please touch me," Izuku whimpered, tears falling down his cheeks.

Katsuki looked down to see Izuku's cock had made a tent in his sweatpants. Heart banging in his throat, he reached down and gently pulled the soft material away. Izuku's cock was flushed and glistening at the tip. Almost in a trance, Katsuki swiped his thumb softly over the tip.

Izuku's legs spread wider as he moaned and clutched at Katsuki's shoulders. "Kacchan… please… please, Katsuki…"

"I've got you," he promised again and then boldly bent forward.

Izuku's gasped louder than ever as Katsuki brushed his lips over the head. He pulled back to lick his lips and test the taste. It was salty, kind of flavorless and yet distinctly flavored at the same time.

"Oh my god…" Izuku practically moaned.

Spurred on by his boyfriend's amazed tone, he leaned down to deliver a firmer kiss and slow lick. Izuku twitched and began to wiggle, his thighs trembling and closing to hold tight to Katsuki's chest. Katsuki looked up worried, only to stare into Izuku's wide, pupil-blown eyes.

"You're so amazing… oh god… Kacchan…"

Katsuki gave a fierce grin and leaned forward to give slow, firm kisses and licks to the dripping head until Izuku was practically writhing in the chair, sobbing. Then he wrapped his fist around Izuku's shaft and gave it slow pumps up and down while still licking around the bottom ridge of the head with slow swirls of his tongue.

Izuku gave a deep moan and his body arched gracefully. Katsuki gasped as Izu's cock squirted a hot sticky stream over Katsuki's forehead and cheek. Katsuki pulled back, but he kept up the slow pumps until Izuku's dick stopped spurting and the boy practically melted off the chair.

Sitting next to his boyfriend on the floor, Katsuki panted, eyes wide, his face filthy.

Izuku stared at him, eyes heavy-lidded and his mouth curled in a soft smile. "Sorry…" He reached up to wipe the mess from Katsuki's face, but mostly managed to just spread it around.

Katsuki grimaced and caught Izuku's hand. "I've got it. You just rest."

"But what about you?" Izuku asked, worried.

"I'm fine," Katsuki brushed him off and got up, leaving Izuku propped up against the dresser, still sitting on the floor.

He practically ran for the bathroom. Turning the facet on to mask any sounds, he quickly shoved his hand into his jeans, taking out his raging hard-on. It took less than a minute before he was cumming into a wad of toilet paper. He growled and cursed quietly to himself, shivering until he was done. Then he quickly washed his hands and face.

Izuku was stretched out across the bed when he got back. Izu immediately opened his arms and Katsuki went into them without hesitation.

"I love you, Kacchan… So much…" Izuku whispered.

Katsuki held him tighter and adopted a cocky tone. "Of course you do. I'm fucking amazing!"

Izuku giggled and snuggled closer. "You really are."

Katsuki hid a smile in the wild waves of Izuku's dark green hair and closed his eyes.

…

Four days later, Izuku grinned proudly as he put on his UA uniform for his first day of high school. It consisted of a light grey blazer, a white button up shirt, dark green-blue pants, and a red tie. He had chosen a shorter, fatter tie, not liking the way long ones flapped and hung loose. He also had on his new red sneakers and wondered if Kacchan would be wearing his.

His mom fussed over him at the door, but he was soon running down the apartment stairs, his yellow backpack on his back. He waved excitedly when he got to Kacchan's street and saw the blond waiting for him, leaning casually against the front gate to his house. Kacchan was, in fact, wearing the red sneakers, and it made Izuku flush with happiness.

"Good morning, Kacchan!" he cried happily. "Are you ready for our first day?"

Kacchan gave a grin. "Hell yeah."

They easily fell into step with each other and set off toward the station. (They could walk to the school, but that would take over an hour. The train would get them there in ten minutes.) As they walked, Izuku chatted excitedly about the directory they'd received just yesterday. Some staffing positions were marked classified or unknown, but the teachers who were listed were amazing. Izuku gave a rundown of all the teachers' stats that he knew and Kacchan humored him by not interrupting his nervous chatter.

"I can't believe only thirty-six students were accepted this year. I bet they split us up into two classes. I hope we're in the same one!" Izuku babbled before falling silent.

They were standing at the open gates. Students were streaming past them wearing the same uniform. The same uniform All Might and other amazing heroes had worn as high school students.

"This is it," he breathed, heart pounding.

"We're going to own this place," Kacchan said, cocky and confident as he strutted through the arches.

Izuku blushed as students turned to look at them, but he refused to cower. He chased after Kacchan. "I have to check in with Recovery Girl. I'll text you during our first break if we're not in the same class."

Kacchan gave him a nod. "See you, Deku."

Recovery Girl seemed happy to see him. She gave him a scan with some high-tech x-ray that was remarkably small and praised him on his progress. After six weeks, he was was completely healed. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek and sent him on his way after making him eat another gummy, just to be sure.

Smiling, Izuku went to the main office for his class assignment: Class 1-A. His heart pounded at seeing it. Traditional schools always grouped their students. Being in an A class was usually really good, although some schools had one level above that, an S class, but not all of them did. Izuku really hoped he could prove he deserved the placing and it made him really excited because Kacchan definitely got ranked high, so maybe they were together?

Muttering nervously to himself, Izuku followed the signs to the third floor of the east tower and found classroom 1-A. The doors were humongous! At least twenty feet high! He swallowed and did some quick calculations, worried he wouldn't even be able to get the thing open. He weighed how embarrassing it would be to struggle and fail to open the door against how embarrassed he'd be if someone called him out as a coward if he just waited around for someone else to try. He thought of Kacchan and immediately reached for the door; Kacchan would _never_ back down from a challenge. Remarkably, the door slid open easily, and the first thing he saw was Kacchan sitting in the front row.

The blond had his legs propped up on his desk, his ankles crossed and his arms hanging loose over the back of the chair as he rocked on its back legs. It was a familiar pose and it made Izuku smile happily, but then the boy with glasses from the entrance exam suddenly got in Kacchan's space. Uh oh!

"Don't put your feet on the desk!"

"Did you say something?" Kacchan gave a smug smirk, being obnoxious as possible.

"Don't you think that is rude to the UA upperclassmen and the people who made the desk?" the boy in glasses retorted sternly, pointing and gesturing sharply with his hands.

"Nope," Kacchan answered, glaring through a challenging grin. "If our upperclassmen care about this sort of thing, than they're failures with nothing better to do. And if the desk makers are worried about their desk, then they did a shitty job building it and should be embarrassed. Who the fuck are you, anyway, you side character?"

The boy in glasses looked deeply offended, his mouth hanging open in shock, but at the request of his name, he stood straight and tapped his chest. "Perhaps we started out on the wrong foot. I attended Somei Private Academy. My name is Tenya Iida." He held his hand out to shake Kacchan's. "And you are?"

Izuku covered his face, wincing, knowing Kacchan would see that as weakness after Iida had started a fight.

Kacchan scoffed loudly. "Somei? So you're a damn elite as well as an arrogant asshole, huh, Glasses?" He leaned forward aggressively, his glare smoldering. "Looks like I'll have _fun_ crushing you."

Iida jerked back in surprise. "Crush me? That's villainous! Do you truly aim to be a hero?"

Izuku quickly stepped in as he saw the flash of true anger in Kacchan's expression, Iida unknowingly hitting close to home. "Um!" he called and suddenly realized there were a bunch of other teenagers in the room, all watching the confrontation between Kacchan and Iida. He flushed as all eyes turned toward him. "Ah! I'm Izuku Midoriya! I've been assigned to class 1-A! Nice to meet you all!" he said and gave a deep bow.

"You!"

Izuku stood up quickly at that shout and saw that Iida was quickly approaching him.

"Good morning! I am from Somei Private Academy. My name is…"

"I heard!" Izuku interrupted, trying to halt the other boy's aggressive approach. "Tenya Iida."

Iida hesitated, startled, but then slapped his arms down to his sides and gave a sharp right-angle bow. "Midoriya, I misjudged you and apologize for my incorrect accusations before the test. You are a far more perceptive student than I. You realized there was something more to that practical exam."

"Oh! You're that plain-looking one!"

Iida stood straight and Izuku turned at the sound of the female voice. It was the girl with brown eyes! Izuku flushed, happiness zinging through him as he remembered the video of her pleading to give him her points.

"I'm so glad you passed! And we're in the same class! What good luck!" she continued happily.

Something on the ground caught Izuku's attention. It was human-sized yellow cocoon?

"Go somewhere else if you want to play at being friends," a raspy voice came from inside the cocoon. It rolled and they could see a man's face. The cocoon was actually a sleeping bag. The girl gave a gasp and jerked back to stand beside Izuku.

"This is the hero course," the man continued before standing up and unzipping himself from the sleeping bag. He wore all black except for a long white-ish scarf wrapped around his neck. His hair was also black, hanging long and scraggily past his shoulders. He had a thin, patchy beard growing in and blood-shot eyes.

"Time is limited, so let's get started," he drawled, exhausted. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa." He reached into his sleeping bag and pulled out a blue tracksuit with white stripes creating a U on the chest and an A over the stomach and down the pants. "It's kind of sudden, but put on your gym clothes and go out onto field A. You have eight minutes. I'm counting." Then he turned and walked away.

It turned out gym uniforms were what were in the bags on each desk, and they scrambled to find sizes that fit before bolting into changing rooms and out onto the field. It was a mad rush so Izuku didn't have time to find or talk to Kacchan. He just rushed with the others and ran down the stairs and out the side doors toward the fields. One of the other kids found the one marked A and they sprinted.

"Four seconds to spare," Aizawa remarked, voice dark with reproach. He crossed his arms and looked them over. "Prepare for a quirk assessment test."

"What about the entrance ceremony?" the brown-eyed girl asked.

Aizawa shot her a cold, disdainful look. "If you're going to become a hero, you don't have time for pointless events." He turned his back to all of them and said. "UA' s selling point is how unrestricted its school traditions are. That's also how the teachers run their classes. I'm your homeroom teacher. I'll be so until your graduate. In essence, you are my class for the entirety of your career here, and what I say goes." He turned to face them. "And I say we're doing a quirk assessment instead of the entrance ceremony."

There was no response, but Izuku swallowed hard. He had a bad feeling about this.

"I don't see the problem," Aizawa drawled. "You kids have bene doing physical tests where you aren't allowed to use your quirks all your lives. Quirk Study, a free period of exploration, was the only time you got to use them. You should be jumping at this chance." Suddenly his attention turned to Kacchan. "Bakugou, you finished at the top of the practical exam, right? In middle school, what was your best result for the softball throw?"

"Sixty-seven meters," Kacchan answered confidently.

"Then try doing it with your quirk."

Kacchan stepped forward and accepted the ball Aizawa gave him. It had ring of sensors around the center. He took position in the middle of the throwing circle. Aizawa said he could do anything he wanted, but the goal was to get the ball as far as he could.

Izuku watched, excited, as Kacchan wound back and then threw with all his strength, screaming, "DIE!" A huge explosion erupted from his palm just as he released the ball and the ball launched through the air, a trail of smoke in its wake.

As the ball dropped far in the distance, Aizawa said, "Know your limits. How else will you surpass them? That's the most rational way to form the foundation of a hero." He held up his phone for them all to see. It read: seven hundred and five point two meters.

Izuku and the rest of the class let out a surprised sound, totally impressed. One boy with a black jagged stripe in his yellow hair said, "Seven hundred meters? Seriously?" Another, a girl with pink skin and hair, said excitedly, "This looks like fun!" A third called out, "We can use our quirks as much as we want! As expected from the hero course!"

"It looks fun, huh?" Aizawa said darkly. "You have three years to become a hero. Will you have an attitude like that the whole time?" A disturbing grin spread across their teacher's face. "All right. Whoever comes in last place after all eight physical tests will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion."

The class as one gave an upset cry. Izuku, meanwhile, was having a mini panic attack. He gripped the wrist of his right hand and stared at it. He'd practiced calling on One For All into his arms with Kacchan, sure, but he hadn't tried it yet! He had no idea if his mediations had helped or not!

Aizawa seemed to look right at him as he said, "Welcome to UA's hero course! You either make it… Or you don't."

"Last place will be expelled?" the brown-eyed girl called out. She was the only one. "But it's only the first day of school! No, even if it wasn't the first day of school, this is too unfair!"

Aizawa was unimpressed unlike the rest of the class who was giving her looks of awe for talking back. "Natural disasters, big accidents, and evil villains. Calamities whose time or place can't be predicted. Japan is saturated with unfairness. Heroes are the ones who reverse those situations. You can either do that or you can't. It's kinder to find out now instead of making you work to the bone only to fail at the end. Go beyond. Plus Ultra." He crooked his finger and beckoned them. "Overcome unfairness with all you've got. Or go home."

No one else spoke up after that. They all took their turns at each challenge. Izuku was nervous as hell, but when he caught Kacchan's eye he gave a smile and a thumbs up. He couldn't afford to distract his boyfriend. And really… It wasn't so bad, was it? I mean, sure, he didn't have a flashy quirk, but the others had their own weaknesses with their quirks, right? If he could just get into the middle range, he wouldn't be dead last! He didn't have to be the best. Not yet. Not when he hadn't mastered One For All yet. He just had to survive to fight another day.

Determined, Izuku pulled on all the hard physical training over the course of the year and pushed himself to his very limit. He ran as fast as he could. Did the side-steps without hesitating. He did the grip tester and long jump yelling with effort. And he was starting to panic as he studied his classmates with sharp eyes trained to catch the smallest details.

Everyone was getting amazing scores at one test or another! So amazing that it was making the middle seem like last place. He had to do well on at least one event! Just one to secure his place here! All that was left besides the softball throw was the long distance run, sit-ups, and seated toe-touch. He either gave it his all on the ball throw or he risked falling into last place and getting expelled on his very first day.

Izuku stared down at the ball in his hand. He knew what Kacchan would say. It was stupid to break his body for something like this. But was it really? Yes, he could get training from other schools, but at this point in the year, he'd have to wait to apply until next semester. And would they really train him as well as UA would? He had to try to stay, didn't he? Wouldn't he regret it later if he didn't give it his all? And Recovery Girl was here. It wasn't like he'd be hurt for long, right?

…

"Fuck," Katsuki muttered under his breath as he watched Izuku from the sidelines.

He could clearly see the struggle the green-haired boy was going through. His face was twisted with anxiety and fear, but his eyes were bright with determination in the face of that fear. He knew exactly what Izu was thinking, the pressure he must be feeling.

Izuku had gone into a terrible depression at the thought of failing to get into UA only to to be told last minute that he actually got in, that his dream wasn't over… It had shaking Izuku to the core. He wanted it more than ever now, and their fucking homeroom teacher was threatening to take it all away again. It was beyond cruel and Katsuki sent their teacher a heartfelt death glare, not that Aizawa noticed. He was too busy watching Izuku.

"It doesn't look good for Midoriya if he continues like this," Glasses said from beside him.

Katsuki would have melted him with his eyes if he could. "You don't know shit about Deku," he snapped, voice tight and angry.

Motion caught out of the corner of his eye brought his gaze back to Izuku just as the the boy was winding his arm back. That eerie glow appeared the way it always did when he called forth One For All. Shit, he really was going to use it. Face twisted, Izuku threw the ball with all his might, only for the illumination to cut out abruptly before he could finish the throw, like a candle being instantly snuffed out.

Katsuki whipped his head over to their teacher whose hair had lifted and scarf had unwound like living things. A pair of yellow goggles sat around his neck and the pupils of his eyes glowed red. Shit, it was Eraserhead.

"I erased your quirk," their teacher growled, clearly pissed off. "The entrance exam was definitely not rational enough if a kid like you was accepted."

Izuku flinched, the blow hitting him hard. Katsuki clenched his fists and grit his teeth. What a fucking asshole! His palms began to smoke.

"From what I can tell, you can't control your quirk, can you? Do you intend to become incapacitated again and have someone save you?"

"Th-That's not my intention!" Izuku cried desperately.

Aizawa's scarf suddenly snapped out and grabbed Izuku around the chest, pulling him in close.

"What's he saying?" Katsuki demanded, flashing his eyes over to the tall, muscled teen with six arms.

Katsuki had noticed he was able to form sensory organs on the ends of his extra arms and they were extra perceptive. Fortunately for the kid's health, he didn't argue, simply formed an ear on the end of his tentacle-arm and pointed it in the direction of their teacher. The boy spoke lowly, repeating what their teacher was telling Izuku.

"… that's what those around you will be forced to do. Even if you have reckless courage, you'll just be turned into a liability after saving one person. Izuku Midoriya, with your uncontrolled power, you can't become a hero. You'll only get in the way and need to be saved yourself."

Katsuki hissed through his teeth, but Izuku's chin lowered and his jaw set. He'd heard that line all his life, and it only made him more stubborn and pushed him to go even harder. It still made Katsuki furious on Izuku's behalf.

"I've returned your quirk," their asshole teacher told Izuku loud enough for them all to hear without Octopus Boy filling them in. Izuku stood with his head bowed, his face hidden. "You have two turns for the ball throw. Take your second throw and fall into last place or break your arm. Either way you're leaving UA."

Katsuki glared as Izuku turned and walked back into the circle for the ball throw, head still lowered.

"I don't know if I would classify that as advice," Glasses muttered, clearly uneasy with spying on a private conversation and unhappy with what they had overheard.

"Because it wasn't. He's being a fucking bully, plain and simple," Katsuki spat, not taking his eyes off Izuku's tense form. He could see Izuku muttering to himself. He looked defeated, but Katsuki knew that wouldn't last long. Izuku had more mental resilience than anyone Katsuki had ever met.

Just as he expected, Izuku's head came up. With gritted teeth, his eyes stared forward, burning with determination. With a cry of pure effort, he wound his arm back and released. Katsuki caught his breath as the tell-tale glow appeared, but it was only around one of Izuku's fingers. Holy shit! What a fucking genius!

The ball was launched into the air and it soared out of sight. Aizawa's phone said in a robotic female voice seven hundred and five point three. The fucking nerd had beat his score! Izuku turned, tears gathered in his eyes, his expression so determined it made the whole class take in a breath. Only his pointer finger looked bruised and swollen, but Izuku managed to curl it into a fist, so maybe it wasn't completely broken. The egg visualization must be working.

Izuku met Aizawa head on, biting his lip and thrusting his fist with the injured finger toward him. "Look, sensei, I can still move! I don't need to be saved! I have grown since the entrance exam and I'll keep getting stronger!" he cried out defiantly.

The class gave a ragged cheer, but Katsuki was watching their teacher. The man was grinning, his eyes wide. Looked like Izuku had managed to impress him. Katsuki grinned and felt his shoulders relax. He shouldn't have been worried in the first place. Izuku had a way of inspiring others. It never failed.

Throughout the rest of the tests, Katsuki kept tabs on Izuku when he could. He wasn't about to get so distracted that he didn't score as high as he could on these stupid tests, but he wanted to make sure Izuku wasn't being an idiot again. From what he could see, his boyfriend was hurting, but he was gritting his teeth and getting through it.

Finally, after the last test was done, he made his way to Izuku's side. The teen was sprawled on the ground panting and covered in sweat. Katsuki offered him a hand and Izuku took it with his good one. They made their way to Aizawa who was waiting for them to gather.

Izuku stood with his teeth clenched and his eyes squeezed shut, looking like he'd already been told he'd failed, and Katsuki bumped his shoulder with a glare. "You're not going home, nerd," he whispered under his breath, frustrated that Izuku was so blind when it came to himself.

"You've been ranked by the total number of points you received for all eight tests," their teacher said as if bored and pushed a button.

A hologram scoreboard appeared before them. Their names were listed from one to twenty. Katsuki clicked his tongue when he saw that he'd come in at number three. He memorized the names above his: Momo Yaoyorozu and Shoto Todoroki. He was gunning for them.

His eyes then flashed to number twenty and read the name Izuku Midoriya. Izuku looked devastated. His boyfriend had lowered his head and clenched his injured hand into a brutal fist, a sound of pain escaping him. Katsuki shot a sharp elbow into his side. It made Izuku gasp and stagger, but his hand was open and he looked at Katsuki with a surprised, wounded expression.

"Stop clenching your fucking hand into a fist, Deku," he hissed, annoyed. Stupid, Izuku. Didn't he realize that if Aizawa sent him home, the class would practically riot? It wasn't going to happen.

Just then Aizawa cleared the scores and said, "By the way, I was lying about the expulsion." The class went still and Izuku's mouth fell open. Katsuki rolled his eyes. With an evil grin, their teacher continued, "It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your quirks."

"Of course it was a lie. Wasn't it obvious from the beginning?"

The girl who'd spoken was the one who had taken first place. She had glossy black hair pulled into a high ponytail that fanned high into the air behind her head. Katsuki's eyes narrowed on her. He didn't like her dismissive tone. She wasn't the only one who'd seen through the bullshit.

"That was nerve wracking, wasn't it?" a boy with elbows who shot tape said.

"I'll take up the challenge anytime!" another boy answered. He had red hair spikier than Katsuki's and could harden his body into stone.

"With that, we're done," Aizawa said, cutting into the conversations. "There are handouts with the curriculum and such in the classroom. Grab one and study it after you change. You're dismissed for the day."

Izuku practically folded in relief and Katsuki instinctively put his arm around his waist to support him. "What did I tell you about being an idiot, Deku?" he snapped, still annoyed with Izuku and with being third. It had been a shitty morning.

"I don't feel name-calling is appropriate!" Glasses butted in with a frown.

"Shut the fuck up. Was I talking to you?" Katsuki snarled.

"It's okay!" Izuku cut in quickly. He gave Glasses a smile and leaned into Katsuki's supportive hold. "Kacchan and I go way back. He wasn't being mean."

Aizawa stopped in front of them and handed Izuku a piece of paper. "Midoriya, have the old lady fix you in the nurse's office. Give her that note so she knows the healing is authorized. Bakugou, I'd like a word. Follow me."

Katsuki scowled, but Izuku pulled away and gave him a smile that let him know he could make it on his own. Giving in, Katsuki left the rest of the class to follow their teacher back toward the main building. They were just turning a corner of the locker rooms when they ran into All Might. Katsuki frowned. What the fuck was that idiot doing?

"Aizawa, you liar," All Might scolded, hands on his hips. He ignored Katsuki completely.

"So you were watching?" Aizawa asked, sounding bored.

"A rational deception? April Fool's was last week! You expelled an entire class last year. You really were going to expel last place. For you to change your mind, you also felt the potential of that kid, right?"

"Also?" Aizawa gave the famous hero a sharp look. "You seem to be supporting him quite a bit and you haven't even taught him yet. What's your interest in that kid?"

All Might flinched. Katsuki had to wonder if the man was actually an idiot.

Aizawa sighed when it was clear All Might wasn't going to say anything and began walking again. "His potential was not zero. That's all it was. I will always cut those without potential." More quietly so that only Katsuki could hear, he added, "There's nothing crueler than giving a kid false hope and then watching them break. Nothing more painful than watching them die."

Katsuki frowned at his back.

**End-**

**A/n: **Sorry for another cliff hanger (partial cliff hanger?). I wanted to get the chapter posted, but the convo with Aizawa is taking some real deliberation and I didn't want to push back updating. I have a lot of the next chapter written, I'm just going back and forth on **how much should be included in this conversation **and wanted the chance to hear your feedback/suggestions! I'm all ears you guys! :D


	15. Chapter 15

**Show Me What You Can Do**

Aizawa's office wasn't like any teacher's office that Katsuki had ever seen. There was a desk with a computer and stacks of papers, sure, but there were also weapons on the walls - daggers and small, single-hand axes - and there was a dark red statue as big as Katsuki's torso sitting in a corner. It looked like a demon and had six arms. Each hand held something different - a pen, sword, bowl, flower, a ball of something Katsuki couldn't make out, and the last hand was empty. The face was almost vulpine, and it definitely had a dark aura.

There were other things, too, cluttering up shelves and even the seats - crystals, rolled up parchment that looked ancient, books with really tattered bindings, discarded clothes all in black and dropped over the back of chairs, strange lamps that were twisted brass nightmares, a painting of the ocean at night…

It was too much to catalogue, especially with Aizawa sitting behind the desk watching Katsuki, his elbows on the surface of the desk and his fingers linked in front of his mouth. So Katsuki only had time for an initial visual sweep of the room, then he kept his attention focused on his new teacher, but the silence stretched.

Katsuki's frown turned into a glare. "Is there something you needed?" he demanded.

"I realize we do not know each other well," Aizawa began, his voice slow and exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot. "And normally I would give it a little more time before I have a conversation like this, but I'm not sure you have that time."

Katsuki's fists clenched at his sides. "You don't think I'll be staying," he stated boldly, ready to fucking get this over with.

"Your intelligence is impressive," Aizawa continued, "and you have a powerful quirk. More importantly, you have impressive control and have thought of really ingenious ways to use your explosions in order to increase your maneuverability and speed." He sighed and dropped his hands. "But you have a problem with people, Bakugou."

Katsuki set his jaw defensively, his heart pounding, but then he took a deep breath and deliberately uncurled his hands. As Aizawa pointed out, he wasn't dumb. He knew fighting this guy would be the death of his hero career, maybe not now but eventually. Katsuki had to prove that he had what it took. That meant working with others, respecting the system (flaws and all), and taking criticism without maiming people.

"Yeah. People, in general, frustrate me. They aren't…" Katsuki struggled to find the right word.

"Rational…" Aizawa said with an actual smile, sounding more alert. "Yes." He stared at Katsuki some more.

"I don't have to get along with people to be a hero," he pointed out impatiently.

"No," Aizawa agreed. His voice became almost soft. "I'm not worried about you becoming a hero. You're the type to do what he sets out to do come hell or high water. I'm concerned about your mental state. You display a lot of aggression, Bakugou, and anger. Even now you're angry."

Katsuki glared. "Is that a problem?"

Aizawa considered this. "Your anger spiked during the physical assessment when I was dealing with Midoriya, but you were still able to think strategically and make use of a classmate's quirk whom you'd only just met. You also remained vigilant and assessed the situation accurately, realizing Midoriya wouldn't be expelled before many of the others. Also, you've limited yourself to verbal attacks when classmates have challenged you. However, what are the odds it will stay that way? Your school record had an above average number of reports of physical altercations, so you are clearly prone to violence."

Katsuki's heart beat hard in his throat as the pro-hero in front of him cast judgement. Frustration and rage burned in his gut, spreading to his hands, but this wasn't a fucking surprise. He knew a conversation like this had been possible. That didn't make it any easier, however.

"When I fight, it's for good fucking reason," he growled hotly. "And I've never permanently maimed anyone in those fights, even when the losers deserved it."

Aizawa shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "Like I said, remarkable control over your quirk. I'm just wondering how long it will last."

_All you're good for is hurting people! - You'll never be a hero! - Your father was a murdering rapist! He'd be so proud of you…_ \- Katsuki did his best to slam the door on _her_ voice. _Fuck you, Mom!_ \- As his breathing quickened and a roar of rage screamed inside him, he still had the clarity to wonder if this was karma.

He'd been so pissed at Izuku when he'd been so reckless during the entrance exam. Katsuki had told him he could train to be a hero anywhere, he didn't need UA to get a license, but now that the specter of expulsion and rejection sat in front of him, he felt ready to do almost anything to prove he was worthy to be at this school.

None of this turmoil showed in his voice, however. When he spoke, his voice was painfully precise and controlled. "I respect your years as a teacher and a hero, Eraserhead, but you were wrong about Izuku, and you're wrong about me," he said with a careful calm that masked an ocean of rage. "Yeah, I'm angry, but like you said, I'm always fucking angry. I'm not some loser who becomes a loose canon as soon as their temperature rises."

He pointed his thumbs sharply at his chest. "I know how to manage my emotions, and I _always_ think shit through, regardless of what I'm feeling, so you can save the speech about how if I lose my temper and hurt someone, or if I go AWOL and ruin a mission, I'm out. I already fucking understand that."

Katsuki stepped closer so he was directly in front of the desk and planted his feet, body language aggressive. His voice dropped and some of the anger that always burned deep in his core leaked through. "And I want you to know, I'm not going to fuck this up, but I'm not going to let them hold me back, either. No matter what it takes, I'm going to be the best fucking hero the world has ever seen. Villains will fucking run when they know they're up against me."

Aizawa tilted his head to the side curiously. "Why does being a hero matter so much to you?"

Katsuki's expression twisted into a sneer, his eyes bright with conviction. "There's nothing weaker than hurting people you know can't win. It's self-delusion at it's worst. You want to really be strong? Then you find something to protect and then you fucking man up and protect it. If you succeed, then you know you're strong." He raised his hand, palm up. He released his quirk in a small, controlled blast and gave a vicious grin. "I have a lot to protect, Aizawa-sensei, so you don't have to worry about me. I will _never_ go villain."

Aizawa sighed and stood up. He came around the desk and leaned back against it. Katsuki refused to back down and held his position. This put him inches away from his teacher.

"That can backfire, too," Aizawa said softly, a look of concern on his face. "Even your urge to protect is dialed up, more explosive than the way others feel it." He crossed his arms, facing Katsuki squarely. "Let's take Midoriya, for example. You two are clearly close. You've known each other for a long time. Your school records put you in the same class since Elementary. What would you do if he was in trouble and you've been ordered to stand down…"

Katsuki was annoyed now. The heat of his anger cooled as he realized he wasn't really being judged. Judgement had already been cast and he'd been admitted. This was just some bullshit blah blah blah for a purpose Katsuki could never really understand. He crossed his own arms, growing bored with this conversation.

"I would make the best decision I could depending on the situation. If Izuku had a higher chance of survival by me staying put, I would. If I had a way I could help and minimize risks to everyone involved, I would share that information. If I was still shut down, I would fucking find a way around it. But you can manipulate any hypothetical to any result you want. So, sure, if you create a scenario where Izuku would die without my help and make it so I'm told I can't help him, I'd go rogue and save him. Not because I'm a villain or out of control, but because that's what a hero would fucking do for anyone, not just a personal friend."

Katsuki met Aizawa's eyes fearlessly, his gaze sharp and his tone even sharper. "Let's just skip to the fucking end where you create a scenario where Izuku dies… What would I do?… I would make sure the bastard who took him out couldn't hurt anyone else ever again, but I would do it within the law because Izuku would never forgive me if I became something I'm not. And I'm _not_ a fucking villain."

Aizawa actually smiled and reached forward. Katsuki tensed but held still. His eyes widened when his teacher put his hand on his head and ruffled his spiky hair. "I know you're not. I apologize, but I had to ask these questions. The administration was concerned about your history and wanted me to evaluate if you needed anger management classes. If you ever need help in managing your emotions, please let me know immediately. There's no shame in needing help. The only shame is in not taking advantage of every resource available to you."

His hand still resting softly on Katsuki's head, he leaned forward, expression earnest. "The school has great faith in your intellect as well as your abilities, otherwise you wouldn't have been accepted or placed in our most advanced hero class. And I, personally, believe in your great potential or I would not have accepted you in my homeroom, of that you can be certain."

His hand finally fell, but Katsuki remained rigidly tense from being touched so unexpectedly. "Thank you for being so honest. Please know you can count on me if you ever need to discuss any concerns you have."

Katsuki stood awkwardly, still caught off guard by the apparent support. "If that's all?"

"For today," Aizawa answered. "You're dismissed."

Katsuki nodded and made his way quickly from the office, telling himself that he wasn't running away, he was just in a hurry to check on Izuku. As if summoned by his thought, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Izuku had finished his treatment for his finger with Recovery Girl - deep bruising and strained ligaments, nothing broken - and he was ready to go home.

_I have to change. Meet you at the gate in fifteen, _he texted back.

…

Exhausted from the healing and the very emotional day, Izuku slowly made his way toward the front gate. He jumped when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder and turned around, eyes wide.

"Is your finger healed?" Iida asked politely, looking down at him.

Izuku relaxed a little and smiled. He lifted his bandaged finger. "Yeah, thanks to Recovery Girl. Her quirk is amazing!"

Iida began to walk, Izuku falling into step with him. "I was really fooled by Aizawa-sensei. I'm not sure I approve of his methods, even if it had been a deception. Some of the things he did crossed a line." He cut his eyes to Izuku. "I was very impressed with the way you held up under his verbal attacks. You should not have had to bear that burden."

"No, Iida," Izuku corrected gently. "It's his job to test us both physically and mentally. We are training to be heroes. It's a very dangerous job and we will face terribly hard things on the battlefield. He would be failing us if he didn't make sure we can survive that kind of lifestyle."

Iida stared at him, eyes wide, but before he could say anything a female voice called to them. It was the brown-eyed girl with the antigravity quirk, Ochaco Uraraka. She ran up on the other side of Izuku with a huge smile, her cheeks naturally pink.

"Are you two going to the station? I'll go with you!" she said cheerfully. "You're Tenya Iida, right?" She gave Izuku a sweet smile. "And you're Deku Midoriya!"

Izuku blushed. "Actually, my name is Izuku Midoriya. Deku is a nickname Kacchan gave me."

"Wow! You guys are so close!" she exclaimed. "It's a cool nickname, though. Sounds like the word for 'do your best', yeah? I think it's cute. It'll be a great hero name!"

Izuku smiled back at her. "I like it, too. At first I didn't because it meant 'useless', but Kacchan decided it actually meant 'never give up'."

"So you and Bakugou are friends?" Uraraka asked conversationally. "He's sure got an interesting personality."

"He's rude," Iida said firmly.

"He's rude," Izuku agreed, smiling fondly. "But he's also really honest. He doesn't deceive people. Even just in small ways like polite conversation and stuff. You always know exactly where you stand with him. And he's incredibly smart and strong. He never gives in. He'll fight to the death for something he believes in, and he wants to be a hero more than anything. I really admire him."

"Wow," Uraraka said, bending forward to look into his face. "You really know him well."

Izuku laughed. "We've been neighbors since we were babies and we've always ended up in the same class all through Elementary and Middle school. Now we're in the same class again."

"He's like a brother," Iida stated, nodding as if he understood some deep message.

Izuku gave him a bemused smile. Would Iida ever stop making snap judgments? "Not really," he corrected, but he didn't elaborate.

"I wonder what we'll do tomorrow if this was just the first day!" Uraraka changed the subject. "I can't imagine anything toping this, but I'm sure it will."

Izuku stopped as they came even with the outer gate and the other two stopped with him. "I'm waiting for Kacchan. You guys can go ahead if you want."

Uraraka and Iida shared a glance before Uraraka offered to wait with him.

Izuku checked his phone. "It'll only be about five more minutes, but you really don't have to. We can catch up tomorrow," he offered, knowing the two were still not comfortable with Kacchan.

"We will wait," Iida suddenly said firmly. "He is our classmate and it is our duty to make an effort to get to know him better."

Izuku gave him a smile. Iida was presumptuous and arrogant, but his heart was in the right place and his sense of duty was extremely strong. "Thanks, guys. I don't know what Aizawa-sensei wanted with him, so he might not be in a good mood," he warned.

Uraraka frowned. "Do you think he got in trouble already?"

Izuku shook his head. "He hasn't done anything worth getting in trouble for, but sensei is a bit of a loose canon. He's hard to predict."

"That is true," Iida said and shaded his eyes. The sun glinted off his rectangular glasses. "I see him now. He's running."

Uraraka giggled, her brown eyes sparkling. "He must be in a hurry to see you, Deku."

Izuku shook his head, smiling. "Probably burning off energy," he corrected. Then Kacchan was there. He was panting, an annoyed glare on his face. Izuku bumped his shoulder gently with his own. "Iida and Uraraka are going to the station, too," he explained.

"Whatever," Kacchan rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pocket before stomping down the path.

Izuku flashed their new classmates a smile and followed behind him. As expected Iida and Uraraka fell into step with him, giving Kacchan a little space. The two chatted mostly to each other with Izuku making a comment or suggestion here and there.

Once they were on the train, Izuku sat with Uraraka while Iida and Kacchan stood in front of them, holding the straps that hung from the ceiling. Iida got off first. Kacchan snorted, smirking, because it was the stop for a very affluent section of the district. Two stops later, they'd reached their neighborhood and Izuku very politely said goodbye to Uraraka.

She waved happily, a big smile on her features. "See you tomorrow!"

Izuku cast a glance at his boyfriend as they walked slowly home. "What did Aizawa-sensei want?"

Kacchan said nothing for a long minute. Then he sighed. "Wanted to see if I could control my temper."

Izuku frowned. He could put two-and-two together, and he was so sick of people questioning Kacchan's integrity! He was the most amazing person in the world! Angry, he stopped and grabbed Kacchan's arm. Kacchan turned to face him, annoyance flashing across his face. Under his hand, Izuku could feel Kacchan tensing to pull away, but he held on.

"You're an amazing hero, Kacchan," he said fiercely, glaring up into his boyfriend's eyes. "You've risked your life and even risked being caught and labeled a vigilante, putting your hero career in jeopardy, to help the people I saw in my visions. And you've stood by me, even when what I'm going through has been overwhelming and hard to deal with." He gave Kacchan's arm a little shake, his voice growing louder. "You could _never_ be a villain. You're not capable of that kind of selfishness. In fact, you're one of the least selfish people I know. I'd believe All Might could turn villain before you ever would!"

And, suddenly, his words were halted by Kacchan's lips, his mouth practically speared by Kacchan's tongue. Izuku felt his righteous anger disappear as he was swamped by the sensation of Kacchan pulling him firmly against his chest, cupping the back of his head, and kissing him breathless. Chest tight with overwhelming emotion, Izuku clutched at Kacchan's shoulders and kissed him back, tears burning down his cheeks.

Nipping and sucking, breaking away only to come right back, mouths slanting together at a deeper angle, they kissed until Izuku grew lightheaded and dizzy. He leaned against Kacchan's chest, panting. His fingers and toes tingled and his pants had grown tight.

"Wow," he breathed, voice hoarse, his lips tingling and swollen.

"Shut up, nerd." Kacchan gently pushed him back and Izuku saw that he was smiling, his own lips and cheeks flushed. "Be ready for tomorrow. We're going to show them all what we're made of."

Izuku nodded, still dazed. He smiled dreamily. "Yeah. Tomorrow…"

His mom had a special dinner cooked to celebrate his first day at UA. She listened with a proud, teary smile as he talked excitedly about his new classmates and how amazing Kacchan had done during the physical assessment, but he didn't mention his own ball throw. The fact was, he still hadn't told her about his new "quirk".

He didn't really know how to go about it and still keep All Might's secret. All Might had been the one to help him change his quirk registry, and they had labeled him as a "late-bloomer of a strength-based quirk", but his mom would know better. After all, it was well known that it was impossible to have two quirks.

Izuku flopped down on his bed with a tired sigh, still thinking about how he was going to explain all this to his mom. He rolled over and grabbed his phone. He was about to text Kacchan, but then he decided to try All Might. His mentor had been more in touch since he learned about Izuku's visions, and he seemed genuinely happy when Izuku asked him for advice.

Izuku:

hey, hope I'm not bothering you

A minute later, his phone rang, and he smiled as he answered it. He'd come to quickly understand that his mentor much preferred actually talking versus text. "Hello?"

"_You're not bothering me at all, young Midoriya. In fact, I was just about to call you and ask how your first day went?"_ Toshinori asked.

"It went okay," he said and then sighed. "I thought I'd be expelled for a minute, but I used One For All to throw the ball really far. Seven hundred meters! And it didn't even break my finger! Just deep bruising and a swollen joint. I think the visualizations are working!"

"_That's excellent, Izuku. I'm really proud of you."_

Izuku flushed happily. "I was actually calling for another reason. I still haven't told my mom about my new abilities. I don't know how to explain it without telling her about One For All."

"_I see," _his mentor said thoughtfully. _"You brought the problem to the right person. Don't you worry. I will figure something out."_

Izuku smiled. "Thank you, Toshinori-sensei."

"_Get some sleep, Izuku." _His mentor's voice became almost playful. _"You're going to need it."_

Izuku stared at his phone, worried.

…

Izuku had told Katsuki what All Might had said on the phone, but the next day seemed pretty basic. They had English, Math, Science, and History before breaking for lunch. Izuku practically fanboyed the whole day as they met their teachers and even the cafeteria staff, all of whom had been or were currently serving as pro-heroes.

Katsuki glared as several kids gravitated to Izuku and sat with them. There was the girl with pink cheeks and the ass with glasses, of course, but there was now also the loud-mouthed redhead who could turn his body to stone. As the the new boy peppered Katsuki with questions and comments, he realized it wasn't Iuzku the redhead was so impressed with. Turned out, he was a fan of Katsuki's.

Katsuki shot Izuku a death glare as his boyfriend smiled happily. He knew Izuku was thinking something lame like he'd made a friend or some shit, but Izuku had long ago grown immune to even his worst glares and continued to smile.

_Finally_, lunch was over and they headed back to their classroom for Hero Basic Training, which lasted the entire afternoon. Katsuki cracked his knuckles and grinned, he was more than ready for whatever these assholes had in store for them.

Suddenly a loud, booming voice called out from the hallway. "I AM…" The door was flung open and All Might leaned in, dramatically grabbing the sides of the doorway and standing on his toes. "…COMING IN LIKE A NORMAL PERSON."

Katsuki snorted. All Might wouldn't know normal if it hit him in the face. The rest of the class wasn't nearly as unimpressed. There were gasps and reverent whispers of - "It's All Might!" - "All Might's going to be our teacher!?" - "Oh my god…" - and Katsuki had to admit it was pretty cool. All Might was wearing his costume from almost a decade ago: red top, yellow gauntlets, and blue tights - all of which showcased his extremely muscular body.

"I will be one of your teachers for Hero Basic Training," All Might said, taking a position behind the teacher's podium. "It's where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. Let's get right to it, then! Today you'll have your first…" He drew the pause out dramatically, grinning. "Combat Training!" he yelled and held up a card that spelled in bubble letters: BATTLE.

"Fuck yeah," Katsuki muttered under his breath. Sitting next to him, the redheaded stone-skin kid heard him and shot him a toothy grin, his teeth pointed like a shark's, and flashed a thumbs-up.

"And to go with that," All Might continued gesturing dramatically to the wall of the classroom where mechanical drawers slid out on cue. "Here are your costumes based on your quirk registration and requests that you sent in before school started. After you change, gather in Ground Beta!"

The class gave a round of agreement and All Might strode dramatically to the exit.

Katsuki found his costume and flashed Izuku a confident smile. They'd talked endlessly about their hero costumes, so it was thrilling to finally see what the school had come up with. He just hoped the support company that worked exclusively with UA didn't pull any punches and gave him what he asked for.

His designs had been a bit bulky, but it was badass and had practical purpose, too. Izuku, on the other hand, had wanted something less intimidating that people would find reassuring and would let him move as freely as possible, utilizing his flexibility and speed. Katsuki had made a few suggestions, however, so that his boyfriend would look a little badass.

Once Katsuki got his costume on, he grinned. A dramatic headpiece haloed his head. It was black with orange outlining in the shape of flames and was held in place by the mask that went over this face like a blindfold but with circles cut out for his eyes. The material was specially designed to resist heat and flames and would help protect his face from the backlash of his explosions.

He also wore a dramatic metal collar two inches high that had holes in it and actually held charge cartons for his gauntlets. A schematic that came with his costume assured him that the cartons were perfectly safe until they were actually loaded in his gauntlets.

He had on a v-neck, black tank-top of flame resistant material with a dark red X that ran from each shoulder and crossed over his chest before running to the bottom of the shirt. A thick, dark green utility belt went around his waist and had a dozen pockets and a few grenades attached to it.

On his hands were gloves that looked similar to thick welding gloves. They ran up past his elbow; a red band held them in place around his bicep. They were specially designed with his quirk in mind. The red material on the palm-side of the hands would let his explosions through without being damaged.

But his favorite part of the entire costume were his gauntlets, which would attach to the material of the gloves. They were shaped like enormous green grenades - with a silver pin and all - as large as big watermelons and ran from his wrists to his elbows. They were strong enough to be used as bludgeoning weapons, but their true purpose was to store his explosive sweat - via the special gloves - so that he could let off even larger explosions. The explosive power they would be capable of would be devastating, and he couldn't wait to try them out. To finish off the look, he wore loose, black cargo pants, and for shoes, he wore black combat boots with orange bottoms to match his headpiece.

"You look amazing, Kacchan!"

He couldn't help preening a bit and gave Izuku a once-over. Izuku's costume was much simpler. He wore a green jumpsuit with a white stripe down the sides for effect. The material was special and would be much more resilient and protective than what could be found commercially. The jumpsuit had a hood attached. Raised, it served as a mask and covered most of his face except for Izuku's nose, mouth, and chin. The top of the hood had two vaguely rabbit-like ears on top, a little wider and shorter than a rabbit's, each about twelve-inches long.

"Why a rabbit?" he'd asked.

"Rabbits are cute. People won't be afraid of me, and…" Izuku had blushed. "It kind of reminds me of All Might, those two wing-like bangs he wears up above his head."

Katsuki had shaken his head at that, but he had to admit Izuku had a point. Victims would hesitate and maybe even run from Katsuki's intimidating form, which was fine by him because that meant he would be able to let loose with them out of the way. Izuku's look was much more comforting.

Of course, Katsuki had insisted on Izuku having some edge, and he had helped him design a detachable mouth piece with a demented and intimidating grin painted on it. When Izuku snapped the black mask closed over his nose and mouth, he actually looked a bit disturbing.

To accessorize the simple design, Izuku also wore specially designed black elbow pads and knee pads that would help protect his joints from falls, but also from the force of One For All. The bulky white gloves on his hands would do the same thing, protecting his hands. Finally, on his feet were red combat boots that matched the red utility belt he wore around his waist.

"Not bad, nerd," Katsuki complimented with a grin. He held his fist out and Izuku knocked it with his own, smiling back. "You ready?"

The whole class walked silently out to Ground Beta. Their heads were held high as they moved with a boost of confidence their costumes had inspired. All Might was waiting for them just inside the massive, tunnel-like gate.

"They say the clothes make the man," he said dramatically. "Be fully aware… From now on… You are heroes!" He waited for them to line up in front of him and flashed a thumbs-up, his voice thick with emotion. "That's great, everyone! You all look cool! Now, shall we begin?"

"Sensei!" Glasses raised his hands sharply. His costume was a full suit of armor, streamlined and gleaming with black accenting pieces and gloves. Golden metal mufflers came out of his legs, clearly meant to boost his engine quirk. He didn't wait to be called on, the arrogant ass, calling out his question, "This is one of the battle arenas from the entrance exam, so will be conducting urban battles again?"

All Might struck a pose, showing them two raised fingers. "No, we're going to move two steps ahead!"

He explained that most fights with villains happened in an urban setting and mostly indoors, so they would be doing a simulation where they'd be broken into teams. One team would be the villain team. The second team would be the heroes. The villains had to guard a bomb they planned to set off that would destroy the city. To win, the heroes had to either confiscate the bomb or capture the villains. The villains had to either keep the heroes away from the bomb or capture the heroes.

"Without basic training?" a frog-like girl asked, tilting her head.

"This is basic training! How else do you learn except by doing?" All Might gave a boisterous laugh. "Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!" He showed them a yellow box.

Glasses took a step forward and demanded, "Should this be done so haphazardly without any strategic analysis about compatibility?"

Katsuki opened his mouth to tell him to shut the fuck up already, but Izuku spoke first, voice understanding but also firm.

"Iida, pros often have to create makeshift teams with heroes from other agencies. We have to be able to work with any type of person. A good policy would be to assume the teachers here know what they are doing before questioning it."

Glasses's body language became less combative instantly, like fucking magic. "I understand. I apologize for my rudeness." He gave a sharp ninety-degree bow. "I did not mean to imply I found the curriculum lacking." He straightened and even took a step back.

_Thank fuck, _Katsuki thought with a roll of his eyes.

All Might coughed into his fist awkwardly and spun around so his back was to them. "Yes. Well!" He pumped his fist into the air. "Let's do this quickly so we can begin! Each of your names have been placed in this box. I will pull two names at a time and will form Teams A through J."

Izuku's name was pulled first along with Cheeks. The girl jumped up and down excitedly, clearly happy to be paired with Deku. Katsuki's name was pulled fourth, Team D, and he hissed in disgust as soon as he heard Glasses name paired with his own.

"You better stay out of my way," he said threateningly as the teen approached him.

"How rude!" Glasses said, aghast.

Katsuki's annoyed glare transformed into a massive grin, however, when he was paired up against Deku's team for the first battle. His eyes instantly locked with Izuku's, and his smile widened when Izu met his stare with a determined one of his own.

All Might's booming voice grabbed his attention and he faced forward. "Villain team go in first and get set up! In five minutes, the hero team will break in and the battle will start! Those of you assigned to act like villains, learn to think from a bad guy's perspective. It will help you fight them in the future. Do your best to challenge the heroes. This is pretty close to a real battle. Go all out. Don't be afraid to get hurt. If things go to far, I will stop it… PLUS ULTRA!"

The class gave a ragged cheer and Katsuki allowed his hands to pop. He marched right up to Izuku. Cheeks took a step back, her eyes wide, like the weakling she was, but Izuku held his ground, chin up and eyes bright. He ignored Glasses's heavy hand on his shoulder, trying to halt him.

"You better go all out, Deku," he said, voice low and intimidating. "Because I'm sure as hell going to."

"Bring it on, Kacchan," Izuku said fearlessly. "I'm not going to let you beat me this time."

…

As Izuku and Uraraka made their way inside the building to set up for the heroes, Izuku thought about his partner and how he could make use of her quirk.

"Hey… Deku?… I thought you and Bakugou were close," she said, head tilted curiously. "But that sounded more like you're enemies."

Her costume was a skintight black and pink spandex suit with a pink helmet-type thing that looked like a reduced astronaut's helmet. She also had a pink utility belt that was round and bubble-like and pink bubble-like platform boots that gave her an extra three inches in height, putting her an inch taller than him. She looked both mysterious and cute. Izuku approved; it would be a popular look.

"We're not enemies," Izuku denied, expression serious. He clenched his fists. "In fact, I really want to impress him. Kacchan's super amazing. He's strong and smart, and his quirk is really powerful. He's always been better than me at hero stuff, but I'm going to work hard, harder than anybody, to prove that I'm strong, too! And prove that I can stand at his side without being a burden. I want him to know I can be strong enough to protect him, too!"

Uraraka's big brown eyes went wide and shiny. "Wow! It's a fated battle between men!"

Izuku blushed.

Pushing open the door to the fifth floor, his eyes widened. They had found the bomb right where All Might had said it would be, but he hadn't expected it to be so big! It was as tall as the ceiling and five feet across! It was definitely too big to move around, even with Uraraka's quirk; it wouldn't fit through the doors or windows. They would have to defend this ground. He looked around. There wasn't much to work with: a few cheap desks and chairs. The room was practically empty.

"So what's the plan?" Uraraka asked.

He turned to her, surprised at her serious tone.

She stood with her feet braced, her expression determined. "I won't hold you back, Deku. I'll help you win and show Bakugou just how strong we are!"

Izuku smiled, his heart beating hard and smooth in his chest. "Okay. Tell me about your quirk…"

…

Katsuki stood outside the building waiting for the villain's prep time to be up so they could advance. All Might had disappeared with the rest of the class to some viewing area. His grin widened as he stretched his shoulders and jumped on his toes a few times. Good. Let them fucking watch! They'd see how great he really was.

"Oi. Glasses. Deku's going to come after me to keep me away from the bomb despite Cheeks not having a lot of defensive capability. You run ahead with those legs of yours and take her out while I keep Deku busy."

"My name…" the armored teen said tensely. "Is Iida. I would appreciate it if you called me such. And if that is such a poor strategy, then why would Midoriya employ it? He doesn't strike me as someone…"

Katsuki cut him off. They didn't have much time and the boy always used ten words when one would do. "I know Deku, okay?" he snapped impatiently. "He would think of it as protecting her. He'll tell her to stay back and try to take us on himself."

Glasses stood for a long minute before giving a nod. "I acknowledge the fact that you have intimate knowledge on one of the villains and will heed your advice in this situation. We will do things your way."

Katsuki flashed him a grin. "Good. Stick by me until Deku shows up. As soon as I have him engaged, disappear and find that fucking bomb."

"You seem awful eager to fight Midoriya," Glasses said, voice disapproving.

"Hell yeah, I'm eager. I'm going to fucking show Deku just how much stronger I've gotten." He cracked his neck a final time and strode to the door. "Times up. Let's fucking _win_ this."

…

Izuku stood waiting on the second floor. He was sweating inside his hood. He'd run back down the floors, jamming all the doors on each floor closed. It would slow Iida down as he searched for the room with the bomb. Hopefully, it would be enough time for him to capture Kacchan and get back up to Uraraka to help her defeat Iida.

Suddenly, the door to the stairs was kicked violently open and Kacchan strode through, grinning. "Lookie, here. I've found a deku," he growled.

Izuku's hands trembled, but he clenched them into fists to hid it. His mask was clasped closed and he felt protected behind it, knowing only his eyes were visible above the sharp grin. He took a deep breath and let his voice project, steeling himself to his role.

"You're too late, heroes! This city is done for! You'll never stop us!"

He didn't wait for Kacchan's response, instead charging forward. Iida was still behind Kacchan on the stairs. Izuku twisted his body gracefully and launched himself feet first right at Kacchan's abdomen. Kacchan set off a blast that propelled him to the side and out of range of the attack, but that left Iida wide open just as Izuku had predicted.

The soles of his boots hit the bigger teen right in the breastplate with all the force of his body weight. Iida was launched down the stairs with a huge bang and clash. He didn't even have time to scream. Izuku absorbed the force as much as he could by bending his knees, but he still fell hard.

He didn't let the shock of the fall slow him down, however. He knew better than that. He rolled backward just as a blast exploded the floor where he'd fallen. The top few stairs crumbled. No enough that Iida couldn't get back up them, unfortunately.

"You're mine, Deku!" Kacchan screamed and thrust his right hand forward.

The blond's palm glowed ominously with dangerous heat and Izuku, still on his back on the floor, kicked Kacchan's arm upward. The ceiling exploded. Concrete and dust fell around them, creating a blinding cloud. A larger piece of concrete hit Izuku in the shoulder, bruising him badly, but it wasn't enough to make his arm useless, so he ignored it.

His mask protected him from breathing the worst of the dust in, otherwise he'd be coughing up a storm, giving away his position. Instead, he stayed low and used the dust screen to scramble away as quietly as he could, to put some distance between him and Kacchan while he recovered his balance.

He looked back just as Kacchan's gloved hand broke through the cloud and exploded inches from his face. He'd turned and gotten his arms up in time, but the force still slammed him backward, knocking the breath from his lungs and burning half his hood away.

"That all you got, Deku?" Kacchan growled and stomped closer, haloed by dust and smoke.

He was an intimidating sight and Izuku felt awed by Kacchan's sheer power. Instinctively, he rolled away from the wall to give himself space to maneuver and launched onto his feet. His mask was still attached to his face, so he wheezed and gasped in as much air as he could, his entire body throbbing painfully.

Kacchan attacked, screaming and throwing a right punch. Izuku anticipated just that and slipped in under his boyfriend's reach, grabbed his arm, and flipped Kacchan over his shoulder. The blond landed on his back so hard he bounced.

"You always… lead with… your right… when you think… you've won," Izuku gasped, hand flying to tie the tape he'd managed to wrap around Kacchan's right wrist, but Kacchan's left hand came up and Iuzku had to dodge the hot explosion, releasing his hold on the tape.

…

Katsuki's blood thundered and he couldn't stop grinning. This was the most fucking fun he'd had in forever! He got to his feet and noticed his gauntlet flash red. It was ready. He caught Izuku's eyes and lifted his arm.

"Let's see you dodge this, Deku."

He waited until he saw Izuku's body tense in preparation of throwing himself down a side-hallway before pulling the pin. A deafening roar rocked the building around them. Flames and force exploded forward down he hallway before blowing a hole in an outside wall.

The explosion nearly jerked Katsuki's arm out of the socket, even though he'd braced the gauntlet with his other arm. Sliding back several feet, he just barely managed to stay standing. Glass and concrete rained down on the street below, but the hallway was mostly intact. The surface of the floor, walls, and ceiling were torn up, but they were still structurally sound.

Riding high on a wave of adrenaline, Katsuki ran forward, ready to end this and take his victory! Izuku was standing, disoriented from the conclusive force. Katsuki didn't give him a chance to recover. This was a battle. He had to prove his strength, but he also needed Izuku to be ready to face real villains. There was no point in pulling his punches.

"Here's the right hook you love so much!" Katsuki screamed, giving Izuku a split second of warning. He swung his gauntlet around and it slammed into Izuku's left arm.

With a cry, Izuku was knocked off his feet, but he rolled away from Katsuki's foot as he brought his boot down to pin the nerd.

"Give up, Deku! You've lost!" he roared, honestly annoyed that Izuku was still fighting. It was clear who had won this fight! Izuku was beat to hell and Katsuki was still untouched. Why prolong this? It was over.

"I'll never give up!" Izuku screamed back, green eyes burning with an almost manic obsession. He was on his feet again. "I'm going to beat you!" he cried.

Katsuki hissed, truly angry now. It was Izuku's refusal to give in when he should that put him in so much danger. He launched himself forward. Izuku leapt almost at the same moment to meet him, his arm pulled back for a punch.

Katsuki's mind worked rapidly, factoring in the startling realization that Izuku was going to use his uncontrolled quirk on him. He thrust his arm forward, palm glowing with the beginnings of an explosion, to force Izuku to dodge and stop the punch, but instead of dodging, Katsuki felt the blow connect, felt the push back as the explosion impacted flesh. Almost at the same instant, he heard Izuku's desperate scream of: "SMASH!"

Izuku's fist flew upward instead of at Katsuki. As the ceiling was blasted away by enormous force, Katsuki staggered, protecting his face with his arms. Disbelieving, he looked up to see a hole going up several floors to the roof. And, there, floating upward was the fucking bomb, ready to drop and destroy the entire city. Glasses either hadn't found the girl and the bomb yet or he'd been captured by her.

"The villain team… WINS!" All Might's voice suddenly boomed out of hidden speakers.

Katsuki dropped his eyes to his boyfriend. Izuku stood, his left arm still up in a block, protecting his face. It was still pink and blistered, but it wasn't anything like his forearm and shoulder, his costume burnt away and the flesh underneath black and cracked with oozing red underneath. His right arm hung limp, bruised and swollen grotesquely.

Determined green eyes met his horrified ones. "I had… to… I tried… not to… use it… but was… only way… I could win…"

Katsuki instinctively leapt forward to catch the fucking idiot as he collapsed unconscious, his body going into shock. "You fucking idiotic piece of shit," he growled, panting and heart hammering, unable to look away from Izuku's horrifically burnt arm. "What the hell were you thinking?"

All Might appeared then, along with two robots. He watched, numb, as Izuku was loaded onto the stretcher. "Recovery Girl will set him right," the hero told him consolingly.

"And you think that makes this fucking okay?" Katsuki asked, voice cold and quiet. "He's going to get himself fucking killed. You realize that, right? He has no fucking sense of self-preservation. Never fucking has."

He suddenly looked All Might right in the eye. This was the hero he'd admired and aspired to beat since he was four-fucking-years-old, and he didn't give a rat's ass in that moment. His voice became dark and angry as he shoved the massive hero in the chest. "And if you don't do something about it, All Might, you'll have wasted your precious fucking quirk on a dead fucking body."

Not waiting for a response, Katsuki turned sharply on his heel and made his way through the debris and out of the fucking building. He found his fucking useless partner supporting Deku's partner on the sidewalk outside. The girl looked on her last legs, unable to stand on her own. She'd clearly given it her all just as Deku had, but at least she wasn't going to the hospital.

"The fuck happened?" he demanded of Glasses. It wasn't fair, maybe, but if the loser had done his fucking job, the match would have been called before Deku had decided to destroy himself for the win.

"I was not prepared for the level of resistance I met, and Midoriya's blast separated me further from the bomb."

Katsuki shot him a disgusted look and turned his back.

All Might exited the building. He didn't say anything to Katsuki, which suited him just fine. He led them back to a room near the gate to the arena. It had several tv monitors, allowing the students to watch the battles. Their class stared at Katsuki in silence. Only the the redhead stone-skin kid approached him.

The redhead hit Katsuki's shoulder, grinning. "That was epically manly, Bakugou."

Kastuki gave him a dull glare and crossed his arms.

"Alright! Well!" All Might cleared his throat and struck a pose as if everything was fine. Jovially, he said, "That got more crazy than I expected for our first battle simulation!"

"You can say that again!" a pink-skinned girl cried excitedly. "The losers are practically untouched and the winners look beaten!"

A boy in a dark cloak who had a bird-head with ink black feathers drawled thoughtfully, "They lost the battle, but won the war, huh?"

All Might struck another pose. "MVP for this battle goes to… Tenya Iida!"

Glasses looked shocked. "What?"

All Might flashed a thumbs up. "Can anyone tell me why?"

"Yes, sir! I can!" Ponytail Girl, the one who had scored above Katsuki on the physical fitness test Aizawa had given them, raised her hand in the air before All Might had even finished his question. "Iida adapted the most to the context of the training. As All Might-sensei told us earlier, it is foolish to launch a large-scale attack indoors the way Bakugou did from his gauntlet and Midoriya did at the end. It destroyed the stronghold they were both meant to protect if for different reasons.

"In the same way, taking into consideration the damage he received, Midoriya's plan was too rash and reckless. Had this been a real fight, he would not have survived. Bakugou would have killed him as soon as he collapsed. As for Uraraka, she let her guard down mid-battle, and her final attack was too reckless. If she had treated the fake bomb as a real weapon, she would not have been able to do something so dangerous as flinging objects around right near it.

"Iida is MVP because he caused the least damage to the building and acted the most cautiously. His only flaw was incorrectly preparing for Uraraka's use of the environment and not anticipating her creativity. The villain team only won because they took advantage of the fact that this was a training simulation, but in essence they did not adhere to the spirit of the exercise. Midoriya should have yielded. Uraraka was also outmatched by her opponent."

The whole class stared at her.

"Yes…" All Might shifted awkwardly and cleared his voice. "Thank you for such a detailed account, young Yaoyorozu. That is correct."

The girl lifted her chin proudly. "We should always start with the basics to develop depth of learning. We must devote ourselves wholeheartedly. Otherwise, we cannot become top heroes."

"Yes… Well, any other observations?" All Might asked the class.

The boy with half white, half red hair raised his hand. Although his costume hid the red side of his hair as fake ice encased his entire left side. "Bakugou doesn't look like the type to think things through, but he's more subtle than I expected."

Katsuki lifted an eyebrow.

The redhead asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

Half-and-Half answered, tone almost bored. "His fighting style, for all that it was loud and dramatic, was actually very strategic. For example, he was able to change his course mid-air and judged his explosions precisely. He announced his most dangerous attacks before landing them to give Midoriya warning, and he even waited to fire his gauntlet blast until Midoriya was in a safe position to dodge."

Ponytail Girl weighed in. "Getting in a clean hit while fighting against inertia requires fine lateral adjustments to the power of the explosions."

A blond with a black streak in his hair threw up his hands dramatically. "He's just too talented! Ugh!"

Katsuki flashed him a sneer, but he still refused to participate in the conversation.

"All right!" All Might clapped his hands. "I am pleased you are all paying attention and learning from your classmates. For now, let us move on and prepare for the next battle! Next up we have Shoji and Todoroki as the heroes and Ojiro and Hagakure as the villains! Let's go beyond, kids! PLUS ULTRA!"

Katsuki's eyes followed the Half-and-Half bastard as he walked out of the room for his fight. He was the other one above him during that stupid physical test. Interestingly enough, Half-and-Half and Ponytail Girl both got in on recommendation and didn't have to take the entrance exam. Would Katsuki not have taken first place in the entrance exam if they had taken it? Looked like he was about to find out.

Mood black, rage simmering under his skin, Katsuki kept his eyes focused on the monitors, ignoring everyone around him.

**End -**

**A/n:** Oooooh Izuku's in _truuuuuuble!_

So… I switched Team Kastsuki to the hero role. Izuku and Uraraka acted as the villains. I imagined after his conversation with Katsuki Aizawa would have asked All Might to arrange it so that Katsuki's team, whoever he was paired with, was placed as the hero group as he's now aware just how sensitive that topic is for Katsuki. Otherwise, I left the battle mostly alone…. This time! _(wink)_

**Let me know what you think of the changes and also what you think of what I chose to leave the same. Did you like it? Have any suggestions for future? More like canon? Less?**

THANK YOU TIMES A MILLION for all the support and feedback! I couldn't do this without you! PLUS ULTRA!


	16. Chapter 16

**Breaking Invisible Walls**

Izuku drifted in a numb haze. He was sleeping, but he wasn't sleeping at the same time. He heard in a fuzzy way soft rustling sounds around him, could vaguely feel the pain - different in type - in each arm, and he heard when a door eventually opened and shoes clicked their way near to his bedside.

"It's the first day of the school year," Recovery Girl's voice, floating across an ocean, reached him. "And he's already been here three times! Why didn't you stop him, All Might?"

"I apologize."

Izuku's wit sharpened slightly, enough for him to realize it was his mentor's voice, but not in his hero form. It was Toshinori's voice, the voice of the true All Might, a man skeletal and injured. There was something wrong with All Might being in that form right now, but Izuku couldn't remember why.

"What are you apologizing to me for? On top of his total exhaustion, he was here just yesterday. I can't treat him all at once this time. I gave him first aid, but we'll have to wait for his body to heal slowly overnight. I know he's your favorite and that you passed on your powers to him, but that doesn't mean you should spoil him. You need to teach him to be more responsible with himself and not let him use his power so recklessly as he wills."

"Will you please not talk about One For All so loudly?"

"Yes, yes, Mr. Natrual-Born Hero. Mr. Symbol of Peace. Chh. Is being seen as a 'natural-born hero' so important?"

"If I am discredited, evil will rise and innocents will be hurt, Recovery Girl. How can I in good conscience allow that? I must keep my secret for them, not for me!"

"But why do you think it would discredit you if people were to learn you were not born with your quirk? You are still a hero!"

"Because then they will know that I am losing that quirk! That it's not mine to keep! Midoriya is not ready to step in. I have to hold tight to my reputation until he is."

"If that's the case, then it's even more important for you to learn what it means to guide someone."

"Yes, ma'am. Young Bakugou said something similar to me. I will have to think on this."

At his boyfriend's name, Izuku's heart rate picked up and his eyes fluttered as he fought his way to true consciousness.

Recovery Girl gave a harsh snort. "You should have thought it through long before you took on a successor, All Might!"

"I am realizing that," Toshinori answered, voice solemn.

Izuku finally cracked open his eyes. He was in a hospital bed, but not a hospital. He recognized the room as the infirmary at UA. A white curtain was drawn closed around his bed. He could see the silhouettes of Toshinori and Recover Girl on the other side.

"Midoriya is awake," the nurse said, almost resigned.

Izuku watched as the curtain drew back and his mentor stood there. He was still in his Silver Age costume, but it looked deflated and hung on him almost comically in his true form. Toshinori gave him a half-smile before approaching and sitting in the chair beside his bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly. He pushed a button to raise the head of the bed so Izuku was more sitting up than lying down.

Izuku looked down at himself. His right arm - the one he'd used to punch the ceiling - was in a dark blue sling and had a soft cast around it. His left arm - the one he remembered using to block Kacchan's blast - had soft bandages wrapped from his wrist to over his shoulder.

"It doesn't hurt too bad," he rasped pathetically. "Did I break the arm?"

Toshinori nodded. "Unfortunately. Breaks are harder to heal. You'll heal slowly overnight. The bandages and sling will come off tomorrow, but your right arm will be fragile for a few weeks. You'll have to take care of it."

Tears filled Izuku's eyes. "I-I'm s-sorry…"

Toshinori sighed and rested his hand on Izuku's head. "I have a feeling you're not sorry for the right thing."

"I-I still c-can't use O-One For A-All yet," he sobbed. "I-I've been t-trying so h-hard to v-visualize, like y-you s-said, but i-it's r-really hard t-to do in b-battle."

"That's going to take time, Izuku. I told you that," Toshinori rebuked. "And perhaps it's my fault, as well. When I inherited One For All, it came to me so easily. I hardly needed instruction, but I know that isn't the case for all users. My mentor took almost two years before she was truly able to master One For All. I will make a few calls, see if I can find techniques that might help you, but I want you to remember it's only been a month and a half, okay? Don't be sorry about not mastering your new quirk."

Izuku wiped at his eyes with his left hand and realized he had an IV in the crook of that arm as it pulled with the movement. His stomach dropped as he began to understand just how injured he'd been. It had to be bad if he still needed so much assistance even after Recovery Girl.

"Kacchan…" he whispered, terrified.

"You're getting closer as to why you should be sorry," his mentor said, tone serious. He reached out to lift Izuku's chin with his finger to ensure eye contact. "You gave your friend quite the scare. Aizawa told me to make sure to place young Bakugou on the hero side during training. When I asked why, he said we wouldn't be doing him any favors by helping his classmates see him as a villain. Knowing Bakugou's personality, I'm guessing he's been called a villain before and it's hurt him."

Izuku was trembling, his green eyes huge as he looked up at All Might.

"Today in training you showed remarkable courage and fortitude. You pushed past your limits and sacrificed yourself so that you could achieve your goal." Toshinori sighed. He placed a hand over Izuku's slinged right arm. "And, sometimes, as a hero, you will have to go to those lengths, to save people or stop a terrible villain." His neon blue eyes stared imploringly into Izuku's own. "But today was not that day."

Fat tears rolled down Izuku's face.

Toshinori didn't soften his voice at the sight of them. "You have to always use discretion, Izuku. There will be times as a hero when you have to back off and accept defeat. When you have to regroup, get reinforcements, and try again. Today, instead of doing that, you sacrificed your arms for a simple battle simulation.

"Instead of backing off to analyze and learn from the simulation, you allowed your classmate to land a devastating blow so that you could technically win. Now that classmate must live with the memory of seeing you terribly hurt by his own quirk. For someone afraid of being a villain, that had to be a horrible moment. Your skin was black and cracked, with cooking, oozing muscle underneath. He had to see that, had to smell it, as you lay unconscious in his arms."

Izuku moaned and tried to curl up, tried to shut out his mentor's voice, but Toshinori gently pressed on his chest to keep him flat.

"I am not angry, Izuku," he said softly. "I knew your spirit when I chose you. In fact, I chose you for that never-give-up spirit in the first place, so I can't be angry, but I am going to try to help you temper that heroic spirit with wisdom. Today you made a mistake in judgment. I know the fact it was practice and you were near-by to Recovery Girl factored into your decision to go so far, but you did not think to include the effect your actions would have on everyone involved, and as a hero, you _must_ learn to do so."

"I'm s-sorry…" Izuku said softly, miserably.

Toshinori gave him a surprisingly warm smile. "You're not alone, Izuku. Trust this old man to help you. For now, rest for a few more hours. Recovery Girl will release you when classes are over."

"Kacchan!" Izuku cried, distressed.

Toshinori sighed. "I'll be honest, kid. He doesn't seem like he's ready to talk to anyone. He hasn't said a word since the fight."

Izuku began to pant, panic gripping him hard. "I have to… I have to talk to him…"

"Hey, hey…" Toshinori frowned. "Calm down."

"You do not want him to see you in hospital," Recovery Girl's voice came through the curtain. "It will only make him more upset. Remember the last time he was here?"

Izuku groaned.

"If you don't calm down, I will sedate you," she threatened, coming around the curtain to wag a finger at him. "You will see him in a few hours. It will be good for you both to cool your heads before talking. Now listen to your elders!"

Izuku couldn't calm down. His heart raced and all he could think about was the description All Might had given him of his arm, what Kacchan had seen, what he could be blaming himself for right now. Izuku had gone too far - he'd miscalculated thinking his costume would absorb enough of Kacchan's explosion - and now Kacchan… Kacchan might well and truly be done with him.

He'd trusted Izuku to not push him too hard, too far, and Izuku had constantly done just that, and this time it was worse than ever. All to win, to test his limits and prove he could stand with the best. All Might was right! Even if he had achieved that goal, it wouldn't have been worth hurting Kacchan so terribly, but he hadn't even gotten what he wanted. He hadn't proved he was strong and capable, at all! Instead, all he'd proved was that he was dangerous and untrustworthy!

"N-No!" he cried, hysterical. All Might was holding him down as gently as he could as Recovery Girl pushed a syringe of clear liquid into his IV pump. "P-Please! You don't understand! I have to talk to him! Kacchan! KACCHAN!" he screamed before blackness swamped his vision.

…

Katsuki sat at his desk back in his school uniform, sullen and silent, as he stared out the window. His right hand was clenched in a fist. It had been ever since the battle with Izuku. The rest of the class was going over the footage of their fights and analyzing them in greater detail, but Katsuki had seen all he needed to from the viewing room of Ground Beta.

Suddenly the door opened. The class instantly quieted. Aizawa ran his tired eyes over their group. "Continue your battle analysis. I expect a two page typed report on my desk by tomorrow morning. One page analyzing your own battle and a second page analyzing a second battle of your choice. Bakugou. With me."

Katsuki stood up, shoved his fists in his pockets, and followed his teacher out into the hall. Well, shit. Like this day hadn't been fucking crappy enough already. He kept his eyes down and ignored the way his stomach twisted nervously once he realized they were heading to Aizawa's office.

"Have a seat," his teacher said, voice exhausted.

Katsuki saw that the chair in front of the desk had been cleared. He scowled but he sat. Aizawa sighed, but not in an annoyed way. It sounded like genuine fatigue, and that made Katsuki squirm a bit. He resented feeling bad for the guy, I mean this was his fucking job!

"First, I want to apologize," Aizawa said solemnly. "Your battle with Midoriya should have been stopped as soon as it got out of control. Second, I do not agree with All Might's methodology that you learn best by doing. That is true in some cases, but I feel that you would have handled yourself differently had you been given an opportunity to fully test your new costumes and their capabilities before being put in a battle simulation. Midoriya would have understood at what point his costume would not protect him from heat, and you would have understood exactly what force your gauntlets were capable of. The adrenaline of using your new weapon for the first time absolutely affected your decision-making later in the fight."

Katsuki said nothing, but his scowl deepened. His right hand remained clenched into a fist. He wouldn't look up to meet Aizawa's eyes.

"Bakugou…" There was the sound of the chair being pushed back and his teacher came around the desk to crouch down by his chair, forcing Katsuki to look him in the face. "Talk to me." It wasn't a gentle request. It was an order.

Tears burned his eyes, but Katsuki refused to let them fall. He shook his head, afraid that if he spoke, he wouldn't be able to hold himself together.

"Fine. I will." Aizawa remained crouched, looking steadily up at him. "Recovery Girl was not able to heal Midoriya all in one go. He was too exhausted and his body has been through too much recently. She had to spread it out over twenty-four hours. The burns were mostly healed, but he broke both bones in his right forearm and several bones in his hand. His gloves helped mitigate some of the damage, but clearly it wasn't enough."

Katsuki realized that he was panting and grit his teeth.

"All Might spoke to him… About his choices… He grew agitated. Wanted to speak to you. When he wouldn't calm down, Recovery Girl had to sedate him."

Katsuki was on his feet. He didn't remember standing.

Aizawa stood gracefully. Another sigh escaped him. "You're not just friends, are you?"

Kastuki glared up into his teacher's eyes. "He's my boyfriend," he said fearlessly, voice tight from disuse. "We've been dating for a few months."

"That complicates things," Aizawa said softly.

"It won't affect our studies," Katsuki assured him, voice low and strident. "As you saw in our fight, we won't pull punches because we're dating. We're both really serious about being heroes. That comes first for both of us."

Aizawa lifted an eyebrow. "I admit that is very mature of you. Do your parents know about the relationship?"

"Izuku's does," he answered stiffly. "If it's a problem mine don't know, I'll tell them tonight."

"As you are minors, ethically I cannot condone an action your parents would not approve of and politically I have to protect the school from your parents holding UA liable, but if it were that easy, why haven't you told them before now?"

"I don't talk to them about personal shit," Katsuki growled. "Never have."

Aizawa nodded. "You're very independent, I can see that." He sighed and flapped his hand. "Sit, Bakugou. We're not done and Midoriya will be unconscious for at least another hour."

"Fuck." Katsuki flopped down into the chair. "What now?"

Aizawa sat on the edge of the desk, taking Katsuki aback with such a casual pose. "I want to know what you're thinking. I have a lot to consider and I need a full picture."

"What I'm thinking?" Katsuki slammed his fisted right hand on the arm of the chair in a violent burst. "I'm fucking pissed off! Half-and-Half took out that building in minutes without damaging a single thing! Redhead can harden his skin and take my blasts like they're nothing and keep coming! I misread Izuku today and that cost him his arm and me the win! I'm not as good as I thought I was, am I? I got a lot of fucking work to do to prove I'm the best, and I don't fucking need you or anyone to tell me that! I already goddamn know!"

Defeat sat bitter on his tongue. It would be so easy to blame his loss all on Izuku, and, yeah, Izuku made some big fucking mistakes, but blaming Izuku wouldn't help Katsuki get any stronger. The fucking truth was that Izuku had beaten him because he'd predicted Katsuki better than Katsuki had predicted him!

He should have _known_ Izuku wouldn't hit him with an uncontrolled One For All punch! Izuku would never risk hurting him! And if he'd realized that in time, he would have _known_ Izuku wouldn't dodge his blast because he had some other purpose in mind. Katsuki knew very well that Izuku was too stubborn to leave a plan he'd set into motion. Threat of pain or injury would _never_ move Izuku. Katsuki should have kicked him or pinned him, anything but explode his arm like that! Katsuki had a long fucking way to go. He wasn't anywhere near the top as much as he'd thought he was, and that was going to have to fucking change.

In horror, he realized that tears had gathered in his eyes and cut a path down his flushed cheeks. Furiously, he scrubbed them away. "What the hell else do you want to know?" he growled, looking away to hide his face.

"Bakugou…" Aizawa hesitated for a moment and then kept going. "I'm impressed. You've acknowledged your weaknesses and are not letting them hold you back. You're still pushing forward, pushing to improve. I hope you aren't taking all the blame for how things went down?"

"No," Katsuki rasped. "Izuku is a fucking crazy bastard. He should have submitted instead of going that far."

"True." Aizawa smiled. "You're going to be okay, Bakugou. Keep walking this path and you will become everything you've set out to be."

Katsuki stared at him, wide-eyed. Praise? Really? Now?

Aizawa reached forward and gripped Katsuki's shoulder bracingly. "The hardest thing in the world is not to defeat a villain, but to defeat yourself. I have never met a kid as young as you so willing to face their own flaws without exaggerating or minimizing them. That trait is going to make you an incredible man, and that is why I have such faith in you as a hero, Bakugou."

Katsuki opened his mouth, but no words came out. His heart thundered in his throat; his chest felt tight.

Aizawa let him go. "If I asked you to go back to the classroom, would you?"

"Yes," Katsuki rasped, hoarse.

"Would you gain anything from analyzing with your peers?"

"No."

Aizawa sighed. "Would you rather sit with Midoriya?"

Katsuki nodded.

Aizawa gave him a small smile. "Go."

…

_Izuku opened his eyes and gasped, "Kacchan!" _

_"I'm sorry. He's not here."_

_Izuku spun around and saw a shaggy-haired guy standing awkwardly in front of him, but… where were they? It was dark… He couldn't see anything but the guy before him. Just blackness… but then how could he see the guy? _

_Nervous, he stepped closer to him, which was when he realized he was in his hero costume. It wasn't burnt or torn. His arms were perfectly fine. "What? Where?" he asked, confused. _

_The man smiled. He was thin and tall with thick, pale hair that fell over his eyes. "I like the costume. Have you thought of a name yet?"_

_"Deku," Izuku answered absently. "I know you… You're…"_

_"We've been able to talk a bit after your visions."_

_"Who are you?" he asked curiously. He wasn't afraid. This man had only ever helped him, had only ever been gentle and kind._

_"I'm the first holder of One For All." His smile grew even wider. "In a way, you can say I made One For All what it is."_

_Izuku's eyes widened. "Wow! I… I have so much I want to ask you!"_

_He nodded. "I can't tell you everything, and I'm not good with metaphor, but I'll do my best to help."_

_"Thank you!" Izuku grabbed the man's hands in his own with heartfelt gratitude. Tears filled his eyes. "I just… It's not working…I broke my arm again…"_

_"And hand," the man pointed out. "Izuku, One For All is a reservoir of energy inside you. All the users have deposited their strength and will into that pool. The way you've been using it, you let it rest dormant and then pull hard, sending a massive amount of that power into a single body part, into a single movement. Without reinforcement, your body can't handle the physical cost."_

_"I've been trying to draw less power!" Izuku cried. "I've been visualizing an egg in the microwave and using less wattage so the egg doesn't explode."_

_The man slumped. "I told you. I'm not good with metaphor… What's the microwave supposed to be?"_

_"The pool of power, I guess," Izuku answered, flushing with embarrassment. "I know it's not a good…"_

_The man tilted his head. "And the egg?"_

_"My arm?" As his answer hit his own ears, Izuku's eyes widened. Slower, he repeated, "My… arm…"_

_The man's soft smile returned._

_"Oh my god… My arm!" Izuku flung his arms around the man's waist. The man hugged him back, and Izuku felt such a rush of warmth, it brought new tears to his eyes. "… Thank you…"_

_"We're here for you. Always…" but the words were faded and warped, the darkness crumbling away._

— Izuku felt the bed beneath him. His face scrunched, his body feeling heavy. Groaning, he cracked his eyes to see he was in the infirmary. Memories swirled in his brain. "Kacchan…" he croaked painfully.

"I'm here, Deku."

Izuku turned his head, and there he was. Kacchan was sitting beside his bed. The blond looked completely exhausted. "Kacchan…"

"I know you're going to be a fucking idiot and ask how I am when you're the one in the goddamn hospital bed, so I'll get it out of the fucking way and tell you I'm fine," his boyfriend growled. He leaned forward and folded his arms on the edge of the bed and rested his cheek there, avoiding Izuku's eyes. "Today fucking sucked. You're a major fucking idiot. I got my ass handed to me. Half-and-Half would have kicked my ass, too, and maybe some of the others. I'm not the fucking best. Not in this class."

Izuku choked on a sob, aching with the defeat in his boyfriend's voice. He hated hearing it! He lifted a trembling hand and rested it on Kacchan's coarse, spiky hair. "I'm so, so sorry… I… I was too desperate… I went too far…"

"Yeah. You fucking did," Kacchan growled, face still angled away.

Izuku felt his heart break. "I'm sorry," he said again, tears drenching his face and voice. "I should never have used One For All, not when I couldn't use it right, but that's going to change now."

Kacchan rubbed his eyes and lifted his head. Izuku felt like the worst person in the whole world to see how red-rimmed they were. "What do you mean?"

Izuku told him about his dream, voice hushed.

"I don't get it…" Kacchan said, frowning.

"The egg!" Izuku said, forgetting to keep his voice down. His eyes practically sparkled with excitement. "It was my arm!"

Kacchan glared, too tired for this shit. "Yeah, I know."

"Where's the rest of my body?" Izuku asked, breathless. "I chopped it up, don't you see? One For All isn't in my arms. Or legs. Or fingers. It's in _me_. All of me. But my visualization blocked it, limited it to one place. The pressure was too much and the egg kept exploding! I couldn't control the input in such a tiny location, but if I disperse it…"

"Holy shit…" Kacchan began to grin. He grabbed Izuku by the face and kissed him. "You fucking nerd. You're a fucking genius!"

Izuku laughed tearfully. "I'm not. I'm so stupid! Why didn't I see it?" Then his expression softened, became sorrowful as he reached up with his left hand to gently caress Kacchan's cheek. "I'm sorry…" He stared deeply into those deep ruby eyes. "I was stupid and wrong and selfish! I'm so sorry, Kacchan. I won't ever do something like that again." His voice strengthened, became firm. "You owned that fight, not me. You're still the absolute best!"

Kacchan's smile became a bit wobbly, tears glistened in his eyes. He closed them and leaned forward, kissing Izuku's lips softly. "I own you, too," he said, trying for teasing and falling a little short.

Izuku laughed, crying with him. "You totally do," he admitted. "I love you," he swore in a fierce whisper. "I swear, Katsuki Bakugou, today will never happen again."

Kacchan rested his forehead against Izuku's and closed his eyes. "I'm going to fucking hold you to that, Deku," he growled, just as fierce.

Izuku tilted his face up to kiss him again. As their lips separated, he said with a smile, "I'm counting on it."

"Ahem…"

Izuku jumped, having forgotten where they were. His eyes widened, but Kacchan pulled away casually, undisturbed. All Might in his true form stood at the end of the bed in his yellow suit. It hung baggy on his thin frame, but it would fit skintight if he were to activate his quirk and take on his massively muscled hero form.

"Sorry to interrupt," the hero said with a smile. "But classes have ended for the day. Izuku, you are cleared to leave, but the sling and bandages stay on. Recovery Girl expects you promptly at six-thirty before classes start tomorrow morning. You have another healing scheduled."

"Oh…" Izuku's cheeks felt red-hot. "Okay."

"Young Bakugou." Toshinori turned his full attention to the blond. "I apologize. I did not fully understand your position in Izuku's life. Let me formally introduce myself. I am Toshinori Yagi. In this form, please call me Toshinori." In a blink, he expanded into his hero form, the iconic symbol of peace and the number one hero in the world. "I am also All Might, and I promise to take better care of Izuku in the future."

Izuku stared with his mouth open looking from Kacchan to his teacher, not really sure what was going on.

Kacchan gave a nod and placed a hand over Izuku's arm that was still wrapped up in the sling. "I'm counting on you," he said seriously.

Izuku sputtered. "K-Kacchan!"

Kacchan ignored him and asked him, "I've gotta get home; you okay on your own?"

Izuku nodded, still confused. "Yeah, but…"

"Don't worry, young Bakugo!" All Might deflated back into Toshinori. "I will be accompanying Izuku home."

Kacchan nodded. "See you tomorrow, Deku."

"But Kacchan…" Izuku reached out for him with his left arm, but Kacchan had already slipped past the curtain and disappeared. He looked helplessly up at his mentor. "What's going on? Why does he have to get home?"

Toshinori shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he just needs some space. It was a big day." His expression became stern. "I take it you already told Bakugou about this form?"

Izuku gave a guilty smile. "Yeah? … He's always kept my secrets, though! You don't have to worry!"

Toshinori sighed. "I am trusting you to tell no one else. If villains were to learn that One For All could be taken or that I have been weakened, the results would be devastating for many innocent people."

Izuku swallowed hard and gave a firm nod. "I swear, All Might. Your secret is safe with us."

Toshinori smiled. "Good. Are you ready to go?"

Izuku's eyes widened. "You mean you're really taking me home?"

Toshinori frowned. "I am not one to lie. Come on. It's time I met your mother properly."

Izuku's mouth fell open once more. "WHAT?!"

…

Katsuki walked through his front door and made his way purposefully to the dinning room across from the kitchen. He found his mom and Masaru almost done with dinner. For a second, Katsuki thought of Inko and the fact that she always waited for Izuku to eat.

"I've got something to tell you," he announced as they stared at him in surprise. Usually he marched right past without saying a word and locked himself in his room. He preferred eating alone to their company. "I'm dating Izuku."

Masaru's eyes widened, but strangely enough his mom looked curious, not upset.

"What are you saying?" she asked carefully. "You… You find boys attractive?"

Katsuki gave an awkward shrug. "I don't really find anyone attractive. Izuku's different. I like him."

"So… You find him attractive?" she said again.

Katsuki glared, his tone becoming aggressive. "Yes. I find Izuku fucking attractive. I kiss him and touch him, and it's fucking great."

Masaru's face looked like he had a sunburn. "Katsuki…" he said in a shocked whisper.

His mom burst into laughter. "Holy shit!" she gasped. "I never thought…" She was laughing too hard to finish her sentence.

Katsuki felt his temperature rise, anger burning through him, and clenched his fists. He stood there waiting to hear what she had to fucking say because he didn't want to hear it later. He wanted it over with.

"I'm sorry…" she finally said as her laughter died down. "I just… Never thought you'd be a fag…"

"Because my father raped dozens of women?" he spat furiously.

Masaru stood up, distressed. "Katsuki… Mitsuki…"

"I don't think I've ever met anyone as dumb as you," Katsuki snarled, ignoring Masaru and staring his mother down. "I'm. Not. That. Asshole!"

"Maybe it's karma…" Mitsuki said coldly, eyes venomous. "He treated women like animals, so it's only fair his son grew up to take it like a little bitch."

"Mitsuki!" Masaru gasped.

"Or maybe you are still like your father and it's little Izuku who bends over. Do you get off on seeing him cry when you shove in?"

Katsuki lunged forward, his face twisted in a murderous snarl, but Masaru intercepted him. Dishes went flying as they knocked into the table. Mitsuki shot to her feet and her arm swung around in a vicious sounding slap that flung Katsuki's head to the side.

"MITSUKI!" Masaru screamed, horrified.

"I was defending myself. That animal was going for me," she said lowly, voice harsh.

Katsuki yanked away from Masaru.

"You disgust me, bitch," Mitsuki growled, staring right into Katsuki's eyes. "Sexually deviant just like him." She leaned forward, palms pressed to the table, face twisted with hate. "This proves you were never my son, only his, and I want you fucking gone. I never want to see you again."

"Halle-fucking-lujah," Katsuki snarled back at her and spat in her face. She flinched back and wiped it away with a violent gesture. "You were a fucking terrible mother." He turned and looked at the shaking and pale Masaru. "And you were a shitty ass father. Thanks for nothing, assholes."

Katsuki spun on his heel and stormed away, slamming the front door behind him hard enough to break the glass pane set in the door.

…

Izuku was sweating as they stood outside his apartment door. Toshinori stood patiently beside him. "Are you sure this is a good idea? She's going to freak out!" he said anxiously.

"We can't keep this a secret from her. The Sports Festival is two months away and it's televised. She would see you use your quirk then." The hero looked down on Izuku. "How do you think she'd feel watching it and knowing she'd been kept in the dark all this time?"

Izuku cringed. Okay, yeah, that sounded like a bad plan. "I just… I don't want her to worry…"

Toshinori put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "She's always going to worry, Izuku. All parents do."

Izuku thought that was mighty unfair to the parent, but he sighed and unlocked his door, calling, "I'm home!" as he stepped inside.

"Perfect timing! Dinner's almost ready!" came his mother's cheerful response.

"Mom, I told you not to worry about cooking every night!" he called, sighing. "You worked all day!"

She stepped into the hallway, cheeks flushed and happy. "Oh, honey, don't be… silly…" Her expression became more guarded. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize we had a guest." Then her eyes widened as she took in the sling and the bandages on Izuku's arms. "Oh, honey! What happened?" she rushed forward fretfully.

"I'm fine! Honestly!" Izuku was quick to reassure her. "The bandages make it look worse than it is, but the nurse at school is very thorough. She said they can come off tomorrow morning!" He took a deep breath and slanted a look at his teacher. "Mom. I want you to meet someone very important to me."

Toshinori slipped out of shoes and stepped forward, offering his hand. She took it and they shook politely. "My name is Toshinori Yagi. I've been coaching your son over the last year. I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself sooner." He bowed, hand over this heart. When he straightened, he said very sincerely, "I am mightily impressed with Izuku's spirit and his heart. You've raised an incredible son, Ms. Midoriya."

She flushed and smiled happily, her hands clasped demurely in front of her. "Oh! Thank you!" Her eyes twinkled at the blushing Izuku who stood at his teacher's side. "I can't say it was all me. Izuku tends to go his own way. I'm very proud of him."

"Mom," Izuku groaned, but a smile turned up the corners of his lips.

Inko gave his mentor a friendly smile. "Would you care to join us for dinner, Mr. Yagi?"

"Toshinori, please," he said kindly. "Yagi is just so formal. Hardly anyone I know calls me that."

"Toshinori," Inko allowed. "Come in and join us."

"Thank you very much. I would be honored."

"And you can tell me what happened to your arms later," she said in a firm whisper to Izuku as he was passing her.

Izuku nodded, resigned. "Don't worry. You're going to be told plenty…"

Inko narrowed her eyes at him, but he slipped away before she could ask him any pointed questions.

"Can I get you something to drink, Toshinori-sensei?" he practically squawked as he hurried into the kitchen. It was small - a kitchenette on one side and a four-person wooden table with four chairs on the other - but it was clean and warmly decorated.

"Oh, sit down," Inko said crossly, following him. "I don't want you hurting your arms. I'll get the drinks and serve dinner."

"But…" Izuku widened his eyes.

"Sit." She pushed him firmly into a chair. Her expression turned much more friendly as she looked at Toshinori. "You, too. Please have a seat." She moved to the cupboard where they kept the glasses. "What can I get you? We have water, milk, and orange juice. I'm afraid I don't keep anything alcoholic."

"Water is perfectly fine," Toshinori accepted with a bow of gratitude before taking a seat at the table with Izuku.

"Ice?"

"Please. Thank you."

Izuku looked back and forth between them, watching the bizarre scene unfold. All Might was sitting at his dining room table! And his mom was serving him as if he were just anyone off the street! He couldn't get his mind around it!

…

Katsuki ended up at the park. He was much too big to be crawling around the decorative cave, so he sat on top of it. It took almost ten minutes for his heart rate to slow. His mind raced as he took in his situation.

Like hell could he move in with Inko. She barely made enough as it was to support Izuku. The kid hardly ever got new clothes. For holidays and birthdays it was always a special dinner and a cake. There weren't ever any presents. No, he couldn't ask Inko to support him, too. He could stay short term, maybe, until something more permanent could be found, but what the hell was he going to do long term?

Legally, he couldn't live on his own. Couldn't rent an apartment even if he had the money. Although technically he had parental consent, didn't he? The fact was he didn't know. He needed fucking advice, so he bit the bullet and sent off an email. Miserable, he flopped back and stared up at the cloudy sky. Not a fucking star in sight. Fucking typical.

He jumped, startled by his phone suddenly ringing. Katsuki stared at it, wide-eyed. Number unknown. Holy shit. He'd sent the email less than two minutes ago! "Hello?" he asked, voice low.

_"Where are you?"_ Aizawa asked, calm.

Katsuki didn't say anything for a whole minute. "Look… I'm sorry as hell for dumping this on you. You've only been my teacher for two fucking days. I… I just thought you could give me advice… I can go to Izuku's for now, but…"

_"You can tell me what happened later," _Aizawa said, voice suddenly coaxing. _"But right now I want you in a safe place. Where are you, Katsuki?"_

Katsuki laughed bitterly and, holy shit, he began fucking crying! "I'm safer here than where I was," he rasped, voice thick.

_"Are you hurt?"_

Aizawa made no mention of the tears in Katsuki's voice. Katsuki was fucking grateful as hell for that. He scrubbed at his face roughly. "Not really."

_"You want to tell me what happened?" _

Katsuki took a deep breath. "I got fucking kicked out. My mom doesn't want to see me ever again, and she fucking means it. She's not joking around. I turn fifteen at the end of this month, so I'm not sure how living on my own would work. Can I rent an apartment without a parent? Am I even hirable?"

_"Katsuki, I told you today you would be fine, and you will be. No matter what happens. We're going to figure this out, but I want you to tell me where you are. I'm going to come get you."_

Katsuki resisted. "You don't have to do that… I shouldn't have fucking emailed you… It's not your problem…"

Aizawa sighed and the now familiar sound almost made Katsuki smile. _"Kid, I can't tell you how impressed I am that you did." _There was a pause. _"Let me put this in terms you can understand. You've only known me for two fucking days, but you could see I'm serious about you, and I am. I know it's counterintuitive as hell to let me in, but somewhere in you you know I'm in your fucking corner. So, I'm asking you. Please. Trust your instincts. Let me fucking help you, Katsuki."_

Voice a croak, Katsuki asked, "Why? You don't even fucking know me."

_"I don't and I do,"_ Aizawa answered. _"Maybe I used to be a kid a lot like you. Lame as hell, but it's the truth."_

"I'm at the neighborhood park sitting on a fucking plastic cave," Katsuki rasped and gave the address.

_"Thank you,"_ Aizawa said sincerely. _"I'll be there in ten minutes."_

"Shit," Katsuki sighed, resigned, and ended the call.

…

"Dinner was delicious, Ms. Midoriya. Please, allow me to help you clean up," Toshinori offered politely, standing up.

"No. I'll do the dishes later. I'm sure I'll need it to help me calm down." She took a deep breath. Her green eyes - a shade or two darker than her son's - moved between her son and his mentor solemnly. "I appreciate you giving me a chance to get a little familiar with you before telling me whatever it is you have to say, but I'm ready now."

Izuku looked to his mentor who looked back at him, as if asking how much help he needed. Izuku squared his shoulders and faced his mother. "Well…It's like this…" He reached forward with the arm not in the sling and his mom immediately put her hand over his. "I've kept a few things from you because I love you and I worry about you. You've done so much for me and have worked so hard. I want you to be happy."

As his mom teared up and squeezed his hand, Izuku felt the old guilt rise up in him. "I know you don't like the choices I've made, and I wanted to shield you from that as much as possible because… Because I'm really happy, Mom! And… And I can't imagine being any other way! I want to be a hero more than anything! It's who I am at the deepest part of me."

"I don't understand…" she said, voice wavering. "Just tell me, Izu."

Toshinori stood up, knowing the chair wouldn't be able to hold his weight once he shifted, and transformed into All Might. "Inko Midoriya, I have chosen Izuku as one worthy of becoming my successor and he has accepted."

Inko stared in utter shock. "A-All M-Might…" she said, eyes nearly popping out of her head. She looked at Izuku. "A-All Might?!"

Izuku gave a teary smile. "I know! It's amazing! And he thinks I'm worthy, Mom! He's been training me, and right before school started he made me an offer. Maybe I should have talked it over with you, but…" Izuku sat as proudly as he could, his eyes sparkling. "But I knew my answer."

"All Might?" she practically whimpered, looking up at the massive form standing over her.

All Might deflated back into his skeletal form. "I know this is quite a shock. I apologize. There really is no easy way to tell someone." He coughed into his fist. He looked at his hand and sighed before showing both Izuku and his mom. There was blood there.

Inko immediately snapped out of her shock. "Oh my god!" She flew from the chair and wet a paper towel for him, handing it over. "Are you okay? Sit down!"

Toshinori smiled at her. "That's exactly how Izuku reacted the first time." He accepted the towel and wiped at his mouth. "The thing is, I was terribly wounded in a fight a few years ago. I don't have much longer as a hero before I'll be forced to retire. I've been looking for a successor, but when I met Izuku and watched him grow and push himself so selflessly… I knew… He was special… He could be a great hero."

"Mom." Izuku guided his mother to a chair and crouched, looking up at her. "Nothing has changed really. UA is going to train me and make me strong, so I'm as prepared as possible. All Might is one of my teachers, along with many great pro-heroes. I'm going to work hard and I'm going to be as careful as I can, but the thing is…" He stalled, unsure how to explain it.

Toshinori took over. "My quirk is… unique… Ms. Midoriya," he explained, voice respectful. "I am able to choose who I pass it on to. It is not passed on by birth. I chose Izuku, and he accepted. He now carries my quirk and can do much the same things I can do."

Inko covered her mouth with her hands, tears streaking her face. "Oh my god…" She looked down at her son, grief in her eyes. "I thought… you'd be a sidekick… or work administration at an agency… I mean... Izuku… You can't mean to… Tell me you aren't…"

Izuku stared up at her, fire in his eyes. "Mom. I have a once in a lifetime opportunity to be all that I've ever dreamed of being, and I'm sorry it upsets you. I'm sorry it makes you worry. I don't mean to hurt you, but I'm going to do it! I'm going to be a hero, Mom! A hero like All Might!" He clutched her hands tightly in his."Please support me! Please believe in me, Mom!"

Inko gave a sob and pulled away. She got up and turned her back. "I… I'm g-going to do the d-dishes… If y-you would e-excuse me…"

Izuku bit his lip, tears falling down his cheeks as he stood.

"Come, Izuku." Toshinori stood and gently led Izuku from the kitchen. "Let's wait in the living room."

…

Katsuki heard a car door slam, heard the slow crunch of someone's shoes as they crossed the dark park. He didn't bother to get up until the sounds stopped right next to the cave. He jumped down and picked up his school bag before shoving his hands in his pockets.

Aizawa looked the same as he did in class. He wore loose black pants with a black t-shirt and the faded white-ish scarf wrapped several times around his neck and shoulders. He reached out and ruffled Katsuki's hair. "Come on," he said and turned around, walking back the way he'd come.

Katsuki thought about staying put or turning around and going to Izuku's, but after a moment of hesitation, he grit his teeth and followed. Aizawa's car was, unsurprisingly, black. He snorted and got into the passenger seat. Aizawa gave him a curious look, but Katsuki shrugged. Aizawa turned on the overhead light and slowly reached for Katsuki's face. Katsuki tensed, pulling up against the door.

"I need to see it," Aizawa said evenly, holding Katsuki's gaze.

Defiantly, Katsuki leaned forward and tilted his swollen cheek so that it was exposed to the light. "There. Happy?"

"Hardly," his teacher said softly.

Katsuki pulled away, crossing his arms and glaring.

Aizawa looked at him for a long minute before finally speaking in that slow, low way he had. "I made a few calls on the way here, so I have a better understanding of your options, but I don't want to discuss them right now. You're in no condition to be making big decisions. For tonight, I want to take you back to my home, get you some food, and let you sleep. Do you aggree?"

Katsuki looked out the window, suddenly completely exhausted. Leaning his forehead against the cold glass, he muttered. "Whatever."

Aizawa sighed, soft and understanding, and started the car.

…

Izuku looked up as his mother entered the room. She was drying her hands on a dishrag and he winced as he noticed her eyes were a little swollen and red-rimmed. She raised her hand to keep him from standing up. Her expression was firm. Despite the evidence that she had been crying, there were no tears in sight. She looked serious, and her full attention was on Toshinori.

Izuku's mentor sat ruler straight, hands on his knees as he met her eyes respectfully. Two long bangs parted in the middle fell past his shoulders while his shorter hair stuck up in messy waves around his head. His eyes had no whites, instead two bright blue irises sat on a field of black, his mouth a solemn slash in his angular face.

Lifting her chin, Inko spoke, voice low and deliberate. "I want to say I'm not happy that it's taken you so long to tell me what's going on. Izuku's been training with you for almost a year, and from what I understand, you offered him your quirk over a month ago. I don't think a decision like that should have been made lightly or without discussing it with me first. Izuku is still a minor and can act impulsively without thinking through the consequences of his choices. I am his mother. It is my right as his parent to guide him in making decisions that can alter the rest of his life. I feel like you stole that right from me."

"Mom…" Izuku said, imploring, and got to his feet.

She turned to face him and her eyes became damp with tears. "I… I love you, Izuku. More than you can understand. You're my only child, my son. I would do anything for you. I would die for you."

"Mom…" Izuku said again, this time softly, sadly. He teared up.

"I know I haven't always done right by you, and I taught you from an early age that you needed to lie and keep a part of yourself hidden, so maybe… maybe I deserve your lack of trust…"

Izuku went to her side and hugged her with his free arm. "Mom! It's not like that!"

She held him gently, lovingly. "I haven't been as strong as I should have been. Instead of trusting me to protect you, you feel like you have to protect me, and I'm so sorry for that, Izuku. And I'm sorry I didn't believe in you, that I told you you couldn't be a hero even though I knew how much that would hurt you. It's driven you to such extremes just to prove you can do it. I just…" She held his face in her hands. "I wanted to keep you safe, honey…"

"That's not fair…" Izuku said tearfully. "It's not…" His heart beat hard in his chest as frustration and anxiety tore through his system. He was sick of all the misunderstandings and misplaced blame. He pulled away from her so he could face her.

"I didn't try to protect you because you weren't strong enough. I tried to protect you because I want to protect everyone!" he cried. He lashed out with his left hand, cutting the air between them as if trying to tear apart a curtain that was keeping them apart. "That's just who I am! I try just as hard to protect Kacchan and even All Might. But I'm starting to see that sometimes protecting people isn't what's really best for them! Just like trying to protect me isn't always what I need!"

Crystal tears ran down his cheeks as he pleaded with her, voice rough and cracking. "Nothing you did made me say yes to All Might, Mom. I didn't say yes to prove myself. I said yes because of my psychic quirk!"

Inko jerked back as if slapped and shot a panicked look at All Might, horrified.

"He already knows about my quirk, Mom," Izuku told her miserably. "I needed his help."

Inko's expression transformed with anger. "Izuku! How could you!"

"YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!" he screamed, now just as angry.

Inko fell back against the wall, her arms held over her chest, shocked. Izuku had never yelled at her in anger before.

"These visions are a lot more intense than I think either of you really understand…" Izuku set his feet and met their eyes with defiant anger and fear. "I _am_ the victim. I'm not watching a movie or reading a book. I'm looking out from their eyes. I feel everything they feel. For those moments, I'm not Izuku Midoriya. I'm really there… being chased or beaten or burned or strangled…" His voice was raw with brutal truth."… even raped…"

Inko went completely pale and practically clung to the doorway on wobbly legs. Toshinori's eyes had grown wide, his expression horrified.

Izuku shook his head, tears glittering in the air as he tore the invisible wall he'd built between them down. "It's _me _who dies EVERY TIME, and then I wake up and I realize it wasn't. That I escaped that horrible reality. But I know that someone else out there won't! They are going to die! Die horribly and afraid and in pain! And I know _exactly_ what it will feel like when they do because it happened to _me_, too! I just get to wake up from it. I get another chance to live while they don't."

Inko flung herself forward and they fell to their knees together. She wrapped Izuku in her arms and demanded through her tears, "W-Why d-didn't y-you t-tell m-me?"

Izuku shook his head and tearfully met her eyes. "You were so upset about my quirk as it was, Mom, and I told you. I don't want to hurt anyone. I want to protect people, especially those I love, so I didn't say anything." He bit his lip, heart breaking with guilt for doing this to her, but he pushed onward. "And that's not all."

Her eyes widened, her hands gently wiping the tears from his cheeks even as she cried with him. "W-What do you m-mean, that's n-not a-all?"

"Since I was three, I've been dying, and it took me a long time to figure out what was happening to me. I didn't really understand, not until that substitute teacher," he explained, begging her to understand. "I was scared and alone, and I told Kacchan… and he _helped_ me… I don't think I would have made it through those years sane without him. He taught me I could stop the pain, that I could make those horrible deaths not happen. Knowing that kept me going more than you can really understand…"

Izuku clutched his mother's hand in his and gave his final confession. "Mom, we've been sneaking out for years trying to save the people I saw. Since I was eight, we've found and fought these killers, using tasers and ropes and everything we could to win. We did our best, but for years we couldn't prevent even half of my visions from coming true, but the ones we did save… They kept me going… Kept me from giving up."

"Oh my god…" It was a whisper. Inko stared at her only son in horror.

"So you see…" Izuku squeezed her hand almost painfully tight and met her eyes with his own burning with unwavering conviction. "Whether I met All Might or not, whether he helped me or gave me his quirk, I wasn't ever going to be able to turn my back on the people out there suffering. I was never going to not be a hero, Mom, not with the things I see."

Unable to look at his mother's broken expression, Izuku turned his attention to his mentor who sat wide-eyed on the couch. "Meeting you, All Might, did change my life, but only for the better. I feel like… for the first time… maybe I'm not fighting a losing battle. Maybe… just maybe… I can actually _save_ them. All of them." His voice grew thick with emotion despite how hard he was trying to be strong. "You've given me the ability to actually _succeed_, and I'm just so, so grateful for that, and I will work harder than everyone to make sure you don't regret choosing me."

"I… I'm s-sorry…I…" Inko couldn't finish her sentence. She pulled away from Izuku's grip and got to her feet. She shook her head, eyes wide and lost, before fleeing the room. They heard the door to her bedroom shut.

Izuku's expression crumbled and he curled in on himself. Toshinori was instantly at his side, crouching down and pulling him into a hug. Izuku pressed his forehead into his shoulder and sobbed.

**End -**

**A/n:** Well…. that happened….._ (big eyes)_… I wasn't planning for things to go so far with either Katsuki or Izuku… but as I was writing things kept snowballing and I didn't know how to pump the breaks because it was flowing so naturally….. so here we are….


	17. Chapter 17

**Getting On With Things**

Katsuki was woken by a soft tap on wood. His eyes flew open and he rolled over to see Aizawa standing in what looked like the same clothes as the night before with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. "Breakfast," he said, monotone, before turning and walking away.

Katsuki sat up and roughly rubbed his hands through his hair. A glance at the window revealed the sun had only just cracked the horizon. He used the restroom and changed into his school uniform, carefully folding the t-shirt and pants he'd been given to sleep in and setting them on the counter.

Staring at himself in the mirror for a long second, Katsuki turned and marched into the kitchen. A plate with warm scrambled eyes, four pieces of bacon, and a small dish of cut up strawberries sat at one of the places at the table. Katsuki sat, but he didn't touch his food. Instead, he kept his eyes on Aizawa.

His teacher sipped at his coffee. Either he already ate or he didn't like to eat breakfast; there was no plate of food in front of him. "Eat," Aizawa said and picked up a local paper, opening it. "We'll talk after."

Katsuki glared murder, but he didn't think refusing would get him anywhere. He ate with quick efficiency, glaring a hole through the paper to the teacher beyond it. When he finished, he shoved his dirty dishes a few inches away from him and said, "Fucking talk already."

Aizawa folded the paper and gave Katsuki an even look. "Before I get into your options, I'd like a little more information if you please."

Katsuki gripped the edge of the table so hard his fingertips bleached white. Through gritted teeth he asked sharply, "What do you want to know?"

"How often does your mother hit you?" The question was stated evenly without sympathy or judgement.

Katsuki worked hard to match his calm tone, but he fell short, anger bleeding through. "Before last night, it's been a few years."

Dark eyes met his steadily. "And before a few years ago?"

Katsuki bared his teeth. "None of your fucking business."

Aizawa sighed and took a sip of coffee. "Alright, Katsuki, you have three choices," he said, voice as monotone as ever. The longer he talked, the calmer Katsuki became. "I don't recommend the first as I feel it would be detrimental to your mental health, but you could allow your parents to support you living independently of them. However, they will still have guardianship rights over you until your majority at age twenty, five years from now, and you will need their permission intermittently for things like school trips or even to get a part-time job."

"Choice two?" Katsuki asked, relatively calmly.

"Choice two." Aizawa took a another pull from his coffee before answering. "You take your case to the police. Should you win, you would likely be emancipated and your parents would serve jail time." He leveled a serious look Katsuki's way. "However, in good conscience, I must warn you that despite deserving justice due to your age and strong personality, you are not likely to win the case without clear evidence. Any old scars on your body could be blamed on physical altercations you've had with peers."

"I'm not contacting the fucking police," Katsuki stated decisively. He waved that suggestion off the table. "Choice three?"

Aizawa tilted his head forward, obscuring his eyes a bit. "You tell your parents to surrender guardianship rights to a third party. I would recommend myself as I'm already in charge of your education at UA and that would cause the least disruption to your life. I would expect you to respect my house and my rules, and in exchange I would respect your independence."

Katsuki sat frozen, completely blind-sided. Wait… What?

Aizawa stood. "I understand how unexpected and unconventional the suggestion is, but I am sincere in the offer. In any case, please take as much time as you need before making a choice. My house is open to you for as long as you need to think about it. When you do make a decision, I would ask that you please let me know. I would also appreciate it if you would let me know if your parents contact your or you choose to contact them. While you are estranged from your parents, your safety is my responsibility."

Katsuki just stared at him.

Aizawa got up from the table. "I'll let you think about it. I trust you can find your own way to school?"

"Yeah…" he said a little numbly.

Aizawa gave a nod. "I will see you in class. You have a twenty-four hour extension on the report that's due this morning. Let me know if that is insufficient." Then he was gone.

Katsuki stared at the table for a long minute. What the fuck? He shook his head and pushed to his feet. Gathering the dishes, he carried them to the sink. After washing them and setting them out to dry, Katsuki grabbed his school bag, slipped on his shoes, and left the house.

It took him a minute, but he recognized the neighborhood. The school was only a thirty minute walk from here. He shot Izuku a quick text, telling him he'd already left for school and to meet him there, before he started to walk, hands shoved deeply into his pockets.

…

Izuku woke feeling groggy as hell, almost like he'd had a sleeping pill, but he knew he hadn't. All Might had stayed up with him for a while after his outburst, but he'd eventually gone home. Izuku had stayed up a little longer by himself, but his mom never came out of her room. Izuku had only gotten three hours of sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he shuffled into the kitchen.

"Mom?"

The room was empty, but he spotted a note on the table. He went over and picked it up.

_I love you, Izuku. _

_Nothing will change that. _

_I'm just going to need some time to think about all this._

_Love, Mom_

Izuku felt tears prickle his eyes, and he wondered if he'd done the right thing. He went and grabbed a pen from the stationary drawer and flipped the note over. He wrote: _I'm sorry. I love you. - Izuku. _He left it on the table and got ready for school. He was just leaving the apartment when he got his boyfriend's text.

Kacchan:

Went to school early

See you there

Disappointed and worried, Izuku made his way to the station alone. Why had Kacchan left so abruptly yesterday? And why had he gone to school so early today? He wondered anxiously if Kacchan was avoiding him. Was he still upset about the battle simulation? Feeling sick to his stomach, Izuku made his way to UA.

He was so lost in thought he almost ran into the group blocking the gate. He looked up just in time to get a video camera and microphone shoved in his face. "Are you All Might's student? Can yo describe him as a teacher?" - "Do you feel guilty that teaching you takes him away from his hero work?" - "Has All Might made any comment about retirement?"

Izuku took a step back, eyes wide, before standing his ground. "All Might's a great teacher. We are very lucky to have someone as skilled and passionate as him to help us in becoming heroes ourselves," he declared. He kept his expression firm, but his heart slammed in his chest as lights flashed and more questions were thrown at him.

"Are they allowed to do that?" he asked Recovery Girl once he made it to the infirmary.

"Vultures," the elderly nurse said, shaking her head in disgust. "You pay them no mind. Now, come here and hope up on this bed, so I can take a look at you. Take off your jacket and shirt, please."

His skin had healed well from the burns, but a quick x-ray of his right arm revealed a few hairline fractures. She let him get dressed and put his right arm back in the sling.

"You'll have to keep that on another day, I'm afraid," she told him, kissing his cheek. She handed him a gummy. "Your stamina is still not where it should be. Make sure to eat well and get some rest, young man!" She pinched his cheek and sent him on his way.

Izuku sighed and made his way to class. He fixed a smile on his face and opened the massive door.

The teen with the vivid red hair and skin-hardening quirk saw him first. He flashed Izuku a huge smile and waved excitedly. "Guys, Midoriya's here! How are you feeling, man? Yesterday was intense!"

Izuku's eyes widened as suddenly a rush of classmates crowded around him.

"I can't believe you fought evenly with Bakugou who was first in the entrance exam!" That was the boy with the tape quirk.

"You did a good job dodging!" Ashido called out, jumping up and down and pumping her arms like a cheerleader. Pink-skinned and pink-haired with delicate antenna coming from her head, she was easy to remember. Her quirk let her shoot out acid from her palms and the bottoms of her feet.

"You guys went all out in the first match, so the rest of us had to give it our all, too," a muscular teen with thick lips said. He flashed two thumbs up.

The French boy with the navel-laser commented, "You were far from elegant, but - "

Ashido cut him off, repeating, "You did a good job dodging!"

"I'm Eijiro Kirishima," the redhead introduced, smiling. "I'm not sure we ever introduced ourselves formally. You missed the review session we had after the matches. You can look at my notes if you want. We even had an assignment due this morning."

"A two page report due on the second day of school, can you believe it?" the tape-quirk boy complained. He had straight black hair that fell about jaw length with choppy bangs. He had big eyes and a friendly smile. "I'm Hanta Sero, by the way."

A petite girl with the frog attributes squeezed through the guys and introduced herself. "I'm Tsuyu Asui. Please call me Tsu."

"I'm Sato!" That was the one with thick lips.

"I'm Minoru Mineta!" a tiny boy with huge purple balls on his head instead of hair cried, jumping up in front of the others.

Before he could respond to this onslaught, someone called his name from behind. Izuku turned to see Uraraka and Iida coming through the doorway. They were each carrying a stack of books clearly meant for the class. Kirishima rushed forward to take the stack from Uraraka, but she turned away to prevent him from grabbing them.

"Thanks, but I've got it!" She gave him a smile to soften the rejection and smoothly shifted the attention back on Izuku. "Did Recovery Girl heal you? You're still in a sling!"

"Oh… Yeah, mostly…" He gave her an awkward smile and rubbed the back of his head with his good hand. "It should be completely healed by tomorrow."

"That's great!" Uraraka said with obvious relief. "We were worried about you when you never returned to class."

"Alright everyone. To your seats."

They scattered at the sound of Aizawa's voice. Izuku noticed Kacchan's seat was still empty and hissed at Uraraka, "Where's Kacchan?"

She tilted her head curiously. "You didn't come together? I haven't seen him at school yet."

Izuku felt like ants were crawling all over his skin with anxiety, but before he could grow too upset, Kacchan strode in, hands in his pockets like usual. He met Izuku's eyes and gave a small smirk, but Izuku could see something was wrong. His eyes zeroed in on the faint bruise on the blond's cheek. A quick review of his memory told him it hadn't been there when Kacchan had come to see him in the infirmary yesterday, so it wasn't from their battle.

Aizawa tapped a notebook on the podium. The sound made everyone go still and quiet. "Good work on yesterday's combat training. I saw the videos and results." His eyes fell on Izuku, and Izuku froze, dread drenching him in sweat. "Midoriya, you settled it by breaking your arm again, huh? I'm warning you now you won't be allowed to make the excuse that you can't help it because you can't control your quirk for much longer."

"Yes, sir!" he cried, heart pounding.

Aizawa nodded and moved on. "Everyone pass your reports to the front. Hopefully they don't put me to sleep when I read them."

Izuku's cheeks burned with shame that he was late on his very first assignment. Maybe that was why Kacchan had to leave so fast and why he was late this morning? He slanted a look over to his boyfriend. No, Kacchan hadn't turned in a paper, either.

"Now let's get down to homeroom business…" Aizawa's voice dropped into a bored monotone. "Today I'll have you decide on a class representative."

The class instantly burst into noise as almost everyone except Kacchan and Izuku raised their hands and shouted their desire to be chosen.

"Silence please!" Iida cried, standing to get their attention. The class reluctantly grew quiet. "This is a serious matter. A class president needs the trust of everyone in class. The most logical way to choose would be to hold a vote."

Tsu, her frog-like eyes blinking slowly, asked a very good question. "We haven't known each other for that long, so how can we have trust or anything else?"

"Everyone will vote for themselves," Kirishima predicted, looking around the room. "We all came here because we want to be heroes and wanting to be a leader is a part of that."

"That's precisely why if anyone receives multiple votes we can trust they are the most suitable person," Iida argued. "There is no reason why we shouldn't at least try it the democratic way. What do you think Aizawa-sensei?"

Aizawa had pulled his yellow sleeping bag around him and was zipping it up."I don't care as long as you decide before homeroom is over." He tipped over and lay on the ground caterpillar-like.

Ten minutes later, Izuku stared at the blackboard with wide eyes. He'd received four votes and he hadn't even voted for himself! That meant four other classmates had voted for him.

"Makes sense," Kirishima said, hands behind his head in a relaxed pose. "He was really manly during the battle simulation and the fitness test. I can get behind him."

"I wouldn't mind Midoriya, either," Tsu remarked, her tongue hanging a bit out of her mouth.

"Way to go, Deku!" Uraraka cheered.

Izuku gave a nervous smile. "Thank you. I-I'll try my best."

Yaoyorozu - the girl who had entered on recommendation and bypassed the entrance exam - had received two votes, so she was elected as his second in command. She gave him a supportive smile and said, "There is no try. Only do or do not."

The class burst into laughter - "Dude!" - "You didn't!" - "Did she just quote Star Wars?" Even Izuku had to laugh.

Yaoyorozu shot them all a disgusted look, but her cheeks were red with embarrassment.

…

They spent the next four hours in classes, and Katsuki was exhausted by lunch. He tried to slip away to eat somewhere quiet, but Izuku caught up to him and grabbed hold of his jacket sleeve with all the determination of a demented chihuahua. There was no escape. Sighing, Katsuki followed their new class president to the cafeteria with what felt like half the class gathered around him, but only Cheeks, Glasses, and the redhead ended up at the same table as them.

"It's always so crowded here," the redhead said with amazement. "It blows my mind how many students are trying to become heroes."

"It is not just the students in the hero course who attend this lunch. There are also students from the business and support sections, which explains the occupancy volume," Glasses informed them.

Katsuki clicked his tongue, annoyed. The ass sounds like he'd memorized a brochure.

"I can't believe I got four votes," Izuku said, changing the subject. "I mean, I haven't been very impressive so far."

Katsuki rolled his eyes, making the redhead sitting across from him grin.

"I didn't vote for you, but I'm totally cool with you being class president," the redhead said as he slurped some noodles. "You were totally manly during the fitness test, standing up to Aizawa and showing him what you could do! And you fought hard during the battle training. You and Bakugou really fired everyone up!"

Glasses, sitting with perfect posture, added, "Your courage and judgement at critical moments make you worth following. That's why I voted for you."

"You voted for me?" Izuku sounded genuinely surprised.

"But didn't you want to be class rep, too, Iida? I mean, you've got glasses and everything," the girl said with perfect innocence.

Katsuki grinned and took a big bite of rice.

Of course, Glasses either didn't know he was being teased or he was ignoring it. He answered her question seriously as if the topic were life and death. "Wanting to do it and being suitable for it are different issues. Midoriya has helped me realize that I don't always judge a situation correctly and have been out of line several times. The truth is I've never dealt with so many people before or been in such an uncontrolled environment, so I have a lot to learn. "

An alarm blared throughout the room, causing everyone to fall silent. A robotic female voice came on over the speakers: "There has been a Level Three security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors immediately."

"The hell?" Katsuki scowled as the three hundred students in the cafeteria all ran for the exit. He got up.

"Are villains attacking?" the redhead asked, his skin turned hard and there was a soft sound, almost like a sword being taken from a sheath as he did so.

Izuku grabbed an older student by the sleeve of his jacket, his green eyes serious. "What's happening?"

"This has never happened before!" the older boy cried, wide-eyed. "It must be something really bad. We have to get out!"

Katsuki held his ground as he felt the panic in the room spread. Like hell was he going to be caught up in that.

"Deku! Come on! We have to go!" Cheeks cried, her large brown eyes growing even larger.

"They're panicking," Izuku pointed out. "It's not safe to get caught up in the crush." He looked around. "Where are the teachers?"

"Maybe they're taking care of things?" Glasses suggested. He was frowning at the pushing mass at the doors. "We need to do something."

"Are there any other exits?" The redhead jumped on a chair to get a better view of the room.

"We need to see what the fuck is going on and also get these losers to calm the fuck down," Katsuki growled, mind racing.

"Uraraka, make Iida float!" Izuku suddenly ordered. "Iida, use your legs to get to the windows in the hall. They overlook a good portion of the grounds. See if you can see anything."

"You." Katsuki hit the redhead on the thigh. "Follow me."

The teen jumped down from the chair. "Sure. What's the plan, man?"

Katsuki told him and the redhead flashed a shark's grin. Together, they pushed through the crowd that was crushed into the hallway. Glasses spun like a top above them, flying through the air. Katsuki ignored him. As soon as they were through to the hallway proper, he climbed up to stand on the redhead's shoulders. The boy's stone skin made him remarkably easy to climb.

Once he was standing, Katsuki could see the entire hallway. People were screaming and shoving, several kids went down even as he watched. Glaring furiously, he lifted his hand and aimed toward the exit doors. He shot off a medium-sized blast and it roared over the heads of everyone as it shot down the hallway. The conclusive force felt as much as heard. A lot of people screamed and ducked as the blast of heat blew over them.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU ASSHOLES!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. He held his smoking palm so it was clear for everyone to see and made his expression as menacing as possible.

In the sudden silence, Glasses called out, "It's just the media trying to get in to see All Might!" He was pressed up against the window, floating by the ceiling. "It looks like they got through the security gate and set off the alarm. We are not in danger!"

"SO CHILL OUT!" Katsuki roared, glaring murderously. "Get those people off the fucking floor and stop pushing each other, you losers! You should be fucking ashamed of yourselves!"

In the ensuing silence, Glasses gave a sudden squawk as he fell, Cheeks releasing him from her quirk, and that was somehow the signal for murmurs and movement to start again, but this time it was much more calm.

"Good job, Kacchan," Izuku said with a smile as Katsuki jumped down.

"Thanks, Red." Katsuki slapped the redhead's shoulder. It was normal skin again.

"Red?" the teen repeated and gave Katsuki a surprised and delighted smile. "I like it!"

Katsuki rolled his eyes and took his boyfriend's hand, pulling him away from the group. His nerves were fucking shot and he couldn't take the crowd for another minute. Pitching his voice for Izuku's ears only, he said, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

He pushed through the crowd, but instead of going toward the exit doors where everyone was still bunched up, he went the other way toward the bathrooms. As he'd thought, the men's room was empty. Katsuki towed Izuku to one of the stalls and pulled him in, shutting and locking the door behind him. It was like a little closet. The divider went all the way up to the ceiling and all the way down to the floor. It was an island of calm in the chaos.

"I missed you, Kacchan," Izuku said sweetly and pulled him in to a soft kiss.

Katsuki wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist and hugged him, burying his face in Izu's soft, wavy hair. "Me, too."

"Why'd you leave so fast yesterday? And where were you this morning?" Concern rang clear in his voice.

Katsuki laughed, but it wasn't a sound of humor. "You always go straight for the hard questions." He pulled away and slipped past Izu to put the toilet seat lid down and sit on it. He slumped tiredly. "I got kicked out last night. I asked Aizawa for help and he took me to his house. He's… been decent about the whole thing."

"Oh, no, what happened?" Izu reached up, his fingers just barely touching Katsuki's bruised cheek.

"What the hell do you think happened, Deku?" he snapped, glaring, and knocked Izuku's hand away.

Izuku wasn't offended. "You could have come to my place," he said gently. He stepped forward and ran his free hand through Katsuki's blond hair. "You're always welcome to stay over."

Katsuki sighed and leaned his forehead against Izuku's stomach. "I would have, but I think this time it's more permanent than that."

Izuku didn't ask him anything else. He just ran his hand gently through Katsuki's hair again and again. Katsuki was practically a melted puddle of goo and half-asleep when Izuku suddenly spoke.

"All Might took me home. We told Mom everything. She's not speaking to me right now."

"Shit." Katsuki looked up at Izuku in concern. He knew how close his boyfriend was to his mom. Hell, Katsuki loved her, too. He felt sick at the idea that she was upset or angry. "What'd she say?"

Izuku gave him a sad smile, tears in his eyes. "She said she needed time to think about all this."

Katsuki stood up and cupped Izuku's face, running his thumbs over Izu's cheeks. "You okay?"

"I'm not happy about it, but… I still have you," he said honestly, his expression soft and sweet. "And I'm still at UA, so… Yeah. I'm okay. I'm more worried about you."

Katsuki felt his heart twist almost painfully in his chest as Izuku so easily put him first. Throat tight, he pushed Izuku firmly against the stall door and pinned his body with his own. He thrilled in the way Izuku's breathing grew heavy, his pupils dilating just from that.

With a sensual smirk, Katsuki bent his head down and slotted their mouths together. He kissed Izuku deeply, cradling the back of his head and pressing him harder against the door as Izu's legs grew weak. He slotted his thigh between Izuku's and felt the bulge in his boyfriend's pants. It sent a bolt of heat down his spine, knowing he could get Izuku so hot and bothered.

He broke the wet kiss with a gasp and immediately pressed his lips against Izuku's soft throat. As he sucked and licked his way down, his fingers undid his boyfriend's tie and pulled his school jacket and button-up shirt to the side. He left red marks across the slope of Izuku's shoulder, and Izu moaned for more, clutching at Katsuki with his free hand and pulling him in closer.

Katsuki straightened, breathing hard, and lifted his hand to rub his thumb over Izuku's lips. Izuku's cheeks were flushed, his hair was even more wild than normal, and his eyes were dark with passion. Katsuki kissed him again before pulling back.

"Do you have that slick stuff?" he asked, breathless. He was desperate to feel Izuku, skin to skin.

"No," he groaned, tears caught on his lashes. "Please… Don't stop…" he practically whimpered, clinging to Katsuki desperately.

The outer door to the bathroom opened. "Bakugou? Midoriya?" It was the redhead. "You in here?"

Katsuki grinned at the horrified look on Izuku's face. "Yeah?" he called and deliberately thrust his hips against Izuku's.

Izu flung his good hand over his mouth, eyes wide, but he spread his legs wider to give Katsuki more room, and shit if that didn't send heat boiling straight to Katsuki's dick.

"It's cleared out. We're heading back to class!" the redhead called.

Katsuki began to rock in earnest, thrusting hard enough that the stall door squeaked. "I'll be right there. Deku already left." His voice was perfectly even with no hint at all as to what he was currently doing to their very disheveled and red-faced class president.

"Okay. Cool." There was the sound of outer door to the bathroom swinging shut.

Katsuki bent down to bite at Izuku's ear and throat. Izu's little hitching moans were just barely muffled by his hand. "Looks like you're about to make a mess, Mr. President," he whispered hoarse and rough, knowing how it would effect his boyfriend.

Izuku undulated against him with an erotic moan, completely helpless in Katsuki's arms.

With a growl, Katsuki got their pants open before they blew their load in their fucking underwear. It only took a second before their dicks were freed, standing rigid and flushed in the air. "Shit, you're so fucking hot, Izu. Fuck." They were already so close that he was able to spread the slick beading at the tips down over their shafts, making it easier to pump his hands up and down.

They'd never done this with so much light before, and Katsuki couldn't look away. He watched, enthralled with the way the swollen heads pushed through his fists every time he jerked his hands down. He was thicker than Izu, but about the same length. He was also darker, his cock flushed an almost brown while Izu's cock was a pretty red that matched his cheeks and lips.

"Fuuuuuck," he groaned, so fucking turned on he couldn't take it.

His hands broke apart to cup over them as he came. Katsuki braced his weight against the door with his other hand, panting and trying to catch it all even as his brain whited out. The feel of Izuku's cum splashing his palm, adding to the mess, made him shiver and spurt weakly one last time.

Izuku slid down the door and sat bonelessly on his ass. Katsuki sank to his knees in front of him. He clumsily grabbed a fistful of toilet paper, but he hesitated, looking at his dripping palm before he wiped it. He couldn't tell his jizz from Izu's, but knowing they were mixing was hot as hell. He shivered again and quickly wiped his hand clean, throwing the balled up paper in the toilet.

After a minute spent just catching his breath, he was able to get back on his feet. "Come on." He offered his clean hand to Izu and helped pull his blissed-out boyfriend up off the floor.

Izuku kissed him, a pretty blush still staining his cheeks. "Thanks, Kacchan," he said softly, eyes sparkling.

Katsuki laughed, suddenly feeling a hundred times lighter. "You don't have to thank me every fucking time, Deku. You know that, right?"

Izuku's blush darkened and Katsuki kissed his cheek, still laughing.

…

Izuku tried to look calm as he followed Aizawa to one of the many gyms on campus. They were apparently going to test their costumes today for basic training, which was why everyone was wearing their hero costumes… except for Izuku.

His costume was too damaged from his fight with Kacchan, so he was wearing his gym uniform, but that wasn't what he was worried about. His cheeks burned with embarrassment, and he hoped like hell no one guessed what he and Kacchan had done in the bathroom. Oh god, what had gotten into him?!

"Are you feeling okay?"

Izuku swallowed his spit wrong and began coughing like crazy.

Uraraka gently hit his back, her brown eyes filled with worry. "Are you getting sick?"

"No," he assured her, waving his good arm in panic. "No, I just swallowed wrong!"

"You look flushed," Iida pointed out unhelpfully. "Perhaps you have a fever?"

Izuku felt his cheeks darken even more. His heart thundered in his chest and he wished his quirk was invisibility like their classmate Hagakure. "I'm fine. I promise…" His mind raced for a good excuse, _any_ excuse. "… I think it's just a delayed reaction from earlier!"

"That was pretty crazy," Uraraka said, nodding. "I thought you were really amazing, though. You stayed so calm."

"Only because I had you guys with me." Izuku gave them a grateful smile. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Uraraka and Iida both looked pleased at that, and Izuku told himself firmly to get out of his head. He needed to pay attention to everyone around him.

Aizawa took out a huge key and unlocked a small door. They walked through and almost all their mouths fell open. The room was huge, but it was more than that. In one section of the gym, there were huge trampolines. In another, there were multiple levels of blocks for climbing. In another, dozens of nets hung from the ceiling. There were also punching bags and weights and jump ropes.

"It's really important that you familiarize yourself with your equipment. Any small thing can be the difference between victory and defeat. Take note of things you want to change about your costume as you work out. Help each other and make suggestions. Test the limits of what your costumes can and can't endure." Aizawa found Izuku in the crowd. "Midoriya, come with me."

Izuku felt his insides twist in utter mortification. His face bleached white. Did Aizawa know? Heart pounding, feeling like he'd throw up any minute, he dragged his feet as he followed his teacher, keeping his eyes on the ground.

He was led to a small office off the gym. There were schedules hung on the wall and a calendar, and a desk with papers and a desktop computer. Aizawa bent over the computer for a few minutes before straightening and gesturing at the chair.

"Since your costume is still being repaired, I want you to watch the recordings of the battles you missed yesterday and work on your report."

Izuku felt nearly faint with relief. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

"It shouldn't take you long. I want a two page report. One page analyzing your own battle. The second analyzing a second battle of your choice. When you're done, you can join the rest of the class."

"Yes, sir," he said again.

Izuku caught sight of Kacchan through the window that looked out into the gym. A smug smirk spread across the blond's face as their eyes met. Izuku glared and turned away. He was never doing stuff like that at school again! That had been utterly terrifying!

Annoyed, he pushed Kacchan out of his head and got to work. In less than ten minutes, he finished the report on his own battle, but he couldn't pick just one other fight to analyze! He typed an analysis on Kirishima's fight for Aizawa, but he took detailed notes on all of the battles in his own notebook. Almost two hours later, he was finally done.

Izuku walked out of the office, his arm stretched over his head as he worked out the kinks in his back. Explosions, zaps of electricity, and the sound of his classmates talking and shouting filled the gym - it was like Quirk Studies all over again. It made Izuku smile, but then his eyes fell on Todoroki. The teen was standing against the wall alone, watching the others. Izuku observed him for a minute, reading his body language, before walking over.

Todoroki had very striking features. He was tall with straight hair falling over his forehead and ears, and he would have been attractive even without the unique coloring. The right side of his hair was white, his right eye a dark grey. The left side of his hair was red, the eye a beautiful aqua blue. A burn scar marred the top half of the left side of his face, the skin darker and rougher around that blue eye and cheek. He always wore a stoic expression, always speaking softly and logically with very little emotion.

"Finished testing your costume?" Izuku asked, keeping his tone and body language open and friendly.

Todoroki cast Izuku an indifferent glance before returning his attention back to their classmates. "Yes."

"Your costume is so interesting," Izuku complimented. The fake ice covered the entire left side of Todoroki's body, as if he were encased in his own ice quirk. Ironically, it was his left side that produced heat. At least, that's what it had shown in the video. "Did you design it that way to disguise the dual nature of your quirk? To catch villains by surprise when you use heat?"

Cold eyes regarded him - one grey - one blue. "Shouldn't you be working on your own quirk?" he asked before pushing off the wall and walking away.

Izuku followed him with his eyes, worried. He made a mental note to keep an eye on Todoroki. He had a feeling something was bothering the other teen, but Todoroki wasn't wrong. Izuku really did need to work on using One For All. Taking a deep breath, he sat against the wall, folding his legs in a meditative Buddha pose. Closing his eyes, he counted his breaths.

Working on the beach for endless hours had engrained the sound of crashing waves on his mind, and he let the remembered sound engulf him. He matched his breathing to that endless rhythm and called on One For All. This time he didn't force it into his arms. For the first time, he let it move naturally and undirected, filling every inch of his body.

…

"Bakugou!"

Katsuki looked over. He was breathing hard and sweating, his gauntlets hot against his forearms. The redhead with sharp teeth was waving at him from a few feet away. "What?" he cried.

"Is Midoriya supposed to glow like that?" Kirishima pointed to the far side of the room.

Katsuki looked over to see Izuku sitting against the wall. The yellowish glow with shiny red veins that appeared every time Deku called on his new quirk had taken over his arms, but it wasn't stopping. It snaked up his boyfriend's neck and over his face. A glittering red X appeared over Izuku's forehead and cut down his cheeks.

The whole class had stopped to stare. Even Aizawa had climbed out of his sleeping bag and had stood up. As they watched, the yellow glow and red veins covering Izuku's skin faded into a softer white luminescence. A crackling green energy surrounded him like tiny flickering lightning.

Izuku opened his eyes and the green of them glowed faintly. Everyone held their breath as Izu gracefully unfolded and got to his feet. He took a fighting stance, facing a corner of the gym that no one was using. The red veins flashed over Izuku's left arm - the one that Izuku hadn't broken - and he lashed out in a beautiful round-house kick and punch.

Two blasts of air punched outward, knocking the nearest kids off their feet. Katsuki's hair whipped around his head as it reached him. The force wasn't nearly strong enough to knock down walls or break buildings, but had Izuku struck a body directly with those blows, it would have been devastating.

The green crackling energy disappeared and Izuku stood panting and windblown. "I did it!" he cried, voice raw with emotion. He thrust his left arm in the air and bounced on his toes. Nothing seemed broken or even strained. Katsuki couldn't see any bruising on his arm.

"I DID IT!" Izuku screamed triumphantly, his joyful eyes locking with Katsuki's from across the gym.

Katsuki flashed his boyfriend a proud grin as a huge cheer went up. Glasses and Cheeks went running to Iuzku's side. The girl flung her arms around Izuku in an excited hug as their teacher made his way over.

"He's pretty amazing, huh?"

Katsuki looked over at the redhead. "You don't have time to be happy for the nerd," he warned. "Not if you ever want to fucking surpass him."

Kirishima looked surprised at that. "You know what? You're right. It's only day two and he's already gotten that much better." Looking suddenly determined, he cracked his neck and hardened his skin. "Let's do this!" he cried, squaring off against Katsuki.

Katsuki grinned, baring his teeth. "Let's fucking do this!" he agreed and fired off an explosion at point-blank range, mostly to create a smoke screen. He knew Kirishima's skin wouldn't be damaged by the blast. He launched himself into the air, his palms firing.

…

Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm really fine, sensei," he assured his teacher. "It doesn't hurt at all."

Aizawa stared back at him, arms crossed. "As happy as I am that you are working on ways to use your quirk that won't damage your body, you haven't been cleared by Recovery Girl. Go to the infirmary and make sure you didn't aggravate your injuries with that move."

Izuku sighed and cast his eyes downward, subdued. "Yes, sir."

"Can Iida and I go with him?" Uraraka asked hopefully, brown eyes sparkling.

Aizawa sighed, but he nodded. "Why not. Make sure he stays out of trouble."

"Yes, sir!" Uraraka saluted.

As the three of them turned and made their way out of the gym, Uraraka grabbed Izuku's good arm, a huge smile spread across her face. "Oh my god, Deku! I'm so happy for you! How'd you figure it out?"

Izuku grinned at her, happiness bubbling up once more. "Well, after the fight with Kacchan, I realized that I was putting a lot of pressure on my arm. I guess I never really thought about what my quirk was doing inside my body before. I visualized punches like All Might or Kacchan, but my quirk isn't localized like that, not really. The idea really solidified while watching the videos of everyone else's battles. I was actually inspired by Todoroki and Kirishima. Their quirks activate from all over their body, and I thought maybe that was what I was doing wrong. I was forcing my quirk to activate in an isolated area, which increased the strain on that limb without the support of the rest of my body."

"That's astounding, Midoriya," Iida said, pushing up his glasses. "Your ability to analyze is truly impressive. That is another quality that makes you a good candidate for the position of class president."

Izuku blushed, smiling. "Thank you, Iida."

"You know, I've been wondering," Uraraka suddenly said, a finger held cutely to her lip. She had her thick brown hair tucked behind her ears to keep it out of her face, and it curved around her head at a sharp angle just brushing her narrow shoulders. "You always talk so properly, Iida. Are you from a rich family?"

Izuku bit back a laugh at the shocked expression on Iida's face.

"I knew it!" Uraraka cheered.

"I was worried others would treat me differently if they knew." Iida sighed but then straightened his shoulders. "Yes, my family has been heroes for generations and runs a successful hero agency."

"That's totally awesome!" Uraraka said, impressed. "I'll be the first hero in my family."

Izuku thought about all the heroes he knew and tried to match it to Iida's quirk. Quirks usually ran in families. "Are you related to Ingenium? You're quirks are similar and your hero costume looks a bit like his armor as well."

Iida and Uraraka both stared at him.

"What?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"You are really knowledgeable about heroes," Uraraka said, clearly impressed. "Is there a hero you don't know?"

"I don't know everything!" Izuku protested, blushing. "I just really admire heroes, and I've been studying them for years!"

"You are correct, Midoriya. Ingenium is my elder brother," Iida admitted. "I set my sights on being a hero because I want to be like him. He is a well loved hero and has saved many people."

"He's incredible," Izuku agreed, eyes shining. "I can't believe he's your brother! That's so amazing! What was it like to grow up with such a great hero to look up to?"

As Iida launched into a lecture about the impact of good role models on the lives of children, his arms cutting the air for emphasis and his eyes bright with passion behind his glasses, Izuku and Uraraka shared amused smiles behind his back.

…

Katsuki had just put his costume back in its slot in their classroom when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket to see he'd gotten a text.

Izuku:

RG said I look okay

Still healing good

She even let me leave the sling

Katsuki smiled and hit Izuku's name, calling him speed dial. He slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way out of the classroom. As soon as Izuku answered, he said, "Can't wait to go up against you with you actually using your quirk. It looks badass."

"_I'll be ready for you," _Izuku answered, a smile in his voice, but Katsuki knew he was serious. It made his heart pump harder with anticipation. _"Are we going home together?"_

Katsuki thought about it. "Don't you still need to work things out with your mom?"

"_We can do that with you there," _Izuku reassured him.

Katsuki grinned evilly and dropped his voice, making it a rough growl. "Didn't get enough of me already today?"

He could practically feel Izuku's blush over the phone as his boyfriend sucked in a breath. _"Kacchan! Stop that…" _His voice dropped to a muffled whisper. _"I'm not alone!" _

Katsuki laughed, picturing Glasses and Cheeks staring at Izuku curiously, listening to Izuku's half of the conversation.

"_Kacchan,"_ Izuku whined, embarrassed and annoyed._"Should I wait by the gate for you or not?"_

"Not tonight," Katsuki said, giving up on teasing him. "I still have shit to figure out, and you've got to work things out with your mom."

"_Okay," _Izuku answered, disappointment shading his voice. _"See you tomorrow. Call me later, okay?"_

Katsuki clicked the phone off and a text buzzed through.

Izuku:

I love you

Katsuki felt a rush of warmth and put his phone in his pocket. Feeling bolstered, he made his way to Aizawa's office. He knocked and a muffled voice told him to enter. His teacher was sitting behind the desk and had been reading something. Seeing Katsuki, Aizawa set the papers aside and gave him his full attention.

"I'm going to call Masaru." Katsuki clicked his tongue, annoyed that Aizawa might not know who that was, and clarified using his official title, "My dad."

Aizawa nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Would you mind making the call from here? I'd like to be present."

Katsuki scowled, his cheeks red. Why the hell was he listening to this guy anyway? He didn't need permission to call his fucking loser parents! But… Aizawa had done right by him, had gone out of his way to help him, had even offered to stand in as Katsuki's fucking guardian. The least he could do was listen to his fucking requests. Katsuki sighed, relenting.

"He's a fucking loser. He's not going to verbally abuse me," he assured him.

Aizawa shrugged. "I would still prefer it, but if you're uncomfortable, I understand."

Katsuki clenched his hand into a fist. What the hell was with this guy!? All this worry wasn't fucking necessary! He needed a little help, but he wasn't a complete infant! He wasn't going to shatter into a million pieces because of something that shit hole tells him, but maybe Aizawa needed proof to be sure of that. Fuck, how weak did Aizawa think he was?!

Feeling like he now had something to prove, Katsuki sat in the chair across from Aizawa's desk and pulled up Masaru's name on his call log. He hit it and then boldly put the call on speaker. He kept his expression completely composed as he listened to the ring.

"_Katsuki?"_

Katsuki wanted to roll his eyes. Who the fuck else would it be? "Yeah," he said, gruff but calm. "I want to talk about getting my own place."

There was a minute of silence. _"That might be best for now…" _Masaru finally answered, voice subdued and weak, just as Katsuki had told Aizawa he would be. _"Your mother is still upset…"_

Katsuki bared his teeth. "I don't fucking care. Do you want me to find a place or do you have a place in mind?"

"_No… I… You pick a place…" _There was an awkward clearing of his throat and Masaru asked, _"Will you stay at Midoriya's until then?"_

"None of your business," Katsuki answered, voice hard.

"_Katsuki, you do understand that your mother has a right to be upset? That it's not clean being with another male…"_

Katsuki leaned close to the phone, his expression completely closed off. "What I do isn't your fucking business any more, Masaru," he said coldly.

In the distance, he could hear his mother's voice say, _"Give me the phone."_

Instantly his heart began to beat faster, he's breathing picked up. Sweat beaded his hairline and his palms grew damp. There was the sound of the phone being handed off.

"_We're going out to dinner," _her voice came over the line, cold and unfeeling. _"Come grab whatever shit you want and leave your fucking key. Whatever you don't take tonight, I'm burning." _The call ended, his mother hanging up on him.

Katsuki's hand was shaking as he shoved his phone back in his pocket, but he kept his expression even.

Aizawa didn't make any comment about the call. Instead, he picked up the paper that he'd been reading. Katsuki noticed it was one of the reports the class had turned in that morning. "Why don't you get started on your homework," he said carefully. "I've got another hour here and then I'll drive you to get your things."

Katsuki blushed, furious that he needed so much goddamn help. Through gritted teeth, he accepted. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"I really don't mind," Aizawa said with sincerity. Half hidden as his eyes were by his long, scraggly black hair, he could still see they were soft with understanding.

Katsuki nodded and got up. He walked out with as much pride as he could scrape together. He just barely managed not to slam the door behind him. As soon as he was in the hall, his expression darkened into a dangerous scowl. He practically stomped all the way to the computer lab where he flung his bag down violently.

A few students working on the computers there looked up with frowns, but quickly went back to work when he shot them a murderous glare. He typed out Aizawa's stupid ficking report in exactly seven minutes and then he started his search for an apartment.

**End -**

**A/n: **Soooo things are moving along! :D

What do you think about Izuku figuring out Full Cowl a bit earlier than the anime? It just makes sense to me since he's communing with the OFA spirits sooner and he's a bit more observant in my version, too.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/n: **Drumroll please!

I'm so excited for you to read this chapter! I worked really hard on this. You have no idea how many times I re-wrote some sections, and I really went back through and revised several times all the details and descriptions. I wanted it to be fast-paced and action-packed, but I also really wanted to paint a picture. I really hope you enjoy it!

So without further ado… I give you… the USJ!

…

**USJ**

Katsuki woke up in his teacher's guest room on Wednesday. Three large trash bags full of clothes and a few other items like pictures, books, and things sat in the corner. It was all he had. That's it. He didn't even have a phone anymore. It had been cut off. He'd had to call Izuku's cell from Aizawa's landline just so Izuku wouldn't worry.

His mother had gotten rid of all the expensive stuff in his room like his laptop and tv before he'd gotten there. However, bitch that she was, she had left a belt folded in half deliberately on his bed. He'd grabbed the strip of leather in both hands and exploded it, a sneer on his face. He left it charred and blackened on his bedroom floor before slamming the door behind him.

But even though it felt like his whole world had come crashing down and changed, some things hadn't. Izuku's face lit up when he saw Katsuki walking up the path toward UA's gate. He waved his arm like crazy, as if they hadn't seen each other in years, and as soon as Katsuki was in reach, Izuku pulled him into a tight hug.

"Good morning, Kacchan," he said softly.

Katsuki stood still, letting Izu hug him for a bit longer than he normally would, but he eventually cleared his throat and pulled away. He gave Izu a smirk and bumped his friend's shoulder. "I'm fine, Deku. Come on. We're going to be late."

Their class was as energetic as always. Not in the mood to deal with it, Katsuki abandoned Izuku to the mob and stomped over to his desk. When Kirishima approached him, Katsuki shot him a warning glare, and the redhead retreated with a smile.

The class settled down once Aizawa entered. Their teacher returned their reports and gave them a few minutes to read over his comments before announcing, "Today, for Basic, we're gong on a field trip."

Tape boy held up his hand excitedly. "Can you tell us what we'll be doing, sir?"

Aizawa held up a card. In bubble letters it read: RESCUE. "Disasters, shipwrecks, and everything in between. Today you'll receive your first rescue training."

An electric zap went off, a dumb blond losing control of his quirk slightly. "Looks like another hard day," he said, grinning with excitement.

Kirishima flexed his arm before hardening it. "That's what it means to be a hero. My arms are ready to rumble, right, Bakugou?"

Katsuki ignored him.

Even the frog girl got into it. Her tongue snapped out excitedly before being pulled back in. "I finally get to show off a little. No one can beat me in water, _ribbit_."

Aizawa raised his hand and the class instantly fell silent. "I'm not done. You can decide if you want to wear your costumes or not this time. The training will take place off-campus, so we're taking a bus. Meet me in the east parking lot directly after lunch. That is all."

Katsuki almost found it amusing as they sat through their morning classes. Everyone was so pumped about the field trip that they kept interrupting the teachers and getting called out for not paying attention. The teachers quickly grew annoyed and assigned them homework in retaliation, much to the class's dismay.

They were so excited, in fact, many of them skipped lunch, but Katsuki made sure Izu ate something. He was all too aware of Izuku's tendency to skip meals when he was stressed. His boyfriend probably hadn't eaten well since the day before yesterday.

After lunch, they made their way outside. A bus was waiting just as Aizawa had said it would be. Izuku did a quick head-count to confirm everyone was there and jogged up to tell Aizawa they were ready. After getting the okay, Izuku waved an arm over his head and called, "Everyone line up please! Sensei said the bus is ready to be boarded."

Like everything else about UA, the bus was high class. It was air conditioned and had an open seating plan. The back had three traditional rows of upholstered and cushioned seats, but the rest of the bus had seats lining the walls so everyone could face each other and talk like in a subway car.

Katsuki headed for the back rows, not in the mood to talk with these losers. He was only wearing one gauntlet today, having damaged his left sparring with Kirishima, but it still took up a lot of room, so he took two seats for himself and shot a glare at anyone who thought to say something about it.

Izuku sat in the long row in the middle, of course. He had Cheeks and Glasses next to him as well as Frog girl and Kirishima. They had just rolled out of the UA parking lot when Katsuki heard Frog girl say, "Hey, Midoriya. I've noticed your quirk is a lot like All Might's."

Izuku's eyes grew wide as he waved his arms dramatically in denial. "Y-You think so? I never really thought about that! I mean, they are similar, but that's because I've always really admired All Might! He's my favorite hero, so maybe that's why…"

As Izuku babbled like an idiot, it was Kirishima who saved him. "Wait a sec, Tsu. All Might doesn't get hurt when he uses his power, and he doesn't glow like Midoriya, either, so it must be a little different." He sighed and lifted his arm. "Man, it must be nice to have a simple augmenting-type quirk. You can do a lot of flashy stuff. My hardening is strong against others, but unfortunately it doesn't look like much."

Izuku leapt to his defense. "I think it's really cool! It's a quirk that can definitely pass as a pro's!"

Kirishima examined his craggy arm. "You think so? But you have to think about popularity as a hero, too, you know?"

The ridiculous French boy piped up, saying, "My Naval Laser is pro-level in both flashiness and strength."

Pinky patted the blond's shoulder. "But it's not great that it gives you a stomachache, sweetie."

Kirishima's eyes caught Katsuki's. "Well, if you're talking about flashy and strong, it's got to be Todoroki and Bakugou. They're going pro for sure!"

Katsuki gave him a sharp grin. "I'm more than going pro, idiot. I'm going to be the number one hero! Better than fucking All Might!"

Frog girl turned and said to Izu, "Bakugou's always mad, so he doesn't seem like he'll be too popular."

Katsuki's eyes narrowed. He stood up and leaned over the railing. "You got a problem with me, Froggy?" he growled. "You trying to pick a fight? Why don't you tell me what you fucking think to my fucking face?"

The loser had the gall to point her thumb at him as if she'd proved some fucking point. "See?"

Katsuki sneered, but before he could respond, the boy with electricity suddenly chimed in, saying, "We haven't known each other that long, so it's amazing that everyone already knows your personality is crap steeped in sewage."

Katsuki's blood boiled. He was about to put the useless loser in his fucking place when Izuku stood up.

"Hey!" he snapped, voice surprisingly harsh. "That's enough!"

His green eyes cut across their group and even the losers in the back who'd been talking to themselves fell silent. "That's going too far, Kaminari. We're a class and we should stand together. I'm not expecting everyone to be friends, but I do expect all of us to respect each other. We're training to be heroes! There's no room for bullying in that."

"I agree." Ponytail girl looked around at them, expression firm. "I'm with Midoriya. I know we're all competing for the top spot, but we're going to win that place with honor. As heroes!"

"I was just joking," the idiotic blond said with a pout. "Sorry, Bakugou."

Katsuki stared him dead in the eye and gave him a sharp grin. _Any time, any place_, he mouthed. The loser actually flinched and looked away. Katsuki smirked and dropped back into his seat. Pussy couldn't finish what he started.

"Alright, everyone." Aizawa's monotone voice cut through the awkward silence. "We're here."

The woods on either side of the narrow road fell away and they pulled into a parking lot in front of an enormous glass dome. It was easily the size of three city stadiums. It towered at least twenty stories above their heads at the highest point, and Katsuki began to get a little excited. This promised to be interesting!

A pro-hero was waiting for them by the entry doors. It was Thirteen, a rescue hero in an astronaut's costume. The costume was round like a marshmallow and looked inflated, but on her feet were a new pair of bright yellow sneakers.

Of course Cheeks freaked out, exclaiming Thirteen was her favorite, like that was a fucking surprise. The girl's pink and black costume had distinctly round curves and she had a headpiece clearly inspired by an astronaut's helmet.

"I've been waiting for you!" Thirteen said cheerfully. Her voice came through a speaker in her helmet, giving it a grainy texture. "Welcome! Come on in!"

Like their classroom door or the school's front gate, the entrance doors were huge. Their whole class could walk in side-by-side with room to spare. As they walked through, the walkway served as a platform that looked out over a stadium a hundred feet below ground level. The walkway had red carpet stretching down the middle, and a huge blue archway stood decoratively at the end where the walkway became a massive staircase that led down to the stadium floor.

It was like a theme park! There was a central courtyard with a huge fountain and garden set in the middle. In one corner, there was a red dome the size of a movie theater with flames painted on the outside. In another, there was a rocky mountainous area. To the left was an enormous pool with a spiraling slide that turned into a waterfall. To the right, there was a second movie theater sized domed area. This one had lightning and rain painted on the outside. Perfectly manicured trees and shrubbery had been planted throughout the stadium, the glass roof acting as a greenhouse, and this only reinforced the theme park feel.

"Welcome to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short," Thirteen said proudly, arms wide to indicate the entire facility. "This is the training ground that I made to prepare you to deal with different types of accidents and disasters." Striking a dramatic pose, the hero pointed out each section. "We have a shipwreck, a landslide, a fire, and a typhoon, as well as a few other things!"

As the class murmured in excitement, pointing things out, Katsuki rubbed his hands together. He couldn't wait to get started. He shared a grin with Izuku.

"Aizawa, where's All Might? I thought he was joining us?" Thirteen asked curiously.

Aizawa walked up next to the hero and said, voice bored, "He said had something to handle first. He'll be here soon."

Katsuki shot Izuku a look and his boyfriend nodded. All Might was rescuing someone from Izuku's visions.

Thirteen accepted this easily and put her hands on her hips. ""It can't be helped. We'll just get started then, but before we begin I have one… or two… or three… maybe four? … things to say."

Katsuki sighed, slumping. Here we go. A bunch of blah blah blah. He clicked his tongue, annoyed. Kirishima chuckled and bumped his shoulder.

"Everyone!" Thirteen called dramatically, holding her hand in front of her. "I am sure you are aware of my quirk, but for those of you who aren't familiar, my quirk is called Black Hole. I can suck up anything and turn it to dust."

Of course the nerd had to speak up at that, his green eyes shining in awe. "You've been able to save hundreds of people by sucking up fires and even wind to create an opportunity for people to escape!"

"Yes," Thirteen agreed. "But it is a power that can kill just as easily."

The class grew tense at that, even Katsuki stood straighter.

"Some of you also have quirks that could kill rather easily. In our society, quirks are stringently regulated, so we often overlook how unsafe they can be. Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, powers can be deadly. Even if you are trying to do something virtuous like rescue someone. Thanks to Mr. Aizawa's fitness test and costume assessment, you have a good idea of your quirk's potential, and because of Mr. All Might's combat training, you might have realized how dangerous your quirk could be when used against another person. Carry those lessons over into this class."

Thirteen's voice grew louder and more passionate. "Today you are going to learn how to use your quirks to save people's lives. You won't be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, only to help. After all, that's what being a hero is all about: Ensuring the safety of others. Never forget that." She gave a bow, one arm extended with the other folded against her chest. "That is all! Thank you for listening."

The class gave a loud cheer. Even Katsuki's heart was beating harder, inspired. He looked at his hands. _"Your hands can only destroy, Katsuki! You'll never be a hero!"_ \- He clenched them into fists and looked straight ahead. Today he was going to prove her poisonous voice wrong.

"Right. Now that that's over…"

Aizawa was cut off as a surge of electricity ran over the outer wall of the stadium. The electricity flashed out, but the sunlight streaming through the class ceiling gave them plenty of light to see as a curtain of black spilled across the center courtyard.

"What's going on?" Cheeks asked, looking around.

"Everyone! Stay together!" Aizawa shouted.

Katsuki's eyes were locked on the curtain and saw a man with what looked like dismembered hands grabbing onto his arms, torso, and head stepped clear of the blackness. Monsters and people came marching through after him. There were dozens of them!

"Has the training started already?" Kirishima shaded his eyes to look down at the courtyard and the black gate spread across it. "I thought we were only rescuing people."

Katsuki shot him a disgusted look for his idiocy just as Aizawa shouted, "Stay back! These are real villains! This is not a drill!"

A few of his classmates gasped in fear; several took a few steps back toward the door.

Aizawa's voice became cold and dangerous in a way they had never heard it before. "Thirteen, contact the school."

"The signal's being jammed," she answered quietly. "And the alarms aren't going off. They've managed to dismantle them somehow."

"How can so many villains break into a facility this secure?" Kirishima demanded, his arms had already hardened and he held them up like weapons.

Villains and thugs were still pouring out of the gate. Katsuki's count was already up to thirty-six.

The Half-and-Half loser stepped forward for a better look. "The better question is if the entire campus is under attack or if this is their only target." He viewed the villains cooly without a hint of fear. "Either way, one of these villains has a quirk that is interfering with the alarm system and our communications. They're fools for attacking UA, but they've clearly thought this out."

Finally, the black wall contracted into the form of a man-sized pillar of mist with side-ways slitted yellow eyes. There were more than seventy thugs now filling the courtyard.

"Thirteen, get them out of here. I'll hold them off." Aizawa strode down the platform away from them, pulling his goggles up over his eyes.

Izuku chased after him, freckles standing out starkly on his pale cheeks. "What are you going to do? You can't fight them on your own! Your power works best in one-on-one fights!"

Aizawa looked back at him, his face obscured by his hair and goggles, but there was a steadiness to him. He wasn't slouching or sleepy anymore. "You can't be a pro if you only have one trick." He looked once more over at the rescue hero. "I'll leave it to you, Thirteen." Then he leapt, completely jumping over the first set of stairs, before running head first for the group of villains waiting at the bottom.

Katsuki strode forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Izuku. He glared furiously down at the mob and watched as Aizawa's scarf seemed to come to life, unwinding and hovering around him. The ends lashed forward like whips, and thugs were tossed aside as if they were nothing. Aizawa flew and leapt through the air in a violent flurry of kicks, flips, and punches. He'd known Eraserhead was good, but this was unbelievable!

"This is no time to be standing around! We have to go!" Glasses yelled from behind them.

Katsuki turned to see the class running back toward the entrance doors. He cast one last look down at his teacher before scowling and turning his back. "Come on," he growled and grabbed Izuku's wrist, pulling him along.

Suddenly their class stopped, a surprised yell going up. Katsuki dropped Izuku's wrist and sprinted to the front of the group. Black mist rose from the ground. It formed into that fucking mist guy. Thirteen put herself at the front of their group and spread her arms protectively.

"I apologize, but there is no escape for you," the villain said, his voice low and resonant and mocking. "It's a pleasure to meet you. We are the League of Villains. I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice. You see, we couldn't pass up such opportunity. After all, isn't this the perfect place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to take his last breath? It was my understand he would be here today for this little class. Was there a change in schedule?"

Katsuki lunged forward, snarling. So that's what these fuckers were up to! He thrust his arm forward - Kirishima was right next to him, his entire body hardened, his arm slashing down like a sword - Katsuki didn't have to hold back, Kirishima could take his blasts, and he let off an explosion right into the center of the villain's body.

The explosion thundered out and made the platform under them tremble. A huge dust cloud erupted around them as the surface of the platform cracked and broke apart, obscuring their vision for a second.

"Did you think we were just going to stand there and let you hurt us?" Kirishima yelled defiantly.

"You live up to your school's reputation," the dark voice drawled menacingly. Katsuki hissed as the fucking asshole reformed out of black mist, looking completely unharmed. "That was close, but you should be more careful children. Otherwise someone might get hurt."

"MOVE!" Thirteen screamed.

Katsuki realized he and Kirishima were standing in the way of her shot at the villain, but it was too late. A wave of black washed over them.

Katsuki was already moving. He knew better than to stand in one place and let a villain regroup. He'd turned his body and thrust both hands out in front of him, creating dual explosion that flung him back with enough force that he crashed painfully into Kirishima's stone-hard body.

Gritting his teeth, he kept the explosions up until both he and Kirishima tumbled right off the edge of the platform. The redhead screamed as they fell, but he wrapped his arms around Katsuki protectively. They hit the ground with Kirishima on the bottom taking most of the impact.

Katsuki rolled off the other teen, bruised and furious. "Mother fucker!" he hissed, glaring up at the platform that stood at least thirty feet above them. "Fucking shit!"

"You okay, man?" Kirishima asked, looking him over worriedly.

"I'm fine!" he snarled and began stomping away. "Come on. We have to help Aizawa."

"What about the others?" Kirishima grabbed his arm, the one without the gauntlet, to pull him to a stop. "We have to get back up there!"

"I don't fucking care what you do, but I'm going to the center plaza!" Katsuki told him, glaring furiously and yanking his arm away. "That wave of black was a fucking gate, so the asshole probably sent everyone to different areas of the USJ to face off against those fucking thugs they brought along. Those weaklings definitely wouldn't be any fucking help against All Might, that's for damn sure, so what the hell other purpose can they serve except to be pitted against us to keep us outta the fucking way? Our best bet is to help Aizawa, so he can capture the main assholes and save everyone!"

Kirishima stared at him in complete surprise. "Wow. Okay. Yeah! I hear you. Our classmates can totally take care of those lower-level thugs." He slammed his stone hands together and they made a loud clink-thunk sound. "Let's go save Aizawa-sensei!"

It took a few minutes, but they finally made it to the courtyard. Fortunately, there was a lot of shrubs and trees to screen their approach and they weren't seen. Aizawa was still kicking ass, flying around with crazy martial arts moves, his scarf snapping and whipping around his body. The thugs were in complete disarray.

Katsuki's attention zeroed in on the thin guy with creepy hands all over him and the massive man next to him with a bird-like head who had his fucking brain exposed. Unlike the thugs who were all trying to subdue Aizawa, these two fuckheads stood by the fountain just watching the fight. Katsuki guessed Hands was the boss and Bird Brain was the bodyguard.

"Let's sneak up behind the fountain," he said lowly, eyes staring unblinkingly across at his target. "We have a few fucking heads to smash."

"Right behind you, bro," Kirishima whispered back, flashing a sharp-toothed smile.

…

Izuku was suddenly falling. The drop made his stomach leap into his throat, and he let out a scream just as he hit the surface of the pool and sank. Bubbles escaped him in a rush. Clamping his mouth shut, Izuku saved the rest of his air and began swimming to the surface. His shoes made kicking hard, his legs heavy, as he struggled upward.

Movement out of the corner of his eyes had him turning. A shark-like man was almost on top of him, large serrated teeth about to bite him in half! Izuku flinched, lifting his arms instinctively to protect his face… Tsu slammed into the villain.

She used the shark man to launch herself toward the surface. As she shot past, her tongue wrapped snugly around Izuku's waist and whipped him through the water. Next thing he knew, he was flying through the air and hitting the deck of a yacht.

Coughing and gasping, Izuku struggled to his feet. Mineta hit the deck a minute later. He was tiny, the smallest in the class. He had on a skintight purple leotard with a yellow cape, gloves, and shoes. A metal bowl served as his shorts. It looked a little like a flying saucer. His quirk let him create sticky purple balls from his head. He could rip them off and grow them back almost instantly.

Izuku looked over the edge to see Tsu's large hands and frog-like feet gripping the side of the yacht. Her long green hair was twisted into a large bow at the small of her back and it swayed back and forth as she climbed up. She leapt over the edge and glared at Mineta, but Izuku didn't have time to ask what had happened. There was a ring of villains - all with some type of water quirk - surrounding the boat.

"Okay," he said and turned to face his classmates. "We can't just sit around and wait for them to attack. We have to think up a plan. Right now we have the advantage. They don't know about our quirks, so that will make them hesitate."

"Attack?!" Mineta began to cry, backing away from the edge. "We can't attack! We'd die! Let's just wait here until someone comes and rescues us!"

"How do we have the advantage?" Tsu asked much more calmly, ignoring Mineta.

"That guy with the warp quirk put you here in the water zone. If they knew about our quirks, he would have put you in the fire zone instead."

"That's true." She looked over the side at the villains waiting below. "And they're not coming up here to get us, so they must be a little worried about what we can do."

"We have to stop them and help the others," Izuku said firmly, fists clenched. "We can do it if we work together."

"But we're just kids!" Mineta cried, waving his arms, tears still streaming down his face. "What can we do? You heard Aizawa! All Might's on his way! We just have to sit tight until he gets here!"

"They're here to kill All Might," Tsu said quietly and met Izuku's eyes. "They wouldn't have planned this out so carefully if they didn't have a way to actually do that. I'm not sure he'll be able to help us."

Izuku felt his stomach drop. Oh, god. "Tsu's right," he said as strongly as he could and hoped they didn't notice his hands shaking. "We have to save ourselves and protect All Might. We have to stop whatever it is these people are planning! We're here to be heroes, aren't we?"

A huge clawed hand of water rose up into the air and slashed down, cutting the yacht in two. Mineta screamed in terror as he clung to a wall, the ship tilting dramatically. Izuku grabbed hold of the railing while Tsu crouched down and stuck to the deck with her hands and feet. The sound of laughter drifted up to them as the boat began to sink.

Heart pounding, Izuku cried, "Mineta! I have a plan, but I need you! We don't have a choice now! The boat will sink in less than a minute! You can do it! I believe in you!"

"FINE!" Mineta screamed back. "I'll do it!"

"Tsu!" Izuku told her the plan.

"That's crazy, but technically it could work," she said, still remarkably calm.

Izuku pulled himself up and stood on the railing. One For All poured in, electrifying his blood and rushing through every inch of his body. His skin began to glow as delicate green lightning crackled around him. Izuku leapt fifteen feet straight up into the air.

Red lines snaked across his skin as he drew his right fist back. With all the force in his body, he twisted at the hips and flung his arm forward in a vicious punch. "SMASH!"

In the space of ten seconds a lot of things happened -

\- the force of the punch pushed the water outward in a huge wave that completely capsized the boat and launched Izuku higher in the air. For a split second, he could see the bottom of the deep pool - Tsu's tongue lashed around his waist again and sused him to pulled herself and Mineta upward to gain height -With a roar, the displaced water rushed back together - Screaming, Mineta flung dozens of his purple balls down into the churning whirlpool that had formed and they attached to the flailing villains caught up in the violent current - Water geysered upward and they began to fall from the air -

Izuku caught sight of the villains all stuck together in a ball just before he crashed back into the pool. He kicked to the surface, his arm giving a twinge, but it wasn't broken. Suddenly Mineta popped up next to him, gasping for air. Tsu surfaced much more calmly, clearly in her element.

"Tsu. Keep on a look out for any villains we didn't manage to capture," Izuku said and began to swim toward the edge of the pool. "Come on, Mineta. It's not that far," he coaxed, trying to encourage him. "You did a great job. Did you see that? Your sticky balls really saved the day!"

Sniffling, blood trickling down his face from pulling too many balls off too quickly, Mineta gave him a trembling smile. "Th-They did, d-didn't they?"

"Yeah. You were great!" Izuku smiled at him and aimed them toward the edge of the pool that bordered the central plaza. "Now come on. I want to check to make sure Aizawa's okay."

Mineta whimpered.

…

Katsuki and Kirishima crouched behind the fountain with the boss villain just on the other side. Katsuki lifted a finger to his lips, signaling for quiet, and peered around the edge just in time to see Hands take off running toward Aizawa.

Aizawa wrapped his scarf around the bastard and pulled him in, landing some kind of blow that knocked the asshole backward. Katsuki couldn't see what was going on, but it looked like the two were grappling. Suddenly they broke apart, Aizawa punching the bastard and jumping back. Katsuki's eyes widened. Aizawa's sleeve… It was missing, and his elbow…. The red of exposed muscle could be seen. Katsuki felt his gut clench at the sight of the terrible wound and his palms grew dangerously slick.

"That quirk isn't suited to fighting long fights against a large group, is it?" Hands called out, voice cheerful and young-sounding. He looked young, too, despite the thick, messy silver hair. He was slender and wore a black long-sleeved shirt and black jeans. Disturbingly, he was wearing the same bright red sneakers he and Izuku had bought. "What you're good at is a short fight after a surprise attack, isn't that right, Eraserhead?"

Aizawa didn't have time to answer the fucker as more weak ass thugs came out of nowhere swinging maces and metal claws. Aizawa took care of them easily, even with only one arm dangling lifelessly, but he was breathing hard. He wouldn't last much longer.

"Even so, you jumped in to fight us from the front. Was that to put your students at ease?" The asshole spread his arms and Katsuki couldn't help staring at the three pairs of dismembered hands latched onto them. "You're so cool!" he cried, excited, head flung back.

Then his demeanor shifted. His arms dropped along with his voice as he said, "By the way, hero…" Katsuki barely saw the muscled figure by the fountain move. It was that fast. It was there and then it was standing right behind Aizawa. "I'm not the last boss."

Aizawa only had time to turn as an enormous hand grabbed Aizawa's head and slammed him face first into the pavement. The yellow goggles went flying in a splatter of blood. Snarling, Katsuki launched himself into the air with two blasts of his hands, his vision filmed with murderous red - the red of Aizawa's spilled blood.

Summersaulting in mid-air, Katsuki got his arms back in front of him. The gap between him and the monster was closing fast. Ten feet - The monster twisted Aizawa's already damaged arm - Five - Katsuki saw it snap like a twig - Three - Aizawa's scream of pain struck through Katsuki like lightning -

"DIE MOTHERFUCKER!" Katsuki roared and pulled the pin on his gauntlet.

The explosion punched out like the fist of god right into the monster's head. Searing hot fire, smoke, and thunder exploded outward at nearly pointblank range. The pavement melted and exploded upward - the monster was slammed to the ground, sliding several feet - Katsuki was flung backward by the force and hit the ground hard. He rolled, coming up against the fountain. The villain covered in fucking hands was knocked on his ass, blown off his feet, but the warp gate fucker was suddenly in front of the asshole, absorbing most of the force.

"Hey, hey, hey," the creepy ass freak complained. "That's cheating!"

Katsuki got to his feet, his hands up and raised. The smoke cleared enough that he could see. The monster was fucking fried. It was on its stomach. Its head was reduced to a charred skull, his shoulders and halfway down its back was crispy, cracked black skin, still smoldering deep inside the meat.

Aizawa was on his hands and knees, struggling to stand. The majority of the blast had passed over him, but the heat had caught the ends of his hair on fire, his black shirt smoking, and - holy fucking shit - suddenly Izuku was there! His boyfriend came running up from the water and grabbed Aizawa by his good arm, hauling him to his feet.

Katsuki grinned fiercely and faced off against the boss and warp asshole, knowing Izu would keep Aizawa safe. With a roar, he leapt forward, aiming for the warp villain, his palm glowing hot with the beginnings of another explosion. He could just make out Kirishima jumping out from behind the fountain, arm poised to cut down the creepy ass fucker covered in hands.

The warp villain flung up a gate and Kirishima disappeared just as Katsuki slammed his smoldering palm against the metal collar the warp asshole wore inside all that fucking mist. He used the momentum of his jump to slam the warp bastard to the ground.

"Don't you fucking move or I'll blow you to pieces," Katsuki snarled, putting his face right up close tot he warp bastard's glowing yellow eyes. He flashed a blood-thirsty grin. "How close was I this time, motherfucker? Did I get it right?"

"Kurogiri!"

He looked up to see the creepy ass villain reaching for him. He should have known that asshole wouldn't stop just because one of his partners was down! Katsuki's adrenaline roared; his heart pounded. He lifted the arm with the gauntlet, the other pinning the warp villain, but the added weight made him far too slow. The fucker's hand slapped down on his face, but… Nothing happened.

Katsuki blasted the fucker away from him. Several of the dismembered hands went flying. The asshole's shirt smoked and smoldered as he rolled across the ground. To the left, Aizawa stood with his feet braced, his good hand on Izuku's shoulder for support. His destroyed arm dangled from his shoulder, half his face was covered in blood, one eye was swollen closed, but the other…

Aizawa's single bloodshot eye glared murder, erasing the villain's quirk and saving Katsuki's life. The mist undulated and Katsuki reflexively let off another explosion. "I said, don't fucking move!" The force was enough to dent the metal under his hand, and the asshole gave a shriek of fear.

"NOMU!" the boy-villain screamed. He was scrambling for the dismembered hands that had been knocked off, scuttling around like a fucking spider. "Kill him, Nomu! KILL HIM!"

"Katsu!"

Izuku's cry of his code name had his head whipping around. No fucking way! That fucking bird-brained monster was staggering to its feet, its face slowly growing back!

…

As that hulking, black-skinned monster staggered to its feet and turned to face Kacchan, Izuku didn't think or plan. Green lightning crackled around his body and he launched himself forward, faster than he'd ever moved in his life. His arm glowed as he felt the power of One For All ignite under his skin. He drew his fist back and slammed it forward right into the monster's burnt head.

The monster was spun off its feet and hit the ground so hard he bounced. Izuku fell onto his stomach. Pain shot up his arm, his hand giving off a spike of agony, but he didn't have time to really notice. He watched in horror as the villain covered in hands sprinted toward Kacchan, his now exposed face twisted up in a snarl of pure hatred, his hand outstretched…

A large crash exploded through the stadium! A cheer went up by the entrance and All Might's silhouette appeared at the top of the stairs. Izuku gasped in a breath of utter gratitude, tears streaking his face.

"Never fear! I AM HERE!" All Might called defiantly to the room.

"All Might…" The evil villain lifted the last dismembered hand and recovered his face with it. He'd come to a stop a few feet from Kacchan and stared up at All Might with a fanatical gleam in his eye. "You're finally here. I've been waiting for you, you piece of trash hero."

In a flash, quicker than Izuku could see, All Might knocked out the remaining thugs standing in the courtyard and appeared at Aizawa's side. At some point, Aizawa had collapsed. He lay unconscious in All Might's arms as the hero lifted him. All Might rushed forward again in a blink, grabbing up Tsu and Mineta in his other arm. He set all three down near the stairs to the platform.

"Get back to the entrance! Take Eraserhead with you!" he ordered, grin wide and muscles bulging.

"Midoriya…" Tsu protested.

"He'll follow you. Go!"

Izuku climbed shakily to his feet and a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see the black-skinned monster towering over him eight feet tall. It gave a painful sounding scream, sharp teeth horrifically lining the inside of its beak, and swung its massive hand down. Izuku flung his arms up to block, but then All Might was there, catching the blow and pushing Izuku out the way. The shove sent him rolling.

"Get to the exit!" All Might bellowed and punched the monster right in the chest. It didn't move.

"There's something wrong with that thing!" Izuku cried desperately, pushing up to his hands and knees. "It took a full powered gauntlet blast to the face and one of my smashes!"

All Might jumped back, putting himself between Izuku and the monster. "Is that so?" he asked, sounding almost intrigued. "Then I'll just have to hit it harder."

Izuku climbed to his feet and watched in growing horror as All Might leapt forward. The hero landed several devastating punches, but the monster's ink-black skin somehow absorbed it all. Only the hits to its head made it react, giving painful screams, but the damage was healing faster than All Might was dealing it.

The crazy villain with the hands began to laugh, the sound sending a chill of fear down Izuku's spine. "You can hit it all you want, All Might, but Nomu was designed to kill you! His shock absorption can withstand one hundred percent of your power! The only way you could destroy him is to slowly carve out his flesh, but I don't think he's going to sit around and let you do that!"

"Thanks for telling me!"

All Might darted around to the monster's back and slammed him backward into the pavement with a huge crash that sent a huge dust cloud into the air. The dust cleared to show the monster buried half in the ground, All Might bent backward in an impressive backbend.

A scream cut through the air.

"I'll be taking my ride back now," the villain said, gloating.

While everyone had been distracted, he had grabbed hold of Kacchan. The gauntlet had dissolved to pieces under his hands, and the villain now had both hands wrapped around Kacchan's forearm. Kacchan's expression contorted in agony as his skin flaked off like a fence with peeling paint, exposing the red of muscle to open air. Izuku felt his whole body go numb with horror.

Several things happened at once. The warp guy flowed upward, released as Kacchan swung his other hand up to blast his attacker off him. The villain jumped away, dodging the wild explosion, just as the black-skinned monster climbed up out of a warp gate and grabbed All Might from behind. Its clawed fingers punched through All Might's sides and lifted him over its head.

"No!" Izuku cried, reaching out to his mentor helplessly.

Ice suddenly exploded upward as Todoroki stepped up beside Izuku and slammed his foot down. The ice encased the monster completely, all the way up to its wrists. Kirishima leapt in from the side and landed next to the huddled Kacchan, pulling the blond's arm over his shoulder.

Tears of gratitude burned Izuku's eyes. "Todoroki! Kirishima! You're here!"

As the redhead backed away, pulling Kacchan with him, the weight of All Might was too much and the monster's frozen arms snapped off from its body. All Might managed to twist and land on his feet, but blood spread across his white dress shirt when he tore the clawed hands from his torso.

"Kids these days are amazing, aren't they, Kurogiri? They make the League of Villains look bad."

He said this almost peacefully, his hands were clasped before him in an almost contrite pose as he looked out from between the fingers of the hand on his face. A pair of hands also grabbed the villain by the throat from behind. There were a pair gripping his shoulders, his upper arms, his forearms, his wrists. Each of them had a strange metal cap on the wrists and were the grey of dead flesh.

"We aren't done yet, young master," the black mist assured him. "They are just children and will be easy to kill. The Nomu will take care of All Might. Look. The Symbol of Peace is already injured."

The villain covered in hands turned his head in the direction of the frozen monster and said calmly, "Nomu."

Todoroki took a shocked step back as muscle shot out from the stumps of the monster's shoulders.

Feeling like he were stuck in a nightmare, Izuku watched as thick muscular arms regrew and then slammed down on the ice incasing its torso. The ice cracked and then shattered. One leg tore off as the monster pulled himself free. Muscle exploded out from his hip, forming a new one in seconds. As the monster's eye rolled grotesquely in its head and gave an inhuman scream, Izuku felt sick with fear. It was unstoppable!

"I thought you said his quirk was shock absorption!" All Might demanded angrily.

The villain laughed. "I never said that's all he had! He also has super regeneration! He literally can't be killed! He was built specifically to kill you, All Might! Today you're going to die, and all your precious students will die with you!" Lifting his hands up, he cried triumphantly, "The people will finally see you for the pathetic lie that you are! The Age of Heroes is finally at an end!"

Heart pounding, breathing hard, Izuku took a fighting stance. Todoroki mirrored him.

All Might swung out his hand to stop them. "I've got this, boys! Step back!"

"But!" Izuku cried fearfully, trembling.

All Might turned his head and grinned. He flashed a thumbs up. "Trust this old man. I've got this."

"Didn't you hear me?!" the villain screamed. "He's going to kill you, All Might! And the world will see what a shitty symbol you really are!"

"If he can take me at one hundred percent, then I'll just have to go beyond that!" All Might declared and launched himself forward.

…

Katsuki was almost blown off his feet by the gale force winds produced as the monster and All Might clashed head-to-head. If it weren't for Kirishima hardening his entire body and bracing him, he would have been blown ass over feet. He couldn't even see the punches, they moved too fast! It just looked like a blur.

Across the way, Izuku and Todoroki were practically hugging the ground to keep from being sent tumbling. At least the wind kept the fucking villains pinned down, too. The warp asshole had created a barrier to protect his fucking boss, but he couldn't move, the wind whipping away his mist as fast as he could form it. All anyone could do was hold on.

Blood splattered the ground. Katsuki couldn't believe his eyes! The fucking monster was starting to slow down, its body vibrating with the blows, its arms falling to its sides no longer able to punch back. Suddenly, the monster was flung up into the air with an insane uppercut. All Might jumped, put his fists together and smashed the monster down. The impact shook the ground, a huge crater forming in the pavement, enormous cracks spreading out to where Katsuki and Kirishima were crouched.

"Hey, villain…" All Might cried as the monster bounced more than six feet into the air. The hero landed like some fucking demigod out of legend, cracking the pavement further. "Have you ever heard these words?" He pulled his arm back and slammed it into the monster's chest. "PLUS ULTRA!"

It looked like an explosion. The monster expanded grotesquely, glowing from the inside with yellow light before being launched straight up through the roof of the dome. Glass shattered and the monster kept flying. All Might stood in the fucking epicenter of destruction with an enormous dust cloud from all the torn up pavement shrouding him like a mantle. His grin was bright and wide despite looking beat to hell.

"I must be getting old," the hero called out a little breathlessly, humor in his voice. "In my prime, that would have only taken five hits. Today it took nearly three hundred mighty blows." He shot a piercing glare at the two villains. "Your creature has been defeated. Surrender!"

"It's like he nullified the shock absorption…" Kirishima said, voice soft and awestruck. He was still crouched behind Katsuki, bracing him. "His brute strength is just out of this world."

But something was wrong. If he squinted, Katsuki could just make out the steam rising from All Might's body. Could see the way the man's hands and legs trembled. What All Might had done was fucking incredible as hell, but it had cost him. He was out of time.

The agonizing pain of his arm dulled as adrenaline dumped into Katsuki's system once more. "Red," he said, low and intense, eyes unblinking as he watched the scene unfold before him. "When I give you the signal, I want you to launch me right at that warp guy."

"What?"

"Fucking do it!"

Hands had totally lost it. He was muttering angrily and scratching wildly at his own neck right above where two dismembered hands were wrapped around his throat.

"What's the matter?" All Might yelled. "I thought you were going to kill me! Come and get me if you can!"

The creepy fucker jerked back, clearly terrified. His scratching grew more violent.

_Run away, _Katsuki growled in his mind. _Come the fuck on. Just get lost already!_

"Tomura Shigaraki! Please calm yourself," the warp asshole suddenly spoke. "Look closely. It's not too late. The Nomu did its job. All Might is damaged from the battle. Together, we can still do this."

"Fuck," Katsuki hissed as Hands began to calm down. He leaned back against Kirishima, heart pumping, his good hand growing slick. "Get ready…"

The redhead grabbed him, but he was clearly confused. Katsuki didn't care as long as he did what he was told.

The boss villain suddenly took off running for All Might.

"NOW!"

Kirishima threw him with all his strength.

With a scream of rage, Katsuki released the largest explosion he could at the collar protecting the warp villain. A gate opened up right in front of him, swallowing the searing hot explosion and stretching out for Katsuki next.

…

Izuku saw the villain run toward All Might - knew his mentor and hero was unable to move, steam wafting from his body - and jumped. He drew his fist back - the one that wasn't hurt - The villain was so close, his hand reaching for All Might's face - and All Might hadn't moved, stood motionless, battered and bloody - Izuku screamed at the top of his lungs "GET AWAY FROM ALL MIGHT!" - and punched.

He saw the blood-shot red eye widen - felt his gloved fist come in contact with the villain's chest - felt the villain fold, arms and legs snapping forward as he was propelled backward - watched as if in slow motion the villain hit the ground and tumble like a rag doll, body coming to a brutal stop as he hit the wall - concrete cracking and spiderwebbing behind him - blood fanning out around the wall like paint splatter - the villain's head hung limp, arms and legs bent and broken…

…

The black mist reached for Katsuki, but the force of the blast had pushed him back just out of range of the warp gate. It wouldn't last. The fucker would get him, but as he began to fall, he was able to see Izuku - green lightning crackling around him - leaping to protect a motionless All Might - and just as Katsuki had predicted, the warp asshole hadn't been able to split his attention. He'd had to defend himself from Katsuki's blast and hadn't been able to protect Hands from Izuku's punch.

Malevolent yellow eyes radiated pure rage, but as that wave of darkness crashed down, Kirishima tackled him, knocking him sideways. Rapid fire gunshots rang out. The warp asshole fled, surging across the ground to where the insane fucker Izuku had punched was crumpled against the wall. In seconds, they disappeared in a puddle of black.

Katsuki hoped the creepy motherfucker covered in hands was dead, but he doubted it. He had a really bad feeling they would see those assholes again. Either way, it was over for now. The pro heroes had finally fucking arrived. Katsuki rolled onto his back, fucking exhausted.

"That hurt, asshole."

"You're welcome," Kirishima said with a laugh. He sat up and looked down at him. "How's your arm?"

"How the hell do you think? It's fucking busted the hell up!" Katsuki spat. He didn't even try sitting up.

"You're really fucking scary, you know that?"

Katsuki grinned. "You're not so bad yourself, Red."

"KACCHAN!"

At the frantic scream of his name, Katuski's heart rate spiked and he sat up, hissing as his arm screamed at him. Kirishima put a hand on his back, helping him stay upright, but he hardly noticed as Izuku appeared, his face pale and his green eyes wide. Izu practically skid on his knees as he dropped down next to Katsuki.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, the palm of his good hand slicking with sweat.

"Kacchan!" Izuku panted. His eyes darted over Katsuki's body. "Are you okay?"

Katsuki shot him a murderous look. "I'm fucking fine, you idiot! Don't fucking scream like that or I'll fucking kill you!"

But Izuku wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on Katsuki's forearm. It looked like it had been skinned with whole chunks of muscle gorged out. The white of tendons, bone, and raw oozing muscle were exposed to the air. His hand hung limp, flopping uselessly. Izuku's breathing became harsh, his eyes going wide and glassy.

"I've seen worse," Kirishima said, trying to sound casual. "I mean, your arms and legs didn't look so great and they patched you up, didn't they?"

Katsuki grabbed Izuku by the front of his uniform and pulled him in close. "Hey," he growled, staring straight into Izuku's wild eyes, but it was too late. Izuku was completely lost to the panic attack.

The boy was drenched in sweat, and Katsuki could practically feel Izuku's heart jackhammering in his chest from the grip he had on Izu's uniform. Izuku's wild, green eyes darted around and he began scratching at his neck, desperate to get in air. Animal sounds of panic escaped him. He was breathing so fast now that he'd pass out in a few minutes if he didn't stop.

Fuck! Izuku's mind was like steel trap. He'd locked away all the trauma he'd gone through in his visions so he could function and act normal, but when something broke down that door and triggered him, he completely melted down. It had all been too much - fighting for their lives, watching everyone get hurt, seeing Katsuki's arm mangled… Izuku was lost in a storm of pain and fear, and he wouldn't be able to climb back out without help.

From past experience, Katsuki knew that if Izuku passed out before he calmed down, it would take days for Izuku to get back to normal, long painful days. Katsuki had to do something now! But he was struggling just to hold onto Izu with his one hand. Fuck! He couldn't do what Izuku needed, not with his arm torn up! Desperate, he met Kirishima's eyes.

"I need your help. Please."

The redhead's eyes were wide as saucers, but he said, "What do you need?" Ready to do whatever it took to help.

Katsuki felt a deep surge of gratitude. "Get behind him. Wrap your arms around his torso, but do it tight. Bend his arms so you pin them over his chest."

Kirishima didn't ask questions or protest. He looked a little shocked, but he did exactly as he was told.

As soon as those solid arms wrapped around him, Izuku went still, but he was still panting fast as high-pitched yips of fear fell from his lips. Katsuki scooted forward. He planted his feet flat on the ground by Kirishima's hips and bent his knees, creating a cage with his body that boxed Izuku in.

"Curl forward," he growled, trying to ignore the fact that his arm was hurting like a mother fucker.

Kirishima obediently bent forward, forcing Izuku's body to do the same. Katsuki leaned forward to match and Izuku's forehead came to rest on Katsuki's shoulder. Katsuki lifted his good arm and sank his hand into Izuku's damp, tangled hair, gripping firmly and holding Izuku's head in place.

"You're safe, Izu," he said, low and intense. "You're not there. You're here with me. I've got you. Breathe. You're okay." His eyes caught Kirishima's. Their faces were only a few inches apart in this position. They both blushed and looked away.

Izuku had gone quiet between them, thank fucking god. He was trembling violently, his teeth chattering, but his breathing was slowing. He was coming out of it.

Kastuki flashed Kirishima a serious look. "Keep holding tight. Don't let up at all."

The redhead nodded, eyes wide. "Yeah. Sure."

"Everything's okay," Katsuki said as calmly as he could. "You're fine. Everyone's safe. You're okay. It's okay. You're here. You're with me." He said it over and over, and slowly he could feel Izuku's trembling ease.

Izu began sobbing quietly as if his heart was breaking, but he'd gone limp, submitting to the tight hold.

"Panic attack?"

Katsuki looked up at the quiet voice to see a man wearing a gas mask and a western costume. A shiny pistol was holstered at his thigh. It was the pro hero Snipe. "Yeah," he answered, exhaustion bleeding into his voice. He winced, his arm giving a painful twinge.

Snipe tipped his Stetson forward, the gesture respectful. "We have a medical team standing by. Think you can get him moving? Or does he need a sedative?" The hero sounded genuinely concerned.

Fuck Katsuki's arm hurt. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the green hair in his fist. Making his voice strong, hiding his exhaustion and pain, he asked, "Deku? You with me?"

Izuku's breath hitched on a sob. His head rocked side to side against Katsuki's shoulder, tugging at Katsuki's grip. He was nonverbal.

"Fuck." Katsuki sighed and loosened his hold on his boyfriend's hair. Izuku wasn't snapping out of it any time soon. He looked up at Snipe and admitted reluctantly, "Sedative." Refusing to be embarrassed by what Izuku needed, he added, "He's also going to need some rope. Enough to wrap around his torso a few times."

Surprisingly, Snipe nodded and walked off.

"Rope?" Kirishima asked quietly.

"It fucking makes him feel safe," Katsuki explained, figuring the boy deserved some type of explanation. "Reminds him he's in his body and makes him feel protected."

Kirishima's expression creased in thought, but he didn't ask any more questions or say how weird this fucking was. At least there was that.

Snipe returned with leather straps and a woman in a white coat. The woman crouched down and carefully pulled Izuku's arm free from between them.

"It won't knock him out. It'll just make him really calm and docile, okay?"

Katsuki watched like a hawk as she injected him with something.

Izuku sighed and went silent. Katsuki slowly eased back and Kirishima did the same.

Izuku sat trembling and wound his arms around his torso, holding himself tightly. He blinked owlishly, silent tears running down his cheeks. Katsuki's heart twisted painfully. Fuck he hated to see Izuku like this, but what the fuck could he expect? The boy was practically tortured every fucking month. That was going to have an effect on his mind.

Katsuki hated watching Snipe wrap the straps snugly around Izuku's torso with every fiber of his being. That was his job! He protected Izuku! But he couldn't fucking say anything. His arm was fucking busted. He literally couldn't do it.

He felt a little better as Izuku gave a trembling sigh and leaned against him, his eyes falling half closed. Katsuki draped his good arm over Izuku's shoulders and glared hotly at the nurse when she opened her fucking mouth.

"He stays with me," he stated, unyielding.

Snipe shook his head at the nurse and she backed off. "This way. Let's get you guys to the infirmary and have your injuries seen to."

As they started across the destroyed courtyard, it took all of Katsuki's fucking control not to scream like a little girl and clutch his arm every time he stumbled over another piece of broken pavement, but he managed to hold it in. It helped that he had Izuku to focus on.

"You're doing good. I've got you," he rasped, voice hoarse and strained. He was sweating like a mother fucker, his stomach rolling queasily.

Leaning against him, Izuku blinked slowly, almost as if he were half-asleep. "Sorry," he whispered, anguish swirling in the crystalline depths of his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You're fine," Katsuki growled, breathing hard but even. "Everything's fine," he promised and put one foot in front of the other, refusing to pass out. "I've got you." He shot Kirishima a grateful glance as Izuku tripped and the redhead walking on the other side of Izuku steadied him. "Thanks."

"No problem, bro," Kirishima answered. He gave Katsuki a sincere smile. "We're almost there. Not much longer."

Katsuki nodded and held Izuku closer to his side.

**End -**

**A/n: **Well? What do you think? Was it good? Please let me know!

I kept the shipwreck zone scene the same because I really love how it showcases Izuku's ability to strategize in tense situations and make use of everyone around him! He's so cool! XD

But what did you think of the rest?

You can be honest! I really want to know.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/n: **Hi! Thank you for all the support and feedback. It keeps my wheels well greased so I can keep moving forward. ;p

A few of you wrote that Thirteen is male and/or ungendered. As English is the WORST for non-gendered language and I'm not doing 'they' (it sounds too split personalities which could totally be real in a world of quirks - I'm thinking Twice) or 'it' (which implies non-personhood). So I decided to commit to a gender. I chose female because the voice actors Japanese/English both sound female, and I feel like badass females are underrepresented so far in the show/story. I hope it doesn't bother you guys too much!

…

**In Hospital**

Izuku woke up in UA's infirmary. Rolling his head to the side, he saw All Might in his deflated form in the bed next to him, his chest wrapped in bandages. The sun was setting, orange light filling the room with a soft glow. Izuku sat up and coughed, his memories hazy. He didn't remember how he got there or what had happened. He seemed okay except for his right hand. It was wrapped in bandages, his two middle fingers in splints. The click of Recovery Girl's syringe-shaped cane drew his attention as the old nurse clicked her way to his bedside.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, handing him a bottle of water.

Izuku took a sip to soothe his scratchy throat. "Okay," he rasped. "What happened?" But even as he asked, he began to remember… the huge glass-domed stadium… the villains… All Might and… "Kacchan!"

He remembered running to his boyfriend's side after making sure All Might was okay… Everything after that was a blurry haze. Izuku's heart thundered in his chest dumping adrenaline fast and furious through his system. He began to pant, sweat dampening his skin as he began to shake and tremble.

Recovery Girl put a gentle hand on his arm and spoke calmly and clearly. "Your friend is at the hospital along with Mr. Aizawa and Thirteen. They required care beyond my ability here, but I assure you that both attending surgeons are skilled with the support of powerful healing quirks. They are receiving the absolute best care they can possibly receive. Right now I need you to stay calm so that I can examine you. Let's work on getting you released so you can go visit them, yes?"

The longer she talked, the calmer Izuku became. His breathing evened out; his heartbeat slowed. "The others? My classmates?"

"All fine. They only had as few scrapes and bruises, nothing that needed my care. They handled themselves admirably." She smiled, her eyes nearly closed. Wrinkles sat deep around them. It was a gentle expression and it set him more at ease.

All Might sat up with a groan. His yellow hair was a wild tangle around his head, his long bangs parted in the middle and framing his skeletal face. He looked even thinner than before and exhausted, but his eyes were as clear and piercing as ever.

"Those villains made a huge mistake today," he said, low and intense. "They lit a fire in class 1-A. Your class is going to become amazing heroes the likes of which society hasn't seen in a long time." His eyes settled on Izuku. "_You_ are going to become an amazing hero. You'll even surpass me one day."

Izuku's eyes widened, tears falling down his pale cheeks. "No, I…"

"You saved me," Toshinori said firmly. "You saved me more than once. Even though we were facing a foe we weren't sure we could beat, you leapt without hesitation when you saw I was in trouble. I'm very proud of you, Izuku. You have a true hero's heart."

Izuku's breath caught on a sob. He felt so undeserving and deeply grateful at the same time. "Thank you, All Might… I'm just… so glad you're alright," he managed through his tears.

"He's alive," Recovery Girl said with a snort. "I wouldn't call that alright."

"I shortened my time in hero form, but that can't be helped." Toshinori sighed and ran a hand through his wild yellow hair. "I'll be lucky if I can be All Might for an hour after this."

Izuku gasped, horrified. "I'm so sorry."

Toshinori gave him a smile. "Don't be. Standing up to evil is a hero's job. This was going to happen sooner or later. I'm heading toward retirement. You knew that."

Izuku knew that, but not this soon! An invisible band wrapped tight around his chest as anxiety churned his stomach.

"You didn't get off scott free, either, young man," Recovery Girl chided. She patted his bandaged hand. "You broke a few bones in your hand and your two middle fingers, but I won't scold you considering the circumstances." The old nurse crossed her arms and looked up at Izuku, frowning. "You've undergone a lot of healing lately, Midoriya, so I was only able to jumpstart the healing process. You'll be in splints for a few days. School has been canceled tomorrow, but I expect you Friday morning before class so I can look you over. The IV helped stabilize your stats, so it looks like you can go for tonight, but before you do, I want to talk to you about your panic attack."

Izuku flushed, shame washing over him. "I'm sorry…"

"Do not apologize," Toshinori said with startling strength, bring Izuku's eyes to him. "You have been through a lot, Izuku. You are valiantly trying to master a brand-new quirk and have done an amazing job. No one is criticizing you. We are only here to help make your burden lighter."

Izuku nodded, dropping his eyes. "Yes, sir."

"From the report I got from Snipe, he believed that these panic attacks happen regularly," Recovery Girl said. "A care system was already well established and implemented by your friend. Your medical history doesn't indicate anything traumatic in your past. If something happened, you need to tell us about it."

Izuku cast a look at Toshinori. "It's not a big deal… I tend to have them once a month, but yoga helps and so does breathing exercises."

Understanding dawned in his mentor's face. "The source of the panic attacks is classified. He needs a therapist who has clearance," Toshinori informed Recovery Girl. "I have already made contact with someone. I hope to hear back from them soon."

"Clearance?" The old nurse did not look pleased. She pointed the enormous syringe cane at All Might threateningly. "Anything that effects my patient's health should not be withheld from me!"

Toshinori did not relent. "I give you my word Izuku will receive the support he needs."

"Hmph!" Recovery Girl turned and clicked away. "If you won't let me help, then I'm done with you both."

Izuku cringed. He hated that he had upset her. They had both done so much for him, but Toshinori smiled and gave him a wink.

"Don't worry. She will forgive us."

Izuku nodded, bit his lip, and asked, "Did you save him?" He said it in a whisper, ducking his head to hide his eyes.

"Yes," his mentor answered just as quietly. "I saved him. Your vision didn't come true. I stopped it, and the killer is going to be in jail a long, long time."

Izuku nodded, tears burning his eyes. "Thank you."

"Thank _you_," Toshinori said back. "We would never have known that poor boy needed help if you hadn't told us."

Izuku looked up, unable to hold in his guilt any more. "You weren't at the USJ today. You were late because…"

"Because I was saving someone," Toshinori said firmly. "Even if I had been at there from the beginning, there's no guarantee things would have been better. They could have been worse. You never know." He sat forward, crossing his legs on the bed and held Izuku's teary gaze. "Listen, Izuku, I want you to really hear what I'm about to say. As a hero, you are often going to wonder if you made the right call or wonder if you've done the right thing. There is a time and place for reflecting, but do not let what-if's become a shackle that prevents you from moving forward. There is no point in dwelling on what could have been. All that matters is what is and what's next. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Izuku understood, but it was hard, so very hard to put the words into practice. "I'll try my best."

Toshinori smiled and flashed a thumbs up. "Then I have no reason to worry. Your best is good enough for me." He lay back with a tired sigh, his hand holding his side protectively. "Are you going to go to the hospital?"

Izuku nodded and swung his legs around, getting his feet on the floor. "Yes."

Toshinori sighed again. "I'll be here overnight. Text me updates, please."

"I will," Izuku promised. He saw his school uniform folded on a side table next to his school bag. He grabbed both, careful of his broken hand. "I'll just get changed," he said with a smile and slipped into the bathroom.

As soon as the door shut behind him, he felt his breathing speed up. Izuku leaned back against the door and closed his eyes, opening his mouth wide so Toshinori wouldn't hear him gasping. Anxiety strummed along his nerves.

All Might had said he'd be lucky to be in hero form for an hour… Kacchan was in surgery, arm shredded to meat and bone… and Aizawa - face covered in blood, hardly able to stand, arm dangling, elbow red and oozing… Helpless, Izuku was always helpless when the killers came for him… and they always came… wearing different faces and using different weapons, they came… They tore him apart and took his life SNAP! cold dark washing him away to nothing…

Izuku slammed his good fist into his thigh. Tears drenched his face, salt trickling into his open mouth. Sinking, he slid down the door, trying to breathe. He wasn't helpless! Not this time! He'd fought back! A flash of memory - of his fist connecting with the villain and sending him flying backward.

Izuku's stomach rolled and he scrambled back to his feet. He turned the sink on, trying to cover the sounds he was making. His heart jackhammered in his chest, and he refused to look in the mirror. Instead, he watched the water swirl down the drain and clung to the sink with a white knuckled hand. All Might had chosen him. He was the successor of One For All. He had to get it together! He had to get strong, had to _be_ strong. All Might was running out of time and the world needed a Symbol of Peace!

Shaking his head, Izuku forced himself to look up. Wide, panicked green eyes stared back at him set in a ghostly pale face. Izuku turned away, disgusted by his own weakness. Almost violently he tore off the hospital smock. He threw open his backpack and reached deep inside, pulling out coils of red rope.

Concentrating on the sound of the ocean, of waves crashing against the sand, he drowned out the gibbering fears and images of broken bodies swamping his mind. He coiled the rope tighter, careful not to cut off circulation. With each coil, he thought about the ocean. When he switched to his other arm, he thought about all the people he'd saved - the terrible futures he'd helped change - and one coil at a time, he grew calm, his stomach steadied, and his his breathing deepened.

Recovery Girl and All Might - they knew about his panic attacks - he had to hold it together or they wouldn't believe in him, wouldn't believe he could be a hero - so Izuku splashed cold water on his face and got dressed. It was awkward with his busted hand, but he took his time and eventually buttoned the last button on the school jacket. He hadn't managed the tie and had stuffed it into his backpack. Looking in the mirror, he saw that his face looked a little less pale, although dark circles sat under his eyes.

_Good enough,_ he thought and left the bathroom.

Toshinori had fallen asleep. Izuku walked as quietly as he could past the skeletal man. Recovery Girl was by the door, sitting at her desk. She was working on her computer, but she turned at the soft sound of Izuku's shoes on tile.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. She regarded him steadily. There was no anger in her expression, but her voice wasn't butter soft like before, either.

"I feel good," he answered, smiling and edging toward the door. "Thank you for everything, Recovery Girl. I'm really grateful."

She sighed. "Try not to need me so often. Get some sleep and don't skip any meals. I'll see you Friday morning. Don't forget!"

"I won't! Thank you!" he called and slipped into the hallway.

Izuku took a deep breath and, as he made his way through the dark, quiet school, he thought about what he had to do next. This was the worst possible thing that could have happened after the confrontation he'd had with his mom, but there was no keeping what happened from her. He needed her help. So with a slightly shaking hand, he hit her number on his cell.

"_Hello?"_

"Mom, there was a villain attack at one of the school's facilities today…" He heard her gasp and quickly reassured her, "I'm okay! The villains were captured, but Kacchan hurt his arm pretty bad. He's at the hospital getting surgery. I'm on my way there now, but the thing is he might need your help. Kacchan's parents… Mom, they kicked him out. His mom hates his quirk, thinks it's a villain's quirk." Voice low and heavy with meaning, he confessed, "It was bad. He's been staying with our homeroom teacher, but Aizawa-sensei is in the hospital, too, because he fought to keep us safe from the villains."

There was no hesitation as his mother answered, _"I'm on my way. Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of it."_

Tearing up, Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"_I love you, too, honey." _Her voice grew thick. _"No matter what."_

"No matter what," he repeated back to her and ended the call.

"Deku! Hey!" Uraraka was waving at him with a grin, and Izuku realized he was already outside and almost to the outer gate.

Uraraka, Iida, and Kirishima stood waiting in the deepening shadows of the falling night. Izuku jogged up to them, surprised. To Izuku's complete relief, she looked completely unharmed. Her round cheeks were as pink as ever, her large brown eyes bright and full of life, her hair thick and falling around her face at a stylish angle. Iida also looked okay, bearing no evidence of the battle that afternoon. Although his sharp eyebrows were slanted sharply with concern, dipping behind his glasses.

"What are you guys doing here?" Izuku asked them, eyes wide.

"Waiting for you," Uraraka answered with a smile, her eyes creasing.

"How are you?" Iida asked, tone serious. "We were told your injuries were minor."

"Just a few broken fingers." Izuku held up his bandaged hand and looked shyly at Kirishima. The teen looked tired. There were a few scrapes on his cheek and hands, and his vividly red hair was drooping, no longer standing in perfect spikes. He definitely looked the worse for wear.

A blush stained Izuku's cheeks a dark red. A lot of what happened at the end of the battle was a blur, but he knew the redhead had been there, helping both him and Kacchan. "Thanks, Kirishima… For everything today…"

Kirishima gently bumped his shoulder. "It's no problem, man. Don't mention it."

Izuku nodded, still feeling both embarrassed and grateful. "Have you gotten any news?"

"Thirteen had some lacerations to the back and one leg. She's going to make a full recovery." Kirishima checked his phone. The gesture looked automatic, like he'd been checking it regularly for awhile now. "No word yet on Aizawa or Bakugou. Uraraka and I are heading to the hospital now. Figured you'd want to come with."

"Yeah, I'm going." He looked at Iida curiously. "You're not coming?"

"Unfortunately I must return home. My family expects me," Iida said sounding truly regretful.

"Don't worry, Iida. We'll keep you posted!" Uraraka promised.

"You're family is okay with you staying out late?" Izuku asked her as the four of them began to walk to the station.

She shook her head. "My family lives two hours away, so they rented a cheap apartment near here for me when I got accepted, so no one expects me home. Kirishima lives in the next city over, so I offered to let him stay with me tonight, so he could stay."

"I couldn't just leave my friend without knowing he's okay," Kirishima explained with a shrug. "It wouldn't be manly."

Izuku felt a rush of warmth for his classmates. "Thanks, guys."

"We're friends," Uraraka said staunchly. "Of course we'd go."

Izuku smiled at her and asked, "What happened after the warp guy sent us off?"

He listened intently to the battle on the platform. Of the class working together with Thirteen to get Iida free and send for help. Iida explained he ran into All Might nearly right outside and was sent on to the school to inform the principal. Once they were done, they listened intently to his own tale of escaping the shipwreck zone with Tsu and Mineta, but he couldn't bring himself to talk about the fight in the center plaza - not yet. He left that to Kirishima who did a great job saying what happened without dwelling on the truly horrible bits.

…

The hospital was quiet in the pediatrics ward. Yaoyorozu, as vice president, was there waiting for updates on Bakugou as well as Aizawa and Thirteen. She'd managed to get everyone's cell and had created a group chat - barring Izuku and Kacchan. Now that Izuku was there, he added their numbers to the chat and relieved her of her duty.

"Thank you for staying," he told her, bowing.

"It's my duty as class officer to be there for everyone in the class," she answered without hesitation.

"Well, if you're tired, you can leave the updates to me if you want. Either way, I'm going to stay until I have word on Kacchan," he offered. "Uraraka and Krishna will wait with me."

"If you're sure…?" she asked carefully.

"I'm sure," he promised.

After studying his expression, she nodded. "Please remember to send updates as soon as you know anything," she insisted.

"I will." He gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you for everything."

The surgery unit was at the very end of the hallway that ended in two grey double doors. On either side of the doors was a bench. The other side was empty while they filled the second bench. The seats were covered in plastic and somewhat padded, but they were far from comfortable. The florescent lights overhead were too bright and reflected off the shiny floor, quickly giving Izuku a headache. His leg bounced as he waited. The three of them didn't speak, somehow subdued by the red light that indicated a surgery was currently in progress. Thirty minutes went by.

"I'm going to go see if I can get any news on Aizawa," Izuku said, getting to his feet. "Maybe see if they have any idea when Kacchan will get out."

"I'll go with you," Kirishima offered.

"Me, too." Uraraka stood with them.

They made their way toward the nurses station and were just passing an open door when they heard voices. Izuku held up his hand, frowning. Kirishima and Uraraka stopped with him, the three of them just out of sight of the people in the room.

"You're new to pediatrics," a voice said, annoyance in her tone. "Parents can deal with stress in a lot of different ways. Some parents are really good at keeping what they're feeling inside.

"I'm not saying it was the wrong choice," a female said, tone argumentative. "The boy's young enough that it was worth the risk to get full use of his arm back. Can you imagine him trying to adjust to having his arm amputated at the elbow? I'm just saying she didn't seem to care about the risk."

"Like I said, parents don't always show what they're feeling," the first voice insisted. "There's even ta chance she didn't understand the full implications when the doctor explained about his quirk." There was the snap of a sheet. "That it only works if the patient is near death and that the risk increases the longer the procedure."

"Exactly! Some patients don't make it because of how long he has to hold you on that edge. And that mother… She just looked at me with these blank eyes when I explained the risk… It almost seemed like she didn't care if her son died… She just looked at me and said, 'Where do I sign?'"

"She knows her kid. He seemed like a fighter. Would't let us put him out until the last minute even though his arm had to have been in excruciating pain. So maybe she's not worried."

There were the squeak of shoes and Izuku, heart thundering, leapt back - dragging Uraraka and Kirishima with him - and started walking down the middle of the hall, hoping like hell his emotions weren't on his face.

"Oh!" The nurse had blue hair that floated around her head gently as if in a soft breeze. She gave them a smile. "Can I help you?"

An older nurse with white hair and a extremely square face looked them over. She had folded sheets in her hands.

Izuku forced his face to smile even as he felt like he was going to be sick all over her shoes. "Um, we're from UA. We were wondering if there was an update on Katsuki Bakugou's progress and Aizawa-sensei?"

"Let me go check," the nurse with blue hair said kindly.

As the elderly nurse walked away at a pretty fast clip, Izuku and Kirishima stared at each other with wide eyes.

"You don't think they were talking about…" Uraraka asked in a frightened whisper.

Izuku simply nodded. His heart beat in his throat as the nurse's words bounced around his skull. Amputate Kacchan's arm at the elbow? A quirk that only works if you're almost dead, but it would give Kacchan his arm back? Mrs. Bakugou didn't care if Kacchan survived or not, maybe even hoped Kacchan died? Tears filled his eyes, but he clenched his good hand into a fist and straightened his shoulders.

"Hey," he said, putting his arm around Uraraka. She was only half an inch shorter than him, so it was easy to do. He met Kirishima's eyes while he gave her a half hug. "It's like that nurse said. Kacchan's stronger than strong. The doctor knows what he's doing and he wouldn't have made the suggestion if he didn't think it would work. Kacchan's going to be fine."

Kirishima nodded, his face pale. "…Yeah," he rasped, voice thick. "You're right. Bakugou's not going to let surgery beat him. No way."

"Come on," Izuku said turning Uraraka so she was facing him. He gave her a confident smile. "He's going to make it," he told her, voice ringing with conviction. "He's going to make it, and he's going to get full use of that arm back." He knew because he would have seen it if Kacchan was going to die, no matter what, even if it wasn't murder. Their connection was too strong for him not to see when he died.

Kirishima nodded and bumped her shoulder. "Yeah! We've got to believe in him."

Uraraka sniffed and nodded. She gave them both a smile, her lips trembling.

The blue-haired nurse turned the corner, interrupting them. She was smiling. "Your teacher is out of surgery. He's in room thirteen-oh-one if you'd like to visit. Unfortunately, I don't have an update on your classmate, but I doubt the surgery will take more than two more hours."

"You stay with Bakugou," Kirishima offered. "Uraraka and I will check on Aizawa, okay?"

Izuku nodded, but he reached out and grabbed the redhead's arm. "Hey. Don't mention what we were just talking about to him, okay? I don't want Aizawa-sensei to worry. He's not well enough to get up, and he might if you tell him."

"Yeah. Okay." Kirishima tapped a fist against Izuku's chest. "I got you."

Alone, Izuku returned to the bench outside the surgery. He stared up at the red light above the door and felt surprisingly calm. He refused to give in to fear. He knew better than anyone how strong and determined Kacchan was. If anyone could survive a surgery like this one, it would be him.

"Izuku?"

He looked up and saw his mother. She was wearing a pink skirt, a loose white shirt, and a pale pink cardigan. Her shoulder-length green hair had been pulled into a messy side ponytail. Expression tight with concern, she rushed forward and scooped him up into a hug. He hugged her back fiercely, and she soothed her hand through his hair before pulling back to cup his face.

"I'm here, Izu. Tell me what's going on."

"Kacchan's in surgery," he told her quietly, and in spite of the tears in his eyes, his voice was steady. "The damage to his arm was so severe they were going to amputate it at the elbow, but the surgeon has a healing quirk that will let him save the arm."

Inko covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide.

Izuku grabbed her into a hug. "Don't worry, Mom. Kacchan's going to be fine. We just have to believe in him and make sure his parents don't jeopardize his healing." He hesitated, not sure how much Kacchan would be comfortable with him saying, but they might need her help and she had to be prepared for that. The nurses worry that Kacchan's mom hadn't cared he might die still made him burn with fury.

Izuku pulled away and met his mother's eyes. He took a deep breath and voiced a truth he'd kept secret for too long. "Kacchan's parents, especially his mom, have been abusive in the past. His mom may have even hoped he wouldn't make it when she signed the consent form for the surgery. It got so bad at home that he's not even living with them anymore, but it's all unofficial. I'm worried they'll cause him trouble while he's recovering."

Inko's green eyes had hardened. "Don't you worry about a thing, Izuku. I won't let anyone hurt Katsuki, and he can always stay with us for as long as he needs."

Izuku felt his heart melt. He loved her so much! "Thanks, Mom. This really means a lot to me."

Inko's expression softened and she touched her son's cheek. "I love him, too," she told him softly. "It would be impossible not to when you love him so much."

There was the sound of footsteps on tile and he looked to see that his friends had returned. Izuku pulled away from his mom and gave them an embarrassed wave.

"Deku? Is this your mom?" Uraraka wore a big smile, her brown eyes wide with delight. "Wow, you look just like her!"

Izuku blushed and gestured to the two teens. "Mom, these are my friends from UA. This is Ochaco Uraraka and Eijiro Kirishima. They've helped me a lot already."

Inko smiled wide and pulled Uraraka into a hug. "I'm Inko Midoriya, Izuku's mom." She then hugged Kirishima. "Thank you so much for looking after my son."

"It's no problem," Uraraka said, blushing and smiling at Izuku.

"Yeah, he's a great friend," Kirishima agreed, grinning at Inko's friendliness.

"Have you kids had anything to eat or drink? It's past dinner time." Inko gave them a look that was surprisingly stern considering her short stature and soft look. "You'll do no one any good by not taking care of yourself. I'll got get something from the cafeteria and bring it back."

"I'll help," Uraraka offered.

"You're so sweet!" Inko linked arms with her and turned her down the hallway. "You can tell me all about your class while we walk. Izuku is shy and doesn't really tell me much."

Izuku shook his head as the two turned the corner out of sight and looked at Kirishima. "How's Aizawa?"

The redhead rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "He wanted to know about Bakugou like you said he would. I let Uraraka do most of the talking, so he didn't get too worked up. They moved him out of ICU, so that's a good thing. He's wrapped up like a mummy, though. You can't see his face at all, but he has mad skills and knows where everyone is around him. It's pretty manly."

"He really is amazing," Izuku agreed and sat heavily on the bench. "We're lucky we got him as our homeroom teacher."

He sent a quick message to the group chat with an update on Aizawa's status. Once he was done, he leaned back against the wall. Kirishima sat next to him, their shoulders touching companionably. They watched the red light together.

…

Katsuki opened his eyes, scowling at the annoying beep by his head. He tried to swing his arm out to turn off the stupid alarm, but his body felt so heavy. Brow creasing deeper, he cracked open his eyes. Two ton weights seemed to weight down his eyelids, but he forced them open. Glaring white lights instantly made his eyes water. He groaned, unable to wipe the tears away.

"It's okay, sweetie. You're okay."

Katsuki blinked as Inko appeared at his side. She smoothed back his hair, her touch gentle and warm. It was fucking bizarre. What the hell had happened? Where was he?

"You're in the hospital," she said, as if reading his mind. "You were in a fight with some villains that broke into the school. Your arm was hurt really badly, but your surgery was a success. With a little physical therapy, they say you should get back one hundred percent of what you lost."

Katsuki knew that information should have been more upsetting than it was, but it was hard to get his emotions to engage. Everything felt so fucking surreal, like he wasn't really there. Inko kissed his forehead, which just made everything feel even more unreal.

"Rest, sweetie. Izuku and I aren't going anywhere. You're safe. We'll make sure you're okay."

Katsuki's felt his eyes sink closed and he drifted away.

…

The second time he woke, he was much more aware and still really fucking annoyed with the rhythmic beeping that just wouldn't stop. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a half-reclining position in a generic hospital room with equipment, rolling trays, and a shitty tv.

Inko was asleep in a chair near the door, her head at a crazy angle. Izuku was in a chair pulled up right next to his bed. Head head was pillowed on his arms, which were folded on the mattress by Katsuki's thigh. Heart melting, Katsuki's went to touch Izu's head of soft green waves, but found out his left arm had been bound to his chest. The conversation with Inko came back to him.

"Shit," he rasped and immediately broke out into a coughing fit. His throat was as dry as the fucking desert!

Izuku jerked awake, green eyes huge in his face. He gave Katsuki a huge smile before quickly reaching for a glass of water that sat on the rolling tray. "Kacchan! Here, they said you would be thirsty."

Katsuki sucked gratefully on the straw, pulling as much water into his mouth as he could and gulping it down. It wasn't much, the cup was fucking tiny, but it helped. "Thanks," he whispered, hoarse.

"Does your arm hurt?" Izuku asked, eyes and expression filled with concern.

"I'm fine," he asserted as strongly as he could. He would have said that even if his arm was on fucking fire just to get that look off Izuku's face. "What happened?"

"Your muscles and ligaments and part of your bones were completely disintegrated by that villain's quirk." Izuku glanced at Katsuki's arm, his freckles dark on his pale cheeks, but his voice was steady when he met Katsuki's eyes. "If it hadn't been for your surgeon's quirk, you would have lost it. Fortunately, he was able to force your body to regrow the destroyed tissue. It's all new, so it doesn't have the strength it once had, but that can be rebuilt with training."

"Knowing you, you'll have your arm bulging with muscle again in a week," Inko said with a smile as she stepped up beside her son. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

Katsuki flexed his hand. It felt okay, just weak like they said. "Fine," he said again. "What are you doing here?" he asked, the words spilling out before he really thought them through.

"Of course I'm here," Inko told him and reached out to touch his cheek with gentle fingertips. "We're family, Katsuki. I love you."

Katsuki stared at her with wide eyes, not sure how to deal with that information.

Izuku gently pushed his mom back. "Why don't you tell the nurses Kacchan's awake," he suggested.

She gave a nod and left, the door closing softly with a click.

Izuku immediately stood and bent over him, capturing Katsuki's lips in a surprisingly fierce kiss. Taken off guard, he let Izuku dominate, submitting to his boyfriend's forceful lips and tongue. It made him feel warm and melty, and a throaty moan worked its way free from his chest.

Izuku reluctantly broke away and pressed their foreheads together. "I love you, too, you know," he said, voice thick and rough with emotion.

Katsuki smirked, lips still tingling. "Yeah? Thank fucking god for that. I'm not into older women."

Izuku laughed and kissed him again, stealing his breath away. Katsuki reached up and fisted Izuku's hair, holding his head in place and kissing back just as hard this time. The annoying beep of the machine next to him sped up. Izuku immediately pulled back, which just pissed Katsuki off.

Izuku laughed at the glare on his face and bent close, putting his mouth right by Katsuki's ear. "I'll make it up to you when you get out of here," he promised, voice low and suggestive. His hand ran teasingly down Katsuki's chest and stomach.

The machine beeped faster as Katsuki's breath hitched, but before he could yank Izuku on top of him, the door opened and Inko and a nurse walked in. Katsuki glared murder at a completely unrepentant Izuku as the nurse checked his vitals and poked and prodded at him.

"If my arm is fucking better, why is it all tied up?" he demanded in a snarl. He wanted the sling off immediately. He hated being restrained.

The nurse have him a very stern look for his language, but she explained, "Your arm is practically brand-new from the elbow down. It is very vulnerable to injury. You're scheduled for a follow-up with the doctor in three hours, and then we'll get you down to PT to test the limits of the limb. We'll decided then if it's strong enough to be without support. For now, the bandages stay on, Mr. Bakugou."

Katsuki glared at her and she stalked from the room with a huff.

"You might want to be nice to them," Izuku suggested innocently. "They could leave you in a sling for a week if you make them mad."

"Why aren't you at school?" he snapped, irritated.

"School was canceled today," Inko answered and fussed about, straightening the water glass and pitcher on the tray before moving to the blanket thrown over his lap. "I think they should cancel class tomorrow as well, resume class on Monday, but I guess they want to get you guys back in a routine as fast as possible."

A sudden thought hit him and the beeping of his heart monitor sped up as he asked, "Aizawa?"

"Good," Izuku assured him. He retook the seat by the bed and grabbed Katsuki's hand, holding it tight. "His surgeries were successful. They're not sure if he will have long term damage to his eyes or not, but otherwise he's going to make a full recovery. He's still in the hospital, but I heard he was going to be released soon."

Katsuki turned his hand over so their hands were palm-to-palm and linked their fingers. His heart rate slowed back to normal, a wave of relief washing over him. "What are they saying about the attack?"

Inko tisked in disapproval. "What aren't they saying? It's all over the news. They have footage of the damage to the outside of the USJ, but the school wouldn't let them in to film the inside." She shuddered. "Like anyone wants to see where a bunch of children were threatened. They even showed a few shots of your class, as if they needed that kind of attention after what they'd gone through! I swear, the media has no sense of decency!"

"All the lesser villains were arrested, all seventy-two of them," Izuku cut in. He was more interested in the facts and knew Katsuki would be, too. "That monster that fought All Might was even picked up, but the warp guy and the boss, Shigaraki, got away. The police publicized how injured Shigaraki was, and so no one expects the League of Villains to make a move anytime soon. Plus, they figure he's on the run without his gang to back him up, so he's not much of a threat."

Katsuki snorted. "That fucker didn't give two shits about those thugs. They were pawns. He'll be back."

Inko made a face at that, clearly unhappy.

"But the school knows about them now," Izuku reassured her, eyes large and imploring. "They've increased security. The pros will deal with whatever the League does next. It won't involve the school."

"I should hope not," came Inko's tense response.

Katsuki didn't call Izuku out on the bullshit. He wasn't stupid. If they weren't careful, Inko would pull Izuku out of UA. Instead, he stared down at his thinner, weaker arm and knew he had to get back in shape fast. Those villains had outmatched them, and Katsuki was going to make sure he never lost again!

Glancing up, Katsuki saw Izuku watching him. His eyes were just as set and determined as Katsuki's. Things weren't over between them and the Leauge, but next time… Next time they'd be ready to fight on more equal footing. Next time it would be clear who was stronger.

…

The third time Katsuki woke after his surgery, Inko and Izuku were gone. They'd stayed with him while the doctor checked his arm, pronouncing him perfectly healthy, but Katsuki had convinced them to go home after that. He was perfectly fine and he didn't want company when he went down to physical therapy for the first time. Izuku had left relunctantly, but he'd promised to come right after school tomorrow.

Katsuki had slept a little, but he was restless and aggravated by all the sounds and smells of the hospital. He woke just after four in the morning and got out of bed. He faced the wall by the small bathroom attached to his room and pressed his palms flat before bending his elbows and pushing back out, doing a wall push-up. Embarrassingly, as he'd found out in PT, this was the most weight his re-grown forearm could take right now without breaking.

He was shaking and sweating, cursing his arm on every push out, when someone cleared their throat behind him. Katsuki turned, defiance in every line of his being (the physical therapist had told him not to work on his arm without supervision), and found Aizawa wrapped up like a mummy standing in his doorway.

"Wall push-ups?" his teacher asked, voice low and monotone as ever.

Katsuki felt his anger drain away as he stared at his teacher. Aizawa's right arm was thickly bandaged so it looked more like a club than an arm. Worse, bandages were wrapped entirely around his face. Not even his eyes, nose, or mouth were visible.

"Fuck," Katsuki cursed, heart pounding but not from the exercise. "Are you really okay?"

Aizawa sighed and asked, "Five steps to the bed?"

Katsuki gauged the distance, checked his memory for his teacher's stride length, and said, "Seven."

Without hesitation, Aizawa walked seven normal steps forward, felt the bed with his good arm, and sat. He turned so he was still facing Katsuki. "You've got a nice room. Mine was smaller and I had to share."

"Was?"

"I've been released."

Katsuki scowled fiercely. "They just released you blind?" he demanded, outraged.

He couldn't see Aizawa's smile, but he could hear it in his voice. "Hizashi is waiting for me in the hallway. He helped me find your room."

Katsuki tilted his head. "Who?"

"You know him as Present Mic. We were in the same hero class." Aizawa sighed. "I can technically use my eyes. If I open them, I can see out between the bandages, but I'm resting them for as long as possible."

Katsuki knew instantly where this was going. Voice dripping with disgust, he snarled, "Don't give me any fucking crap about rest being more important right now."

"No, actually." Aizawa didn't move from his slumped position, but suddenly an intense aura radiated from him. "Our injuries are completely different. Your arm is perfectly healthy, just undeveloped. Work until you feel like you're going to puke, but listen to your body, Katsuki. You know the difference between injury and a strenuous workout. I need you and the rest of your classmates strong. I don't know what those villains want, but after so long being a hero, I know what kind of circumstances create obsession. You and your classmates became an obstacle standing in the way of their victory, an obstacle they underestimated. They will feel like they have something to prove, so there is every chance you all will become targets again."

Katsuki stared. He hadn't expected an adult to actually agree with him. In his experience, adults loved to cling to denial until reality hit them in the face. Hard.

Aizawa stood. "I wanted to check on you before I head to class and I'm glad to find you doing so well. Work hard but carefully. I need you in top shape." He headed toward the door. "And text me when you're released. I'll pick you up."

"The martial arts you do. Can you teach me?" Katsuki called out, eyes burning with passion. The extreme mobility and minimalist movements paired with the extreme force he'd witnessed when Aizawa had fought… That's exactly what Katsuki aspired to achieve.

Aizawa turned back to him. "It won't be identical. My style is tailored for my capture device, but I can teach you a few things."

Katsuki flashed a bloodthirsty grin, both hands curling into determined fists. "Thank you, sensei. A little is all I need."

**End -**

**A/n: **Sooooooo… hope this chapter isn't too boring. Tbh, I kinda got bored writing it. It was necessary though. Still, I'm more excited about the next chapter. It'll be a training montage before the Sports Festival! I know I want to change quite a few things around during the festival. Here's hoping it goes over as well as the USJ chapter. ;p

PLUS ULTRA!


	20. Chapter 20

**A/n:** Sorry for the delay! You won't believe what happened. I blistered my fingertips… It's made typing a horrible experience. So chapters might be delayed for awhile.

**Preparing for the Future**

Class 1-A had been given a day to come to terms with what had happened at the USJ, but they were back in school Friday morning. Izuku got there early to check in with Recovery Girl. She reported the breaks in his hand and fingers were healing well, but fractures were still present. The splints had to stay on another day. He was sternly told not to punch anything with that hand for at least another twenty-four hours.

Feeling disappointed with the verdict, Izuku opened the classroom door and was greeted by Kirishima's enthusiastic call of, "Class president! How's the hand?"

Izuku smiled at him, holding up the bandaged limb. "Healing."

Uraraka called out, "Any news on Bakugou?"

Izuku shook his head, making his way toward his desk. "Just that he's going to make a full recovery. He'll be back in class Monday."

"We're lucky Bakugou was the only one hospitalized," Ojiro said. Izuku didn't know him well yet, but he seemed mature. His yellowish hair was cut short to his head and he had a long tail as thick as both of Izuku's arms put together. "Who knows what would have happened to us if the teachers hadn't shown up when they did."

Mineta dramatically threw his hands over his head and yelled out, "Why'd you have to say that! Now I'm imagining it!"

Sato, tall and muscular and clearly an All Might fan, wanted to talk about his hero more than the danger they were in. "Did you see All Might fight that bird monster?" He threw a punch at the air, his thick lips stretched in an excited grin.

"Yes, his strength is truly a thing of wonder," Tokoyami answered, voice slow and thoughtful as always. Izuku was glad that no one had tried to bully Tokoyami because he had a bird-like head similar to the monster All Might had fought. They weren't the same, but he'd come to learn that kids weren't always kind.

Pink-skinned Ashido leaned back in her chair and would have fallen if it weren't for Tsu who caught her. "Who do you think will teach homeroom today?"

"I don't know," Tsu answered, her tongue hanging a little out of her mouth. "Aizawa should still be at the hospital recovering."

At that exact moment, the door opened and Aizawa shuffled into the room. He was hunched over, his face covered in bandages except for a thin slit where his eyes were allowing him to see. His right arm was still thickly bandaged and held in a sling.

"Good morning," their teacher drawled monotone as always and shuffled to the teacher's podium.

The class exploded with worried questions and impressed whispers, but Iida stood, his hand raised, and called out, "Aizawa-sensei! I'm glad you're okay!"

Uraraka bent over and whispered toward Izuku, "You call that okay?"

Aizawa came to a stop behind the podium. "My wellbeing isn't important. What's important is that your fight isn't over yet."

The class held their breath, even Izuku's eyes went wide. Were the villains back? Did the League of Villains make a move?

Aizawa lowered his chin and gravely announced, "The UA Sports Festival is about to start."

"Wait a minute!" Kaminari called out. "The school was just attacked!"

Jiro spoke up, expression serious. "Yeah! Is it okay to have a sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?"

Ojiro's tail thumped the floor in agitation as he asked, "What if they attack us again?"

Behind Izuku, Mineta whimpered.

Aizawa held up his hand. When he spoke, his tone was solemn. "I understand your concerns, but the truth is the Sports Festival is an opportunity that you can't afford to miss out on. It's the most televised sporting event in Japan. It's even broadcast internationally. Getting recognized for your abilities and talents during this event could mean the difference between success and failure in your future careers as heroes."

Yaoyorozu's reasonable voice broke the quiet that had fallen and everyone turned to look at her. "Aizawa-sensei is right. All the top heroes around the country will be watching for scouting purposes. UA can't cancel just because of a few villains. UA is supposed to be an institute that stops villainy not cowers before it."

"Yes, and the fact is time is limited," Aizawa told them gravely. "If you expect to go pro, then the path to your future will open up at _this_ event. One chance a year — a total of only three chances in a lifetime. No aspiring heroes can afford to miss it. If you understand that, then don't slack off. You have exactly twenty-six days. Be ready!"

As one, the class cried, "Yes, sir!"

"Use the rest of this period to think about how you'll spend your free time in the days leading up to the festival." Aizawa turned and slowly left the room. "Class dismissed."

Kirishima stood and tossed a fist into the air. "I'm really getting excited! I've been watching the UA Sports Festival since I was a kid! I can't believe I actually get to participate in it!"

Sero walked over and slapped his shoulder, grinning widely. "If we put on a good show and stand out, we'll have taken the first step to becoming a pro."

Sato agreed, punching his palm with a fist. "It was wroth coming to UA just for this! None of the other hero schools hold a festival of this magnitude."

Hagakure, looking like nothing more than a floating uniform, moved to stand next to Ojiro's desk. "I'm getting kinda nervous," she told him. "I need to do my best to stand out."

"I'm sure if you think about it, you'll think of a way to do that," he said kindly, but he was clearly worried for the invisible girl.

Aoyama began doing hero poses: crouching and firing his finger, standing and framing his face, placing his hand in his hair. "No matter what I do, I stand out. The scouts won't even be able to stop looking at my sparkle, _oui_?"

Kaminari, sitting on his desk and turned to face the tall teen behind him, whined, "You're lukcy, Shoji. Your brawn stands out on its own. You're even more buff than Sato, and you have all those arms."

"It matters more what you do with what you have," Shoji corrected him, making a determined fist. "You have to prove your usefulness and that makes us all even."

Izuku looked around the class. "Everyone's so excited."

Iida walked over to his desk, his arm slashing down. "And you're not? We enrolled here to become heroes, so of course we would get fired up!" His hips swayed side to side in a strange little dance.

"You have a unique way of getting fired up," Tsu teased, the girl touching her finger to her wide mouth, her large eyes squinted in a smile. "It's weird."

Iida's cheeks turned red and he straightened. He cast Izuku a concerned look. "Midoriya, you don't feel the same?"

Izuku looked down at his broken hand. "Of course I'm excited… but I'm also…" He curled his good hand into a fist and admitted, "… worried. Those villains… They beat me so easily. I guess I didn't understand before just how wide the gap was between where I am and becoming a hero." Expression set with determination, he looked around at his classmates. "I need to get stronger. Much stronger."

Uraraka suddenly stood up and yelled, "I'm going to do my best!" It was a war cry. Her eyes practically glowed and there wasn't a smile anywhere on her face. "I'm going to work until I puke! Until I'm stronger than ever!"

Nearly as one, the class gave a roar. Izuku felt pride swell in his chest. Villains weren't going to take them down so easily ever again.

…

After four hours of classes, Izuku was walking with Iida and Uraraka to lunch. Ever since the Sports Festival announcement, he'd noticed Uraraka had seemed more serious than normal, and he'd realized that out of all their classmates, she seemed one of the most driven.

"I was wondering," he said, looking at her shyly. "If you don't mind telling us, why did you want to become a pro hero, Uraraka?"

Uraraka actually stumbled a bit and blushed, smiling awkwardly. "Well… For the money, actually." She waved her hand around anxiously. "I know it's not as honorable as your reasons. You want to save people, Deku, and, Iida, you want to be like your amazing older brother."

"There is nothing wrong with insuring a stable financial future," Iida protested, but Izuku could tell he didn't really believe it.

"Well, it's not just for me…" She sighed and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. "You see, my family owns a construction company. This isn't really something to tell other people, but, well, we haven't gotten a lot of jobs recently and, well, we're really broke."

"Construction?" Izuku thought about it and looked to Iida. "She could totally help out with the heavy lifting with her quirk."

"Yes!" Iida said excitedly. "And once you got your license, your family could sell off the heavy lifting equipment."

Uraraka shook her head. "Dad won't let me. He said he wants me to follow my own dream and not worry about them." She looked up and her eyes were piercing they were so bright. "I'm going to become a successful pro and run an agency. I'm going to make enough money so that my parents won't have to work so hard. I'm going to take care of them the way they've always taken care of me!"

Iida started clapping. Uraraka, with cheeks a bright pink, ran up to him and smacked him on the shoulder to make him stop. Iida did, but he told her very seriously, "Your goal is as honorable as anyone's, Uraraka. I admire you greatly."

Izuku smiled because this time Iida meant it. Suddenly All Might came dashing around the corner, his grin nearly as wide as his face. He wore a black suit with a dark red tie; it was a much more subdued look than he normally wore and Izuku frowned.

"Midoriya! There you are!" he cried with a boisterous laugh.

"All Might… Is something the matter?"

"Not at all," the hero said jovially. "I came to invite you to lunch." He held up a blue-wrapped bento that looked tiny in his massive hand.

"Oh." Izuku turned to Uraraka, who was trying not to squeal, and a surprised Iida. "I'll catch up to you guys for Basic," he said and trotted off with a wave.

All Might led him to the teacher's lounge and, as soon as the door was closed securely behind him, he released his muscle form and returned to his true body. He looked pretty normal. Some blood leaked out of the corner of his mouth, but his voice was strong when he told Izuku to sit and offered him green tea. Once they were both settled with tea in front of them, Toshinori got to the point.

"I wanted to talk to you about One For All. You still can't regulate it all the way, can you?"

Izuku lowered his head. Frustration and guilt washed over him, settling in his stomach like lead. "Once I started letting One For All flow through me, it's been easier to control. I call it Full Cowl." He gestured shamefully with his broken and bandaged hand. "But when I actually hit something, if I'm not paying attention, my body still breaks under the force."

Taking a deep breath, Izuku raised his eyes to his mentor's. "I'm going to work on it, though! As soon as my hand heals, I plan on using punching bags. I'll start out just barely letting One For All in and then slowly let more flow through me until I get a feel for how much my body can take. That will help me learn my current limits, but I'm not sure how to go about getting my body strong enough to handle more of One For All's power. It's more than just being physically fit, isn't it?"

Toshinori sighed and got to his feet. He walked to the window, his hands linked behind his back. "Yes and no. There is a mental aspect to utilizing One For All as you know with all your visualization training, but for the most part it is a physical thing."

He turned to face Izuku. His voice was low, his tone regretful. "The hard truth is One For All wasn't a quirk you were designed to wield, not naturally. Your peers have had over ten years to grow accustomed to their quirk, a quirk their body is physically designed for. You are at a disadvantage, but each time you wield One For All, it will alter you down to your DNA, molding you to use it. You'll get there in time."

Toshinori lifted his hands and looked at them for a second before curling them into fists. When he dropped them and looked once more at Izuku, his expression was intense. Izuku felt his heart beat faster and his eyes widen.

"But time is not something we have a lot of. I won't be able to stand as the Symbol of Peace for much longer, Izuku, and some with evil intent are starting to realize it." The pressure he exerted was enough to make Izuku sink in his seat, his neon blue eyes almost glowing. "When you were training, before you even knew about One For All or that I could give it to you, you worked yourself until you collapsed. You told me you wanted to become a hero just like me. To save people no matter what it cost with a fearless smile. Do you still feel the same as you did back then?"

Izuku just gaped at him.

"Izuku. Do you feel the same?" Toshinori insisted, low and almost angry.

Izuku climbed to his feet, his knees trembling, but his expression was determined. "Yes, All Might. I do. I'm going to be a hero!"

"Then the time has come for you to prove it," Toshinori strode forward and grabbed Izuku by the shoulders, holding tightly. "The UA Sports Festival is something the whole country is watching closely. The next All Might… the fledgling Symbol of Peace… Izuku Midoriya… I want you to tell the world 'I AM HERE!'"

Izuku swallowed hard, eyes wide as saucers. "Y-Yes, sir!" he cried as bravely as he could even as sweat dampened his hairline and he felt his hands start to shake. His heart was beating so fast!

Toshinori smiled, the overwhelming aura around him fading. "Good. That's good."

Izuku stood stiff as a board. He nodded and turned to leave. All Might didn't call him back. Izuku slipped out of the teacher's lounge and began to run. He ran until he was standing on the roof, breathless and light headed. Izuku fell back and stared up at the blue sky. As white clouds slowly moved across that vast expanse, Izuku's heart began to calm. His hands wouldn't stop shaking, though.

Sitting up, he dug around in his bag for his phone and shakily called Kacchan. He sat with his knees pulled close to his chest and his head resting on them. His hair cast his face in shadow and he closed his eyes, taking comfort in the darkness.

"_Yeah?" _Kacchan asked, answering.

As soon as Izuku heard his voice, he felt better. Almost calmly, he told his boyfriend, "The Sports Festival isn't being canceled and All Might says I need to show the world I'm here because he won't be for much longer."

Kacchan laughed, and it was a true laugh. Izuku's lips turned up at the sound. _"Is that all?"_ There was a grin in his voice. _"Guess there's only one thing to do, then."_

Izuku uncurled and laid flat, staring up at the sky. He knew what he had to do: "Win," he said, grinning.

"_Good luck beating me," _Kacchan practically purred in his ear. _"Because I'm going to stand at the top, Deku. All Might wants a symbol to keep the villains down? He's going to get one. I'm going to make those fucking punk-ass bitches cower and piss themselves. They won't dare show their faces or hurt anyone ever again."_

"I know." Izuku felt his pulse quicken, this time in a good way. All the anxiety All Might had inspired had transformed into determination. "But you'll do that from the number two spot because _I'm_ going to win. I'm going to save everyone with a fearless smile!"

Kacchan laughed, wild and free, his spirit indomitable. _"Bring it on, Deku."_ And he ended the call.

Izuku got back on his feet. It was time to get to work. The race was on. Being in the hospital wasn't going to slow Kacchan down. If Izuku was going to make good on his promise, he'd have to start running and not stop until the day of the festival.

Izuku crouched and then sprang forward, green sparks crackling around him as he sprinted down the stairs. He ran the entire way to the locker room to change for basic training.

…

Later that evening, once school was done, Katsuki called Aizawa. "I'm being released. There's nothing fucking wrong with me. Izuku's mom's picking me up. I'll stay with them over the weekend."

"_Alright. Before you go, I was thinking… Having a part-time job will lessen the amount of time you have to train. It might be wiser to stay with me until the after the Sports Festival and have them give you the money they would have spent on an apartment. It would be good to start saving for living expenses."_

Katsuki frowned. "Yeah… That's true…" He swallowed his pride and asked, "You really don't mind?"

"_You're really no trouble,"_ Aizawa answered matter-of-factly. _"You go to school at the same place I work, so our hours are identical." _

Katsuki turned around and felt his cheeks warm. Inko and Izuku were waiting for him at the check-out counter. Both were wearing identical warm smiles, their eyes creased with genuine happiness. They were like mirror images, round-cheeked with thick green hair and bright green eyes. They had the same gentle aura around them, too.

"Then… Thanks. I appreciate it," he said awkwardly.

"_See you Monday,"_ Aizawa said and ended the call.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Katsuki made his way toward the Midoriyas. Izuku instantly threaded his arm through Katsuki's, holding it gently.

"You ready, Kacchan?"

"Let's get out of here," Katsuki stated, already moving toward the doors. He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as they stepped outside the hospital. The night was cool, but not cold. It was hard to see the stars because of the city lights, but it was a beautiful spring evening. The tension held in his shoulders relaxed a bit now that he was out of the hospital. He really fucking hated it there.

"Is there anything special you want for dinner?" Inko asked, walking on the opposite side of Izuku.

"Whatever's fine," he answered, looking down and avoiding her gaze.

As Inko talked about all the things she could cook, Katsuki smiled. That changed, however, when the subject somehow came around to the topic of his birthday.

"Why don't we have a little party?" she asked, eyes sparkling with excitement. She was sitting on one of the seats on the train. Katsuki and Izuku stood in front of her, holding on to the straps hanging down. She looked up at Katsuki, her hands folded under her chin looking like a begging puppy. "We can invite that nice girl and young man who waited for you at the hospital. I could even bake your cake this year. Izuku's so shy. He's never really wanted a party, but now that you're in high school it's different. You have real friends now. What do you say? It's not every year you turn fifteen."

Katsuki didn't really like all the fuss, but it was impossible to say no to her. "I don't really care. It's not a big deal," he muttered, looking away with red cheeks. He caught sight of Izuku covering his mouth, hiding a laugh. He glared fiercely.

"Great!" She patted his thigh, beaming brightly. "Make sure you remember to invite them, okay?"

Once they were back at Izuku's apartment, Katsuki pounced, careful of Izuku's still bandaged hand. Izuku flew off his feet with a laugh, landing on his back on his bed.

"Don't forget your birthday's only a few months after mine," Katsuki said in a mock angry growl. "I'll get my revenge. Just you wait."

Izuku burst into laughter as Katuski began tickling him. They wrestled a bit before ended up kissing like crazy.

Katsuki closed his eyes, melting into the feeling of Izuku pressed against him, their lips moving together, their tongues passionately sliding in an out, exploring, claiming. His heart beat a steady rhythm; everything felt so good. All the tension of the last few days bled away. Katsuki held Izuku close and kissed him until they were both breathless.

…

Izuku cracked his eyes open as he heard his mother's voice in the hallway. Sunlight fell through the window only softened a little by his cream-colored curtains. He was topless. Kacchan was wrapped around his bare torso, breathing deep with sleep. It was warm, Kacchan's body heating his, and it felt so good it almost put Izuku back to sleep.

His mother's voice grew louder and Kacchan jerked awake, eyes alert as he sat up. They exchanged a worried look before quickly climbing from the bed. Izuku opened the door and saw his mother standing in the front doorway, her back to them. She was talking to someone outside. His heartbeat sped up. He'd never heard his mom sound like that before.

"…who you think you are, but you aren't welcome here," Inko said, voice ice cold.

Kacchan pushed him further into the hall so he could see. Izuku felt his stomach drop. It was Mrs. Bakugou who stood on their front doorstep.

She looked so much like Kacchan. The same sand-colored hair, coarse and spiky. The same ruby red eyes narrowed in a familiar glare, but the sight of her invoked a completely different emotion in Izuku than Kacchan did. A well of anger burned deep in his belly and he glared hotly, holding his arm out protectively to block Kacchan from going any closer.

"Like I said, I came to warn you," Mitsuki Bakugou said sharply, practically growling in the shorter woman's face. "It wouldn't be right, letting him hurt your kid and not saying something."

"No one's hurting anyone," Inko said fiercely. For all that she was rounder and shorter, there was an undeniable strength in her stance. "There is only love and trust within these walls, and I'm offended you would assume I would allow anything else. Their love is beautiful, not this ugly thing you envision. I'm _proud_ to have Katsuki as part of the family. He's an amazing young man."

Izuku bared his teeth threateningly as Mitsuki caught sight of them in the hallway. He leaned back, trying to push Kacchan back in his room, but the blond wouldn't budge. He stared back at his mother, his expression completely blank.

"It's filthy, two boys fucking," Mitsuki said, dark and low. Suddenly she gasped, clutching her shirt over her chest. The hateful expression on her face warped to one of shock as she sank to her knees. Her face turned red and she stared up at Inko in alarm.

Izuku grabbed hold of Kacchan's arm when he took an involuntary step forward.

"You think you can come to my home and spew your hatred and prejudice?" Inko hissed, her voice low and vicious. She bent down and put her face near Mitsuki's. She pointed her finger at the other woman's chest, right over her heart. "I'll do more than tug gently if I ever hear you did something that jeopardizes Katsuki's life ever again. I _know_ what you hoped would happen when you signed the consent for that risky surgery. You're sick, Mitsuki. You've completely lost your grip on reality."

Mitsuki groaned, tears falling down her cheeks, but then the tension ran out of her and she gasped. Climbing shakily to her feet, she spat, furious, "You fucking used your quirk on me!"

Inko crossed her arms and said, "Prove it. The same system that protects abusers like you protects me, too. Without proof, you can't do anything to me."

"You crazy bitch," Mitsuki said, her tone almost impressed. Her ruby eyes were wide and she'd taken a step backward.

"You are not welcome here," Inko snapped. "Don't you ever come back. And if I hear of you coming near Katsuki again, or that you hurt him, I will come for you. I won't let _anyone_ hurt my kids. Do you understand me? I won't be so forgiving next time." Then she slammed the door in Mitsuki's face.

When Izuku's mom turned around, her eyes were bright and fierce, her cheeks dark with an angry flush. With a trembling hand, she fussed with her hair. "I'm sorry you had to see that, boys. Come on. Let's get breakfast started."

Izuku stared at her in awe, but his heart sank when he looked over to see that Kacchan wore a look of guilt.

"I'm sorry…"

Kacchan couldn't get more than that out of his mouth before Inko rounded on him with a hot glare. "Don't you ever apologize! You're not responsible for anyone else's choices, Katsuki. Not mine or hers. You hear me? You've done nothing wrong."

Kacchan nodded, eyes wide.

"Good." Inko let her hand fall and straightened her skirt nervously over her wide hips. "You boys get cleaned up. Breakfast will be ready shortly."

Izuku practically dragged Kacchan to his room. He sat the blond on his bed and cupped his face. "You okay?"

"Your mom is fucking scary," Kacchan said softly.

"Only when you threaten one of her kids," Izuku said with a smile. He kissed his boyfriend's lips. "Welcome to the family. Hmmm, Katsuki Midoriya. I like the sound of that."

Kacchan blushed red and pushed him away, practically sputtering.

Izuku laughed and made it his mission to keep his boyfriend distracted. First, he insisted they train, so after they ate, they got dressed and ran down to the beach where they sparred without quirks, swam until their arms felt like falling off, ran for miles in the sand until their legs felt like falling off, and finally did yoga for an hour at sunset. By the time they got home for dinner, they were dead tired, but it was worth it. The drama from that morning had been forgotten.

…

Inko walked them to the door Monday morning after breakfast. "You can stay as long as you like," she assured him, green eyes wide and teary. "I love having you, Katsuki."

Katsuki gave her a smile and pulled his backpack over one shoulder. "Thanks, Ms. Midoriya. I really appreciate it, but I'm getting my own place soon. Mr. Aizawa doesn't mind me staying with him in the meantime."

Besides, he was very aware of how much she was spending to make enough food for both him and Deku, and he noticed that her portions were getting smaller and smaller with each meal. He couldn't burden her like that.

"If you're sure…" she said uncertainly and pulled him into a warm, soft hug.

Katsuki stood awkwardly in her embrace and breathed a sigh of relief when she finally let him go to wave goodbye to Izuku.

"Bye, Mom!" Izuku called happily already heading to the stairs.

"Be careful! And check in with Recovery Girl to make sure your hand's fully healed!"

"I will!" Izuku promised, smiling wide. He waved enthusiastically.

Katsuki gratefully chased after him. He loved Inko, and he was deeply grateful for her care and support, but sometimes when she was overly affectionate it made him really uncomfortable.

He and Izuku talked training regimens all the way to school until Izuku went one way toward the infirmary and Katsuki went another up to their classroom. It was a bad decisions. Katsuki should have waited for Izuku. He was practically accosted when he walked in the classroom! Kirishima hit his back so hard he stumbled. He turned around snarling, but the redhead laughed.

"Bakugou! Welcome back! Did you hear about the Sports Festival?"

"Yes, you idiot! Now leave me alone!" Katsuki snarled, stomping to his desk.

Kirishima grinned. "I'm glad you're doing better, bro."

Katsuki ignored him.

Izuku made it just in time for first bell. Aizawa gave them a lesson on hero laws. It felt like there were millions of the damn things. After homeroom, they had Math. One class bled into another, hours passing as the teacher at the front of the room changed, but the information remained uninteresting.

Katsuki noticed the class was quieter than normal, exhaustion making them more subdued. Clearly he and Izuku weren't the only ones training extra hard. Katuski loved the fuck out of it. No one had managed to annoy him so far, except for Kirishima.

It wasn't until lunch when things got interesting. Cheeks opened the door to head to the cafeteria, Glasses, Izuku, and Katsuki were behind her, but they all had to come to a halt as at least thirty fucking people crowded up the hallway, staring in at them. Katsuki knew instantly what this was about and made a disgusted sound.

"What's going on?" Cheeks asked, standing frozen in the doorway, while Glasses demanded, "What business do you have with class A?".

As if it weren't already fucking clear. The nervous look in Izuku's face told him that at least his boyfriend knew what this was about. "Um. We can't get out. If you could please move aside," Izuku said politely, eyes running over the curious faces in front of him.

Katsuki didn't wait for the faceless masses to comply and approached the crowd at the door, calling over his shoulder, "They're just small fry scouting out the kids who made it out of the villain attack. Just walk past these extras as if they aren't even there."

Glasses yelled at him - something about being polite - but Katsuki tuned him out as a teen with thick purple hair and deep black circles under his eyes pushed to the front of the crowd and blocked his path. "Yeah, I came to see what 1-A was about," he admitted, voice surprisingly deep for his slender frame. "But you seem pretty arrogant. Definitely not as impressive as the news made you out to be."

Katsuki's expression darkened into a glare. He bared his teeth in warning, but the idiot didn't take heed. He stared Katsuki right in the eye as he said, "There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies because they didn't make it into the hero course. However, depending on the results of the Sports Festival, they'll consider allowing students to transfer."

Deep purple eyes slid past Katsuki as if he weren't important, setting Katsuki's teeth on edge, and scanned over the rest of the class. "Scouting the enemy? I, at least, came to to tell you all that if you aren't careful, I'll sweep your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."

Before Katsuki could put the pissant in his place, a teen with silver hair and a big fucking mouth yelled out from the back. "I heard you fought against villains, so I came to hear 'bout it! But don't get so full of yourself! If you bark too much, it'll be embarrassing for you durin' the real fight!"

Katsuki gave him a blank stare and turned, walking past the rejects gaping at their class.

"You ignorin' me, bastard?!" the silver haired teen screamed furiously.

Kirishima called after him, surprised, "Dude! You're not going to say anything back?"

"He doesn't matter. None of them do," Katsuki said firmly, looking over his shoulder and meeting the redhead's eyes. "Not as long as you rise to the top." Then he walked away. It was time to get serious. They had only twenty-three days until the festival. He would show them all why _he_ was number one.

…

Twenty Days:

Aizawa was working with Katsuki in one of the smaller gyms. It was nighttime, school long over. They'd been at this for hours, but Katsuki wasn't about to stop until Aizawa said he was done. Thin mats were at their bare feet. Aizawa's arm was no longer in a cast, but he favored it. Even still he was kicking Katsuki's ass without even breaking a sweat.

"Pivot on your back foot," Aizawa said monotone as he did just that, spinning out of the way of Katsuki's charge and deflecting Katsuki's palm with a single strike to the forearm.

Sweating, snarling, Katsuki tried again, mimicking Aizawa exactly. He got in a swipe to Aizawa's shoulder, but in a blur he was on the floor eating mat. Katsuki punched the mat and jumped to his feet, hands up, ready to try again.

…

Seventeen Days:

Izuku carried a tray of drinks into his livingroom. An action movie about heroes was playing on his small tv. Kirishima was laughing, so was Kacchan. Uraraka was booing and Iida was pointing out all the unrealistic parts of the movie. A banner with Happy Birthday hung above them on the wall. His mom was cooking curry in the kitchen, filling the air with the smell of delicious food.

Smiling, Izuku rejoined his friends, feeling happier than he had in a long time. He set the drinks on the low coffee table and sat next to Kacchan on the floor, his back to the couch. Kacchan flung his arm over Izuku's shoulders without missing a beat in his argument with Iida, making Izuku beam happily and lean into his side.

…

Fourteen Days:

Izuku spun around with as much force he could muster, green energy sparking around him, and hit the bag as hard as he could with a roundhouse kick. The punching bag had been designed for strength quirks, so it rocked to the side only a foot before swinging ponderously back into place.

"Fifty," Izuku panted, getting into position, but before he could strike the bag again, he felt One For All slip through his fingers. His body suddenly felt one hundred times heavier and he collapsed backward, sitting heavily on his butt.

"That's thirteen minutes," Uraraka said happily.

She was sitting against the wall near him, taking a break from her training. Her face was pale and she was nursing a drink to help her stay hydrated after she'd vomited. She was there because Aizawa had proclaimed that Izuku was not allowed to practice using his quirk without a spotter in case he broke his body again, so his classmates took turns watching him. Izuku hoped that restriction was lifted soon. He hadn't broken anything since he'd started.

After getting most of his wind back, he pushed back up on his feet and closed his eyes. His skin began to glow, green energy cackling around him. He took a fighting stance and slammed his right fist into the bag. It rocked back.

"One," he gasped, sweat rolling down his face. Stepping back, he took up position again and brought his leg up and stomped the bag as if he were trying to break down a door. Sweat flew through the air. The bag swung a little wider. "Two." The bag swayed. He got into fighting stance again. "Three!"

…

Eleven Days:

Katsuki was outside the gym in a little grassy spot. He had a waist-high drum of water next to him. It was only half-full now. He wore a loose tank top and his gym pants. With a yell, he held out his palms and they sparked and flashed, smoke billowing up from the mini explosions. His arms were coated in sweat, the muscles standing up in sharp relief as he strained and worked. A larger explosion took hold and the bang was loud enough to make the water in the drum rock and ripple. Hands hot as fuck, he slammed them in the water and steam instantly wafted up, bathing his chest and head, drenching him.

"What're you doing?"

Katsuki looked over his shoulder to see Kirishima. The redhead was wiping his sweaty face with a towel, his mouth parted in a friendly grin. "None of your fucking business," he said without much heat. Exhaustion was getting to him.

Kirishima nodded as if he understood some deep secret. "Yeah. I hear you, man. We all gotta keep an advantage." He flopped down in the shade cast by the gym. "Man, Midoriya is a monster. He just doesn't let up. He's got the whole class pushing until they collapse trying to keep up with him. Uraraka was just taken to the infirmary because she passed out! And he's still in there, looking like he's about to follow her, still swinging away at that bag."

Katsuki bared his teeth in a threatening grin. "Deku," he said lowly and pulled his arms out of the drum. His palms sparked and flashed - _crack pop sizzle_ \- more light than heat and force. The miniature explosions sounded like bacon cooking in a hot pan or like little fireworks sizzling, but it only lasted a minute or two before a bigger explosion caught and BANG! Chunks of ground was torn up, a billow of smoke rose into the air, and Katsuki slammed his burning hands into the water.

…

Eight Days:

Izuku sat on his bed, numb and shivering. It was April twenty-eighth and the start of the fourth week of school. It was also the night of the full moon. Sunset cast the room in bloody light. Izuku closed his eyes and practiced his breathing exercises. Long and slow, in - out - in - out. It helped, but didn't completely erase his anxiety.

The door opened and he looked up to see Kacchan slip inside. The blond turned the lock and Izuku immediately felt better. He gave his boyfriend a trembling smile. "Thank you," he said softly.

"No problem," Kacchan answered, just as softly.

Kacchan had calmed his mom and got her to give them space. Izuku was too tense to reassure her and would have only made her more anxious. He stood, feeling a lot more calm now that he knew they'd have some privacy and now that Kacchan was there. He kept his eyes on the blond, using him as another anchor. Izuku slowly knelt on the floor.

Kacchan took out the red ropes and began to bind his torso and arms, bending them and tying them secure. It took almost half an hour. Every few minutes, Kacchan would ask if it was too tight, if he was okay. Izuku always answered that he was good. Kacchan always tied it perfectly, and with every tie, every knot, Izuku settled into his skin and into a feeling of utter safety.

Once his torso done, Kacchan helped him to the bed. Izuku obediently lay on his back and brought his legs up to his chest so they could be tied, too. Soon Izuku was bound in a fetal position. Kacchan sat next to him, close enough that Izuku could feel the blond's body heat. Kacchan said nothing, just gently stroked his hair. The rhythmic movement nearly put Izuku to sleep, but as true dark fell, he was awake enough to ask for his gag.

Kacchan hesitated, but he grabbed the bandana and tied it securely around Izuku's head. It held his tongue down and his jaws slightly open. It would be a sopping mess by the end of the night, but at least his mother and the neighbors wouldn't hear him scream.

Without warning, Izuku tumbled into the depths of Hell…

…

Katsuki wrapped his body around Izuku's, pressing his chest to the smaller teen's back and tucking his thighs under his. They were on their sides. Katsuki's right arm was pinned under Izuku while his left arm went over Izuku's body to hold him close. It let Katsuki feel every tremor, every clench of Izuku's muscles. Through the palm he had pressed against Izuku's chest, he felt it when Izu's heart rate raced. He heard every terrified whimper and agonized scream in spite of the gag. Katsuki's was so close in fact that his skin was just as wet with Izuku's sweat and tears.

The vision lasted longer this time. Nearly six hours compared to the four-and-a-half hours of the first full moon and the five hours of the second. Finally, just as the sun broke the horizon, Izuku blinked open his eyes. Katsuki sat up and leaned over him, gently stoking Izuku's sweat-soaked green hair from his face.

"Hey…" he said softly, pulling out the gag. "You with me?"

Tears welled in Izuku's dazed eyes. He didn't answer. In fact, he didn't even move to close his mouth - as if he hadn't even realized the bandana had been removed.

"Okay. You're good. You don't have to answer."

Katsuki sat up, intending to get the scissors to cut Izuku free, but Izuku gave a wrecked cry barely louder than a whisper, his throat destroyed. Katsuki instantly leaned back over him, putting their faces close together.

"It's okay, Izu. You're okay," he promised. He stared into Izuku's terrified eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. You're safe."

Izuku's breathing slowly calmed, the animalistic fear painting his face draining away. Pure exhaustion was left in its wake. Katsuki maintained eye contact. He was draped over Izuku's bound body, his weight pressing Izu into the mattress. It seemed to help because slowly Izuku's eyes closed and the teen passed out.

Katsuki's expression twisted into a hateful snarl as he very carefully sat up. He hated with a passion that Izuku had to go through this. Of all the fucking people in the world, why did it have to be Izuku, goddamn it!

Katsuki would give anything to share this burden with him, or better yet take it from him completely, but he fucking couldn't, so he fucking focused on what he could do. Very carefully, he cut Izuku free and got the teen settled under the blankets. Then he went out to tell Inko that Izuku was done and sleeping. Finally, he got a drink and used the bathroom before climbing back into bed with his boyfriend. Very carefully, he wrapped his body protectively around Izuku's and somehow fell asleep.

…

Izuku woke and found himself alone in his bedroom. The orange-red of sunset colored his walls and he began to pant. He couldn't do it! Not again; not so soon! He sat up, arms wrapped tightly around his torso, and struggled to breathe. The door opened and Kacchan stepped inside. He was instantly on the bed with him, wrapping Izuku in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice soft and coaxing. "I had to use the bathroom. It's okay. I've got you."

"C-Can't…" Izuku rasped, throat tight and lava hot. "A-Again…"

Kacchan grabbed his face and pressed their foreheads together. He stared into Izuku's eyes and took a slow deep breath in, held it, then let it back out. He did it again and again, just looking into Izuku's eyes, steady and calm. Before Izuku really realized what was happening, he was mirroring those slow breaths and the terror slowly drained away.

"Now try again," Kacchan said calmly. His hand was on the back of Izuku's neck, his thumb softly stroking his nape.

"Can't do it…" Izuku whispered. Tears rolled down his raw cheeks. They blurred his vision of Kacchan's steady eyes. "Can't go in again… too soon…"

"Shhh…" Kacchan soothed and kissed him softly. "You're okay. It's Tuesday night. You're good. You're not going to have another vision. It's done. You did it. It's over."

Izuku collapsed forward, curling into Kacchan's body. He held tight to the blond's shirt and sobbed. He cried until he felt numb. Kacchan rocked him until he quieted and then helped him lie back down. The room was nearly pitch-black by then. Izuku lay still, completely empty, his mind a blank.

They lay like that for awhile; Izuku had no sense of time - could have been five minutes or an hour. A slow itch began under his skin. Flashes started coming back to him. With them came a pressing need to _do something_.

Izuku pulled out of Kacchan's loose embrace and got up on shaky legs. He almost knocked his desk lamp over, missing it in the dark, but he managed to click it on and grab his notebook. Opening to the first clean page, he began to furiously write and sketch.

…

Katsuki watched as Izuku purged his nightmares into the notebook. Watched as salt tears dripped on the pages, smearing some of the words and drawings, but not enough to obscure the horrors. Izuku worked at a fast pace for nearly two hours. It was just past eleven when he finally stilled. He looked completely empty, expression doll-like with eyes like glass marbles.

Katsuki got up and coaxed Izuku to the bathroom and then the kitchen. Inko heard them moving about and came out wrapped in her night robe. She took over the job of trying to get Izuku to eat and drink, so Katsuki went back for the book.

He skimmed the new pages just so he could understand some of what Izuku went through. Katsuki's hands tightened around the pages as he counted. Fourteen murders this month. Izuku had been killed - mostly in horrible and terrifying ways - fourteen times. No wonder he was shaken up more than usual. Determined to help ease this burden, Katsuki grabbed Izuku's phone and found the detective's contact information. He didn't give a fuck how late it was. He pressed call.

"_Midoriya? Is everything alright?" _The detective had a compassionate voice, but it wasn't overly simpering. There was strength there, too. No wonder Izuku felt like he could rely on this guy.

"You seriously don't understand how this fucking works if you think Izuku could be alright," Katsuki growled and then to got to business. "It looks like his radius has fucking expanded. The furthest murder is about ten miles from here. Shit - almost eleven fucking districts… That's almost half this fucking shitty-ass city."

The detective caught on quick. _"How many did he see?"_

"Fourteen," Katsuki answered just as somberly. "The first one is in four fucking days, so you'd better come get his shitty notebook if you're going to be ready. It's a messy one. Looks like a fucking assassination. The killer's not some nobody going crazy. He's going to be a challenge."

"_I'm on my way." _The detective hung up.

Katsuki called All Might next. It rang several times and Katsuki was about to be furious that the bastard was being as damned irresponsible as ever when the hero picked up.

"_Izuku? Sorry, I was in the shower. Are you okay?"_

"He's fucking struggling. What the hell do you expect?" Katsuki ground out, frustrated as hell. Why couldn't they understand how dangerous this was?! "And his radius doubled again. He's saw every fucking murder over the next four weeks for almost half the fucking city. Fourteen of them. Izuku told me you made a call to someone who could help. Did you hear back yet?"

"_Not yet. The person and I have a difficult relationship right now, but they promised to look into it."_

"Either get him on board or fucking find someone else!" Katsuki spat, eyes narrowed into angry slits. "Izuku needs help managing the aftereffects of what he sees. Maybe even a way to distance himself better when he's having these fucking visions or it's going to destroy him longterm."

All Might's voice was sad as he said, _"I understand. I'll make sure he comes to see Izuku before his next vision."_

Katsuki hung up the phone. Jesus! What was wrong with these people? The door opened behind him and Izuku stood there looking lost, his mother hovering behind him. Katsuki forced his expression to soften and held out his hand.

"Come back to bed. We have to be up in five hours to get ready for school," he said with forced calm.

Izuku came to him without hesitation, taking his hand and letting Katsuki pull him into bed.

The complete trust that showed made Katsuki's skin feel on fire. It sent him into protective overdrive. He smiled at Inko and promised her he could take it from here. She smiled back, tears in her eyes, and retreated, giving them privacy.

Katsuki lay down and wrapped Izuku tightly in his arms, promising him he'd taken care of everything. The detective was coming for his notebook and All Might was going to find someone who could help make the visions less intense. Izuku clung to him and was eventually soothed into sleep. It didn't take long. Izuku was exhausted.

Being careful not to wake Izuku up, Katsuki slipped out of bed. He grabbed the notebook and sat in the living room to wait. It didn't take too long. There was a soft tap at the door. Katsuki opened it and found Detective Tsukauchi in his trench coat and suit. He even had a tan hat on his head.

Katsuki handed the notebook over, but he didn't let go right away. "You be fucking careful with this," he warned, voice dark and dangerous as he glared up at the detective. "This falls in the wrong hands and Izuku's life will be destroyed. He's working fucking hard to help as many people as he can and deserves a chance to live his own life, too."

Tsukauchi gave a serious nod. "It won't leave my person until I've finished memorizing the details. There will be no copies made and I will tell no one of its existence unless I've been given permission to do so."

Katsuki was impressed with the strictness of the vow, especially because the detective couldn't lie as a side-effect of his own quirk. He gave an approving smile. "Good." Then he shut the door in the man's face.

…

Six Days:

Izuku stared dully up at Aizawa, Kacchan at his side. When they had gotten to class that morning, their teacher had been standing by the door to the classroom. He'd gestured everyone else in with a jerk of his head but had stayed Izuku and Kacchan. Normally Izuku would be anxious after missing a day of school, but he was still feeling floaty after his visions.

Aizawa looked down at them, eyes tired yet perceptive. His thick shaggy hair fell around his face and to his shoulders, his mouth partly obscured by his scarf. His bandages were all gone, and Izuku noticed that he had a new scar under his right eye. It was thick, almost as long and as wide as Izuku's pinky, and it ran horizontal right under Aizawa's eye.

"I told you on orientation day that UA is known for its untraditional methods," he said, his voice even and monotone. "So there's nothing wrong with All Might taking you two out for some special training. However, I'm your homeroom teacher. I'm responsible for your education. Not knowing what that training is is a big problem for me." He stared at them intently.

Izuku looked at Kacchan as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Kacchan's expression was blank, but Izuku knew him very well. The angle of his shoulders, the way he shifted his weight uncertainly… It told him that Kacchan had grown attached to their teacher - maybe as much as Izuku was to All Might - and wasn't happy with keeping things from him.

"It wasn't really training," Izuku confessed, looking away from Kacchan and down at his feet.

"Deku," Kacchan said sharply.

He grabbed Izuku's arm as if to stop him, but Izuku knew better. Kacchan trusted Aizawa. Aizawa had taken care of Kacchan when things had gotten tough, and Aizawa was right. He was important to Izuku's success at UA. Maybe he _should_ know about Izuku's birth quirk. So Izuku covered Kacchan's hand with his own and met the red-eyed glare aimed at him without fear.

"It's okay," he said quietly.

Kacchan didn't let him go, but he didn't speak up to try and stop him, either. That was good enough for Izuku.

He turned his face up to look Aizawa in the eyes. "I have episodes every full moon. It's related to my quirk, but it's not anything physical. It's purely mental. I can't activate it any other time. Some months are worse than others, but I've never needed more than the day after the full moon to recover. Kacchan stays with me to help."

Aizawa was frowning. He clearly didn't like this at all. "What exactly happens during your episode? Does Recovery Girl know about this?"

Izuku slowly shook his head. "Only All Might knows. I've been told to keep this part of my quirk really secret. It's really important that I do, even from Recovery Girl, but if All Might thinks it's okay for you to know, I'll tell you."

Aizawa looked thoughtful at this information. "Thank you for your honesty," he said with real sincerity. "You may go into class."

Izuku gave a polite bow and slipped inside the room, Kacchan right behind him.

"Deku, are you in trouble?" Uraraka asked. Kirishima was asking Kacchan something similar up at the front.

"No." He gave her a wane smile. "Aizawa just wanted to ask how our training with All Might went." He spoke at a normal volume, letting more than just Uraraka hear his answer. "I'm not really supposed to talk about it, though. Sorry."

"That's okay." She hesitated, really looking at him, her brown eyes soft with concern. "Are you sure you're okay, though? You don't look well. Maybe you're overdoing it with training."

Izuku knew he looked bad. He'd seen his face in the mirror that morning. It was pale, his freckles standing out starkly on his cheeks. There were also black circles under his eyes, making the green look darker than normal. When he'd tried to smile, his reflection had looked pained. He wouldn't be winning any beauty awards. Truth was, he could have used another day to bounce back and re-orient himself, but he couldn't bear the thought of missing more school, not when the Sports Festival was less than a week away.

"I'll get some rest, I promise," he assured her and was saved from answering any more questions as Aizawa entered the room.

Uraraka was forced to go back to her desk, and Izuku got his notebooks out in preparation for class. He easily ignored the way his classmates kept shooting him and Kacchan curious glances, but one set of eyes was more intense than the others. Todoroki stared at him, a frown creasing his usually blank expression. Izuku frowned back, but the other boy looked away before Izuku could figure out what he was thinking.

…

One Day:

The day before the Sports Festival, Katsuki stayed after school with Aizawa, undergoing nearly three hours of strength tests. Whenever he could, Katsuki had been lifting weights, trying to get his arm back into shape. He'd even been using the hand grip exerciser under the desk during class the way Izuku had done when training to get into UA.

Shaking with fatigue, Katsuki looked up at his teacher, sweat rolling down his face. "So what's the verdict?" he asked, a little breathless. He was sitting at the end of the bench press, his forearms braced on his thighs.

Aizawa looked at his data pad and scrolled through some information before answering. "You've recovered nearly eighty percent of the strength in that arm."

Katsuki made a face of frustration, but before he could explode, Aizawa sighed and put a hand on his head.

"The best doctors in the city put you at fifty percent recovery by this point," Aizawa reminded him. His mouth softened into a true smile. "You've worked really hard, Katsuki, and that hard work has paid off. You should be proud. I know I am."

Katsuki felt warmth burn through him at the praise. It always seemed to take him off guard. He looked away, his cheeks warm. "Yeah, well, it's enough to beat the extras in the class, anyway."

Aizawa lifted his hand from his head and walked away. "Get some rest," he ordered over his shoulder. "I know you'll be great tomorrow."

Katsuki smiled and pushed to his feet. His arms felt heavy and sore, as if bowling balls were strapped to each.

It took him longer to change than it normally did. Swinging his bag over his shoulder, he stepped into the hall outside the gym and found Izuku sitting on the floor waiting for him. The green-haired boy got to his feet.

"How did it go?" he asked, looking up at him.

With a start Katsuki realized he'd gotten another growth spurt. He was at least two inches taller than Izu. He gave Izuku a teeth-baring grin. "Eighty percent," he answered, cockiness bleeding through his voice.

Izuku flung his arms around Katsuki's neck and kissed his cheek. He had to lift up on his toes to do so. "Congratulations, Kacchan! That's amazing!"

Katsuki kissed him, slotting their mouths together hungrily. Those freckled cheeks and big eyes and messy hair - Izuku looked so pure and sweet, so soft, but Katsuki knew how strong he really was, which only made him burn hotter. Izuku was as fierce as a tiger, but he always went as soft as his face under Katsuki's hands and lips. It was thrilling.

Izuku kissed him back. He slid his hands in Katsuki's sweat-damp hair and gripped tight. The sensation of those fingers tugging at his scalp made him shiver and growl. He shoved Izuku up against the wall, deepening the kiss still further. He was rock hard in his pants. Izuku was, too, his dick pushing against Katsuki's hip.

Katsuki pulled away, panting. He pressed his forehead to Izuku's and felt Izu's soft breath against his lips as they recovered. "I changed my mind," he said, low and husky. "I'm going to stay with Aizawa tonight."

Izuku's swollen lips pulled in a pout. "What? Why?"

"Because… I'm too keyed up. We'd mess around all night," Katsuki said, staring into Izu's eyes. "We need to rest. And it gives us something to look forward to."

A smile slowly spread across Izu's face as he understood what Katsuki was suggesting. Red-cheeked, he asked, "Loser does anything the winner wants?"

Katsuki leaned forward, bracing his forearm on the wall beside the other boy, and placed his mouth close to his ear. "If I win… I want to put my dick in your mouth. I want your lips wrapped around me as I cum."

Izuku gasped, his hands spasming closed on Katsuki's shirt. "Kacchan…"

"And if you win…" Katsuki licked Izuku's ear, slow and erotic. Izuku gave a full body shiver. "I'll pin you down. I'll cover you in little bites until all it takes is a flick of my tongue and you'll explode."

"Kacchan!" Izuku cried louder, desperation and lust thick in his voice. His pupils had dilated to almost encompass the green of his irises.

Katsuki was so tempted to finish this. Izuku was gasping and whimpering, pinned between the wall and his body. Need practically radiated from his willing body; he was so close already, just from this. Katsuki forced himself away. He stood there, panting, fists clenched.

"Tomorrow, Deku," he said roughly before turning and stomping away, leaving Izuku trembling against the wall behind him.

**Chapter end - **

**A/n: **Fun things happened in this chapter - Inko vs Mitsuki - Deku vs Kacchan rivalry going strong - some teenage lust lol - Let me know what you think! Also any requests for the Sports Festival? It's coming up next chapter XD


	21. Chapter 21

**A/n: **Hi! Sorry for the delay, guys! I love and adore you and your support. This chapter was difficult to write as I struggled with how to change the AWESOMENESS that is canon - LOL!

One thing got me thinking, though, and it is so random and small, but still… Names… The general public doesn't seem to know the names of their heroes, just their code names, which makes sense as villains could target their families. BUT! The world watches the UA Sports Festival - I mean, it has replaced the Olympics! Couldn't villains just match the heroes to their quirks by watching old Sport Festival footage and then know their names that way?

So - I know it's just a little detail - and it really doesn't solve the problem - but for my story, during the Sports Festival everyone will be referred to as their quirk name instead of their real name in order to at least try to keep their identities secret. Just wanted to explain that so you aren't confused.

Also, as I wrote the chapter and looked up their quirk names, I realized that some of the kids have really silly names for their quirks, but I wanted to be consistent and so had to go with it. And another thing, it didn't seem fair that some quirk names told exactly what the quirk did, but others were vague enough that they weren't complete give aways. Like Brainwash. I was a bit bummed that that totally gives away what he quirk does - or at least warns others. Btw Half Cold Half Hot is totally a pain to type a lot - lol!

Okay, now that I explained that — On with the show! ;p

I really REALY hope you like it and that it was worth the wait.

…

**The Sports Festival: Part One**

Izuku and the other students had to use a side entrance to get into school the morning of the Sports Festival. The front entrance was a mess of spectators and reporters who had traveled from around the country to watch the festival in person. Security was going over each visitor carefully to make sure a villain wasn't sneaking in. UA had access to top of the line sensors as well as government-grade face matching software. Villains could still slip in, of course, but UA also hired over two dozen powerful Pro-Heroes to constantly patrol the grounds.

Festival booths with masks, toys, food, and souvenirs lined the pathways from the front gate to the three olympic-sized arenas where the Sports Festival was taking place. Fireworks that were more noise and smoke than fire popped overhead, and the air was filled with the sounds of excited voices and laughter.

Izuku skirted the edges of the crowd and found the First Year arena, entering through the side of the massive round building. It was strange, though. The side gate opened onto stairs that led down to a relatively short tunnel. It reminded him of an underground pedestrian tunnel.

His sneakers echoed eerily and he hurried to the door at the end. He had to swipe his school ID card before it opened, and he stepped into a normal corridor with posters and signs. He found the one pointing to 1-A and followed the curving hallway to a door marked 1-A preparation room. Izuku smiled, hearing his classmates inside.

"Deku!" Uraraka cried out as he stepped through the door. She had a huge smile on her face, her large brown eyes practically sparkling with excitement. "You're late!"

Izuku ruffled the back of his messy green hair as he smiled at her, embarrassed. "My mom was super nervous. It took me longer than I expected to get away. I didn't expect the crush of people, either! It took me a while to find the arena's side entrance."

Uraraka flung her arm over his shoulders. "Well, as long as you made it, that's all that matters!"

"I wanted to wear my costume," pink Ashido whinned, walking out of a changing room. She was wearing her gym uniform. In fact, Izuku noticed they all were wearing the blue jumpsuit with the white U and A on the chest and legs. She smiled as she saw Izuku. "You're last Midoriya! Get changed!"

"We have to wear our gym uniforms to keep everything fair," Ojiro explained. He crossed his arms and gave her a serious look, his massive tail waving behind him.

"Ojiro is right," Izuku chimed in. "It's not just the hero course who is fighting, remember?"

Izuku laughed as she sighed and slumped into a chair at a table. He went to the locker with his number and pulled out the uniform that had been folded neatly inside. Kacchan and Kirishima were still in the changing room when he walked in.

"Morning, Kacchan!" he called. "Good morning, Kirishima."

Kacchan sized him up. "Inko wouldn't let you leave?"

Izuku blushed, frowning as he began to undress. He hated how worried she was, but he refused to change his course. "Yeah. She's really nervous about today."

Kirishima hit him hard on the back. "She's watching, right?" At Izuku's nod, he grinned. "Then show her how strong you are. That way she doesn't worry next time!" He struck a pose and hardened his skin, flexing his arms.

Izuku smiled. "Yeah. I will!"

Once he was done changing, he hurried back into the waiting room with the others. Most of the class were discussing possible tests they would face during the festival. Izuku tossed a wave and headed for the door. "I'm going to go check in and let them know we're ready."

The halls were empty, but he could hear all the spectators above them like the roar of the ocean. It set him on edge, his heart rate picking up. He found Aizawa leaning against the wall next to an elevator by the entrance to the field. A girl with long orange hair pulled back into a ponytail was talking to him.

"Class 1-A is accounted for and ready," Izuku announced, stepping up to them.

Aizawa gave him a nod. "Do you have the form I asked you to fill out?"

Izuku nodded and handed him an envelope.

The whole world would be watching this event. The teachers couldn't use their names. What would the point be in hiding their identities later? Villains could just match them up with their US Sports Festival videos. That would put their families and friends in danger, so UA had long ago used the student's quirk names during the festival. It wouldn't be their permanent Hero name. They would come up with those later.

The problem was that Izuku didn't have an official name for his quirk yet. He'd been a "late bloomer", so Aizawa had asked him to complete the form to designate his quirk with a name. He'd panicked, but All Might had laughed and told him not to worry. He had a name in mind. Izuku had no idea what name All Might had chosen as he'd promised not to open the envelope and look.

Aizawa pushed the button for the elevator. "Go tell the others to line up at the field entry. We'll announce you in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir!" Izuku cried and turned to go back down the hallway.

The girl with orange hair fell into step with him. She had big blue eyes and a friendly smile. "Hi. I'm Kendo, class president for 1-B. I just wanted to apologize for some of my classmates the other day. I hope we have a good match today." She thrust her hand out to him.

Izuku smiled back and shook her hand. "My name's Midoriya, president of 1-A. Don't worry about the other day." He gave her a genuine smile. "I hope we all do our best our there!"

Kendo's shoulders relaxed and she smiled. "Thanks, Midoriya. Good luck."

Class 1-A's waiting room came up first and Izuku waved, calling, "Good luck, Kendo." Izuku opened the door and the room instantly fell into silence. He gave them all a confident smile. "Alright, guys. It's time. Try not to let the spectators throw you off. We've trained hard for this. Remember to show everyone what you're capable of. Are you ready?"

Kirishima and the others gave a huge cheer.

Izuku threw his fist in the air and said, "Alright! Let's go!"

He high-fived and said good luck to each of his classmates as they passed, but he lowered his hand when Todoroki stepped up to him. The other boy stared with his two colored eyes. He was tall, a few inches taller than Kacchan, and Izuku had to tilt his head back slightly to hold his gaze.

"From what I can see, I'm stronger than you," Todoroki said, voice even and calm. He tilted his head down, red and white bangs falling into his eyes. His voice lowered, became more intense. "But… All Might has his eyes on you, doesn't he?"

Izuku's eyes widened. He couldn't help it.

Todoroki shook his head, lifting a hand. "I'm not trying to pry about that." His hand fell and he stared straight into Izuku's eyes. They were hard and dark, almost dull despite being two different colors. "But I wanted you to know… It doesn't matter what he's taught you… I'm going to beat you today."

Izuku firmed his jaw and stared back defiantly. "We're all aiming for the top with everything we've got, Todoroki, and I can't afford to fall behind, either." Eyes blazing defiance, he lifted his arm, his fist even with Todoroki's chest but a few inches short of actually touching it. "I'll be going for it with everything I have, too. I'm not going to go down easily!"

Todoroki stared at him a moment longer before walking past him.

Kacchan stepped up, the last in the room. He had an intense glare on his face as he watched Todoroki walk away. "He's in for a world of trouble if all he thinks he has to worry about is you," he said, voice low and intense. He looked into Izuku's eyes. "You better be ready for me, Deku. I'm not holding back."

Izuku boldly stepped forward, nearly chest to chest with his boyfriend. "Neither am I." He gave a fierce smile as he saw Kacchan's bright red eyes light up with excitement. Adrenaline pumping, Izuku boldly lifted up on his toes and gave his boyfriend a sweet kiss before turning and walking away.

…

Katsuki walked out of the tunnel and onto the field to the wild screams of over one hundred thousand people. Present Mic was talking them up, his voice booming throughout the arena. A few of their classmates - the electric idiot and the purple-haired loser especially - visibly trembled, staring up at the massive stadium full of spectators with wide, terrified eyes. Katsuki sneered, but his attention was drawn away from his classmates as huge fireworks exploded above them.

Kirishima fell into step beside him. "Oh, man, that's a lot of people. I'm starting to get nervous. What about you, Bakugou?" Despite his words, his expression was alight with excitement not fear.

Katsuki flashed a sharp-toothed grin. "It's just making me get more into it."

Kirishima grinned back, his dark red eyes practically sparkling.

Katsuki hardly listened as class 1-B, the support class, and general studies were announced. The hundred plus students all in the blue gym uniforms gathered before a small stage set before a square of red clay commonly used for track and field. A woman walked up some stairs on the opposite side of the platform. It was Midnight, the S&M hero, and she wore her iconic lingerie.

Her costume consisted of stiletto boots that went almost to her knee and black stockings that went to mid-thigh. A bold red and gold garter belt held up the stockings with a few thin, black straps. She had on black underwear that were halfway to being a thong with a black corset that stopped just under her full breasts. A thick, black strap with red jewels ran between her breasts that were covered by the thinnest of almost-sheer material and was attached to a thick black, red-jeweled collar she wore. She also had broken handcuffs on her wrists that she wore like brackets and a red, multi-tailed soft flogger in her hand. Her long, black hair fell down her back, and behind a red, cat-like eye-mask, she had bright blue eyes.

Midnight struck a provocative pose and flipped her hair before addressing the crowd, slashing the flogger through the air. "Time for the player's pledge!" she announced, her voice melodic and husky. "Representing all the First Year students this year is Explosion from class 1-A!"

Immediately his classmates turned to look at him, and the other students followed their gaze. Katsuki keep his expression completely blank and slowly walked toward the stage. He wore his black and orange combat boots that went halfway up to his knees. They clomped as they hit the stage and he walked to the microphone stand that Midnight had set up for him.

Katsuki looked into the camera he found in the middle distance. The stadium had grown quiet and Katsuki's heart beat hard with exhilaration. His face was plastered over the huge screen above him. He had only one thing to say.

The pledge was usually something about teamwork or about what it means to be a hero. Katsuki thought that was all fucking bullshit. Everyone was here for one thing only. He looked up at all the people staring down at him, and his voice rang with determination.

"I pledge… that it will be _me_ who takes the number one spot!"

Loud boos and jeers erupted behind him from the students almost before he could finish, but the crowd loved it and screamed down a wave of praise. The noise was so loud, it almost had physical force, but Katsuki refused to waver. He turned and stomped across the stage and down the steps.

His classmates gave him frowns or disapproving looks. Glasses was almost vibrating, visibly bitting his lip, clearly wanting to yell at him, but Izuku had a firm grip on his arm. The rest of the classes weren't so calm. Looks of rage filled their faces. A few even spat in his direction. Katsuki walked past them all and turned to face Midnight, his chin lifted proudly.

_Come at me, losers, _he thought, adrenaline pumping high. _Come at me and fall before my strength!_

…

"Don't," Izuku said again as Iida pulled against his hold. "We have to have a united front. You can talk to him in private when we return to the waiting rooms." He looked back at Kacchan who stood stoically, red eyes blank, his chin raised. "Besides, everyone else out here is just as eager to show him his place, so you may not have to do anything at all…"

"He's driving himself into a corner, huh?" Uraraka asked, catching Izuku's eyes.

Izuku gave her a nod and she cast Kacchan a worried look, but Izuku wasn't worried. He knew Kacchan could handle the heat. In fact, he'd laugh in the face of any attack launched at him.

"The sheer audacity and disrespect…" Iida muttered angrily, but fortunately he was distracted by Midnight retaking the stage and setting the microphone stand aside.

She had a big smile, clearly enjoying Kacchan's reckless stunt. She snapped her flogger high into the air and slowly the deafening roars from the crowd quieted. The huge screen above her head turned blue. It read: First Game.

"After those inspiring words from Explosion, let's get started right away." She lowered her flogger and placed it at her hip, posing provocatively. "The first game is more like a qualifier. Every year, many drink their tears after this event, so be prepared to be tested." Her voice and expression was gleeful as she said this. She slashed out with the flogger, this time pointing at the crowd of students. "Here is the fateful first game!"

They all looked up at the screen as it suddenly had a game-like spinning effect.

"This year it's…"

The spinning was now accompanying with a digital tune. Izuku held his breath, the suspense was intense! Sweat rolled down his temple. The screen stopped, showing: Obstacle Race.

"… this!" Midnight cried ecstatically. "All eleven classes, that's two hundred and twenty students, will participate in this race simultaneously. The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium - about four kilometers, which is just under two an a half miles." Flinging her flogger high in the air again, almost manic in tone, she ended with, "Our school's selling point is freedom! As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter what you do."

As the people in the stands gave a manic cheer, Midnight pointed to a large red archway.

"Now, take your places everyone!"

Izuku moved with the others across the field. The archway led into a corridor that went through the arena to the outside where apparently an obstacle course had been built. It was about thirty feet wide and two hundred and fifty feet long, which was big, but it wasn't big enough for more than two hundred people to get through. It would be a tight fit.

Izuku and the rest of the class 1-A were in the middle toward the front. They were packed shoulder to shoulder, silent and poised, ready to dart forward at a second's notice. The stadium had quieted in an anticipatory hush. The energy was intense! Three round lights at the top of the arch were illuminated. Slowly - one by one - they clicked off. When the last light darkened, Midnight screamed, "Start!", and the students surged forward.

As soon as the dark corridor closed around him, Izuku was nearly crushed by other people. An elbow hit him in the face, he was shoved forward into the body of the person in front of him. Cries of desperation, fear and anger rose, but before he could free himself, the temperature dropped.

Eyes wide, Izuku immediately leapt upward just as ice exploded across the floor, sides, and ceiling of the corridor. Most of the mass of people were frozen in place and screams went up. Izuku came down on Kirishima's hardened shoulders. The redhead grinned at him and helped set him on his feet. Kirishima had also avoided the ice, so they shoved their way past the frozen students and out into the light.

Kacchan's explosions drew his attention, and he whipped his head up to see Kacchan fly over them. Yaoyorozu launched herself forward with a metal long-jump pole. Uraraka pulled free of the frozen crush, her feet slip-sliding on the ice. Sero flew by, swinging like Tarzan on a long strip of tape he attached to the top of the tunnel. Tsu jumped out, her powerful frog legs propelling her forward.

In fact, all of 1-A made it out of the tunnel ahead of the pack, and a dozen other kids from other classes had also been able to avoid the ice. Even Mineta was leaping from his purple balls, his feet never touching the ground.

Mineta shouted something Izuku couldn't hear and looked to be about to attack Todoroki's back when a massive green robot arm swung out and knocked him to the ground like a fly. Izuku got into a ready stance and looked up and up and up. Three zero point robots from the entrance exam blocked their way.

As the robots moved forward, Todoroki didn't hesitate. He launched a massive ice attack that froze the robots solid. Izuku was awash in freezing air, making him tense and shiver. Kirishima and a white-haired kid darted forward, running after Todoroki, but Izuku screamed for them to wait, his hand reaching out toward their backs.

The robots tilted, the ice cracked, and they came crashing down just as half a dozen more robots came up behind them. A huge dust cloud covered the area, blinding them. Kacchan exploded upward, going over the heads of the robots. Sero and Tokoyami went up and over right after him.

Heart pounding, Izuku dove forward. Canon fire was going off - Yaoyorozu had created a freaking canon! The blasts shook Izuku to the bone and robots were torn apart, metal flying. As he ran through he chaos, he saw a robot swivel and lock on him. It's mechanical arm thrust forward with extreme force.

Green sparks ran up and down Izuku's body as he scooped up a piece of broken armor and swung. Metal crunched into metal, and the robot's head when flying off. Izuku tossed the piece of armor away, gritted his teeth, and ran forward, refusing to fall behind. There were more robots. Izuku spun out of the way of some and launched powerful kicks at others. Eventually he broke through and ran right up on the next barrier.

A huge chasm sprawled before him. Pillars of stone rose out of the depths like stepping stones, but they were too far apart to leap without quirk support. Izuku could probably make the distance, but he couldn't guarantee his landing. A mistake here would mean disqualification. Fortunately, there were thick cables strung between the pillars to allow passage. Todoroki was more than halfway across with Kacchan hot on his heels, flying over the chasm with his explosions.

Sero and Tokoyami had fallen behind, unable to cross as fast as the other two boys. Izuku was at the lead of the rest of the pack, but only just - Tsu, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu and a dozen others were right behind him, coming up on the chasm.

Without hesitation, Izuku flung himself forward and grabbed a cord. His body weight swung him upside down, but he was light and unencumbered, and he quickly pulled himself across using his quirk-powered arm muscles.

…

With bared teeth, Katsuki watched as that Half and Half bastard practically surfed on those stupid ropes, letting the ice he created from his feet propel him forward. Katsuki roared as he pushed his explosions a little harder and flew over the chasm, right on that asshole's tail. He caught up to him just as they reached the third barrier. It was a fucking land mine!

Katsuki's mind raced, predictions - strategy - tactics - racing through his head in an instant. The Half and Half bastard couldn't use his quirk here. It would neutralize the obstacle and open up a path so that Izuku and the others could catch up. However, if Katsuki passed him, flying over the zone, Todoroki would abandon that strategy and use his quirk to catch up. That wouldn't be good for Katsuki, either.

Dropping to the ground, he darted out onto the field, his reflexes and eyes helping him avoid the mines. "You challenged the wrong person," he yelled, voice low and intense as he pulled even with Todoroki. "Izuku's not the one you should be worried about!"

"You're good," the other boy acknowledged, keeping his attention on the ground and his feet. "But not as good as me, Bakugou."

Rage nearly choked him. "That's why you'll fail, Half and Half," he said, low and hot. "You're blinded by your rigid preconceptions."

Katsuki was tempted to attack, to punch the dismissive look off that asshole's face. The bastard was only five feet to his left, well within range of an explosion. But Katsuki wouldn't let his anger get the best of him. He couldn't afford the distraction or the wasted time. Unlike this prick, he had a better view of the big picture.

A quick glance back showed him Izuku had reached the edge of the mine field. Whipping his head back around, Katsuki bared his teeth and put on a burst of speed, pulling ahead. He danced and jumped and swiveled his way across the packed dirt.

His goal was winning, and that meant getting to the other side first. He'd prove he was stronger, faster, _better_! He'd prove he was strong enough to protect _everyone_ with his own hands!

…

Izuku was breathing hard, but he couldn't slow down. Not yet. Kacchan and Todoroki were almost halfway across the field and moving fast considering they were dodging mines. Seconds behind him was a large pack of the best and fastest - only Full Cowl had allowed him to get this far ahead of them, letting him run almost as fast as Iida.

The pressure of All Might's order:_"The next All Might… the fledgling Symbol of Peace… Izuku Midoriya… I want you to tell the world 'I AM HERE!'" _Of his mother's fear:_ "Be careful, Izuku. Please. If anything were to happen to you, it would kill me."_ \- They beat inside him, the constant pounding of a drum…

But in this one moment, the driving beat became background - All he could see was Kacchan's back as he raced agilely across the mine-field. Excited red eyes blazed in his memory, Kacchan saying, _"You better be ready for me."_ \- a challenge from someone who saw him as his equal.

More than anything, Izuku wanted to run alongside the blond - his love - his best friend - his hero. More than anything he wanted it to be true - that he'd finally caught up - that he was finally Kacchan's equal. Izuku grinned, his heart thundering in his chest.

Freedom and exhilaration and a desire so great it took his breath away - they burned through his blood, making his whole body feel too tight. Green energy sparked and flashed over him as he pulled a bit more of One For All into his body. Then he leapt! He pushed off with both feet like a rabbit. Arms out flung for balance, he soared through the air. A wild laugh was torn from him even as he began to fall - Kacchan's back coming ever closer.

As soon as his sneakered feet touched the ground, he launched upward, a millisecond ahead of mine going off. The force of the blast shoved him even higher in the air, a huge cloud of pink exploded beneath him. Then he was coming down even faster than before. He hit the ground, rolled, came to his feet just behind Kacchan and Todoroki, and launched himself upward. The blast went of just as he leapt, punching him forward off balance.

He was airborne for five seconds before he hit the ground. Pain screamed in his joints, the skin of his palms - elbows - knees tore as he rolled, then he was on his feet because he knew - even without looking - Kacchan and Todoroki were running at his heels. The blast he'd set off around them wouldn't slow them for long.

Izuku grinned, even as he pushed himself harder than he ever had before. His legs and arms pumped as he sprinted faster than humanly possible. Pain flared, warning him he was calling almost more than he could bear. He'd made it. He hadn't been left behind! He was keeping pace with Kacchan!

…

"Shit!" Katsuki yelled.

Swinging his arms behind him, he blasted forward. Izuku came down hard, just past the edge of the field, and rolled. As agile as a gymnast, Izu came out of the roll on his feet and sprinted forward toward the goal at the end of the corridor. Light trails were left in his wake. Katuski was just behind him. He pushed his quirk as hard as he could, his explosions verging on too powerful, propelling him forward faster than he'd ever gone.

He was grinning madly as he chased Izuku down. The race faded from his consciousness. All that existed was Izuku just ahead of him… He could almost reach out and touch his back… Katsuki wanted to howl like a wolf with the thrill of the chase… and burst out into the light at the end of the tunnel side-by-side with his love.

A huge fog horn went off, confetti filled the air, and a hundred thousand spectators roared. Katsuki landed hard, rolled, and got to his feet, desperately looking for the screen to see who'd crossed first. He took a staggering step, breathing hard and covered in dirt. There it was: Izuku's determined face and hard emerald eyes blazoned above them.

"The first one through the gate - no one would have expected it - is Strongest Man!" Present Mic screamed. "Strongest Man makes a huge splash! Half Cold Half Hot and Explosion came in less than a second behind him. They tied for second place!"

Katsuki met Izuku's eyes, so full of wonder and joy, and gave a small smile even as his fists clenched. Fuck, it had been an awesome chase, but… His eyes fell on Todoroki. Disappointment and fury swirled sharply in his gut, making him nauseous. Losing to Deku was one thing, but he hadn't even beaten that Half and Half bastard! They'd fucking tied! As the roars of the crowd continued to deafen him, Katsuki glared furiously and stomped away.

…

Izuku knew better than to go after Kacchan right now. Instead, he searched the crowd and caught sight of All Might in one of the VIP sections of the stadium. Tears burned his eyes as he watched Toshinori in his deflated form clap for him earnestly. Still blushing at the name his mentor had given him, Izuku lifted his fist in the air.

_For you, _he thought, chest tight with emotion.

"Good job, Deku!"

He turned to see an out of breath Uraraka. She flung her arms around him in a hug. He hugged her back. "You, too. You were great with the robots."

"Tenth," Iida said, joining them. His body language was limp and defeated. "With a speed quirk. I came in tenth."

Izuku threw an arm around him in a half hug. "The obstacles didn't let you use your speed. They were designed to slow you down."

"Yeah, you should be proud. You really showed how adaptable you are," Uraraka chimed in supportively.

Knowing Uraraka had Iida, Izuku gave her a smile. She winked back, and Izuku slipped away to check on their other classmates. He found Yaoyorozu nearly dead on her feet with Mineta jumping off her back. The small boy looked pretty banged up, but Izuku still frowned at him. He made a mental note to talk to Mineta after the festival was over.

The half-French Aoyama was the last of their class through. He looked filthy. Izuku fussed over him as they made their way over to the stage where everyone was gathered. Izuku wove his way through the crowd, looking for his friends. A tuft of spiky blond hair caught his attention and he pushed through some students to stand at Kacchan's side.

"Congratulations, Deku," the blond said without looking over at him.

Izuku reached forward to brush the back of their hands together. "I got lucky," he countered. "You were amazing, Kacchan. You were moving so fast! If the tunnel had been even one foot longer, you would have passed me. And how you were dodging the mines while running across…" Izuku shook his head, his eyes wide with awe. "You were so beautiful. I could never have managed that, not at that speed."

Kacchan's shoulders loosened and he glanced down, his lips quirked in a half smile.

"Alright!" Midnight called, grabbing all of their attention. She flung her hand in the air dramatically. "The first game of the First Year stage is finally over." She blew a kiss and pointed up at the screen. "Now take a look at the results!"

The first seven who'd made it out were given their own slide - their stats and photo huge as the crowd roared. The rest of the students were shown three to four to a slide. Class 1-B took fourth and fifth, but Iida, Tokoyami, Kirishima, and Sero came in sixth through ninth. Uraraka came in sixteenth. The screen cut out at forty-two. Aoyama had just made it; he was the last one who made the cut.

"That's right!" Midnight cried gleefully. "Only the top forty-two students will move on to the next round! If you did not see your name, please remove yourself from the field. But don't worry! We've prepared other chances for you to shine later on today in exhibition shows."

As over half of the students left the field, Izuku looked around. All of Class 1-A and 1-B remained. There was also a girl with pink hair and tons of equipment as well as the boy who had challenged Kacchan with a 'declaration of war' from general studies. That meant everyone but those two were from the Hero Course. It made sense since that's what they were training for, but it still made Izuku frown.

Midnight lowered her voice as she stared down at the remaining forty-two students. "The real competition begins now. The press will be all over it, so give it your all!" She slashed her flogger up in the air to indicate the screen. It was doing the game-spinning effect again. "Here is the second game!"

The crowd grew hushed as the electronic tune filled the air.

"What could it be? What could it be?" Midnight called, sadistically drawing out the suspense. She struck a dramatic pose. "And here it is!"

Cavalry Battle was written across the screen in bright neon greens and blues.

…

Ten million points. Izuku felt tiny as forty-one eyes stared at him in hunger. His heart raced, his palms grew slick, but he forced his face to remain expressionless. Ten _million_ points. He felt alone, a target - prey. Is this what it would be like being the number one hero? Every other hero in the world wanting to tear him down and take his place? Is this what All Might had felt all this time? Is this why he was always alone?

Izuku began to breathe faster. He wanted to _save_ people. He didn't understand why it had to be this way. These other hero candidates - why were they his enemy? To get better rankings? To be popular and get more funding from the government? Izuku's trembling hands curled into fists. Was this the way it was supposed to be?

A hard knock to his shoulder brought his attention around. Fierce red eyes caught his own. Kacchan. He stood at Izuku's side, a bloodthirsty grin slowly spreading across his face. "It will be fucking easy stealing their headbands if they're all coming to me. What do you say we show them what we're made of?"

The illusion of isolation - of being a target - cracked and shattered. Izuku wasn't alone. Not even the competition to be the number one hero would split him and Kacchan apart. They were more than that! They were partners.

Tears burned Izuku's eyes. "Yeah," he said, voice raspy and tight. "If we take enough headbands, they will hesitate in coming after us. They'll fight amongst themselves for easier points, which will prevent them from coordinating attacks against us."

His eyes snagged on Todoroki. The boy stared right back, a cold look in his two-colored eyes. Izuku stared back, determined. "But we need a really strong defense, too. Todoroki's ice is going to be a problem, and there are other really talented students here."

"This is going to be so much goddamn fun," Kacchan said low and husky, cracking his knuckles.

Izuku shivered as attraction burned across his cheeks.

"Room for a few more?"

Flushed, Izuku turned to see Kirishima and Uraraka walking into the wide space around them. Kirishima was grinning, his fist held up in front of him and rolling his shoulders, clearly ready for a fight. Uraraka gave a peace sign and smiled, her eyes closed.

Izuku looked to Kacchan, a slow smile curling his lips. "I have a plan."

Kacchan grinned back, already knowing what Izuku was thinking. "Let's fucking do this, nerds."

…

"Three — Two — ONE!"

An incredibly loud buzzer went off. Immediately five teams turned toward Katsuki. The headband around his forehead blazed with the number: 10000505. Katsuki grinned and pointed his hands behind him. Cheeks supported him on his left. She'd used her quirk to make everyone but her weightless. He did his best to estimate the force he'd need and blasted forward.

Cheeks and Red let out screams as the wind force nearly forced their grips on each other to break. The ground before his target turned soupy, but they skipped over it like a thrown river stone. He stopped his explosions, smoke rising around him as he snatched the headband from the head of the loud-mouth who'd challenged him in the hallway all those week's ago.

They were still going too fast - they were going to crash. Cheeks released Izuku from her quirk. His added weight made them turn sharply - fortuitously swinging them wide of a green vine that lashed at Katsuki's head.

Katsuki held on, hands cramping he was gripping Kirishima's stone-like hair so tight. Izuku crackled with green energy and his legs slammed down, absorbing the force of their speed, putting a small crater in the red clay, but they'd stopped without crashing. In Katsuki's hand was a band that read: 705.

Cackling with victory, Katsuki screamed his defiance to the world, "Come and get me, losers!"

"Team Explosion is not playing it safe, listeners! They're out to take points! Team Steel just lost their headband in a lightning fast move!"

"I'm getting a feel for the balance!" Katsuki called down.

Cheeks stared up at him in panic and cried, "I'm stuck!"

…

Izuku bent forward to see Uraraka's foot stuck to a purple ball. Mineta!

"I got this!" Kirishima screamed. "Protect the headbands!"

Kacchan flung his arms up, palms out and let off a mild explosion. The pink tongue flying at his head whipped back, singed. Kirishima locked his hands above his head and swung them down with all his might. The ground broke apart and Uraraka was free. The ball was still stuck to her foot, a small clump of clay pulled up with it, but she was able to move.

"Team Explosion sure has an explosion of talent: brute strength - gravity nullification - impenetrable skin! Can they be beaten?"

Three teams were coming at them, surrounding them. Without warning, Izuku leapt straight up into the air with all his enhanced strength. He was moving his and Uraraka's weight, so they didn't go more than thirty feet, but it was enough to get them out of reach of the teams converging on them.

As if he'd planned it with Kacchan, the blond reacted instantly and blasted them to the side, trying to aim for a relatively clear section of the field. The balance of their group wasn't what he was used to, but he had incredible reaction times and excellent control of his quirk, so he was managing to not blow them completely off course.

"Team Dark Shadow blasts onto the scene! Is that a jetpack and flotation boots? Is that legal?… Midnight says YES!"

Suddenly, a girl's manic laugh sounded to their right. Izuku whipped his head around to see Tokoyami riding the purple-haired boy who'd challenged Kacchan a few weeks ago. He had clunky, mechanical boots on that let him hover over the ground. A pink-haired girl with goggles and a jetpack pulled up the rear, sending them airborne. Dark Shadow streaked toward them with shadowy arms outstretched.

Kacchan let them fall, dropping out of reach of Dark Shadow's long arms. They shifted their weight so Izuku and Kirishima took the brunt of the landing. Pain shot up Izuku's legs as they hit the ground hard, but nothing was broken. The ground cracked under them. Team Dark Shadow hit the ground less than ten feet away, but before they could go at each other, electricity filled the air.

Izuku hauled them behind Tokoyami's group, so Dark Shadow also shielded them from the blast. Then ice exploded across the field. Kacchan blasted them backward, lifting their feet off the ground just high enough that they weren't caught.

"Oooh that's got to hurt!" Present Mic cried as over half the teams jerked and spasmed. "Team Half Cold Half Hot is making an appearance with a powerful multi-target, wide-range attack! Looks like half the teams have been immobilized in one blow from Team Half Cold Half Hot!"

…

Katsuki grinned as they came down, ice crackling and splintering under their booted feet. He stared with dark intensity at his enemy. The Half and Half bastard stood on Glasses while the class vice-president and the dumb electric blond supported him from the sides.

"You're going down," Katsuki promised darkly and slammed his fist down on Red's hard head.

Half and Half faced them, his eyes cold and locked on Katsuki's face. "Iida!" he yelled. "Get us in closer!"

"We need to feint forward to make Kaminari let loose another heavy attack, but then leap out of range," Izuku spoke fast and hushed so the other team couldn't hear. "He'll short-circuit. Uraraka!"

The girl slapped her hand quickly on Izuku's shoulder so he was weightless. Once again, Katsuki only had to move Uraraka's weight around. He blasted them forward and Half and Half wrapped himself up in an insolation blanket like a toddler taking a nap at preschool. Just before the dangerous surge of electricity hit them, Katsuki shifted the angle of his hands at exactly the same moment Izuku leapt upward.

"At the last minute, Team Explosion escapes the powerful electric attack from Team Half Cold Half Hot! Once more they're airborne! Are they unstoppable?!"

Kirishima took the blast without flinching. They were high in the air. Cheeks gave a cry as her feet got zapped, but she wasn't too badly injured. They landed, Katsuki blasting downward to slow their descent. They were farther away than Katsuki had wanted, out of Half and Half's range.

A hand came from behind. Katsuki instinctively whipped his head forward, felt the headband around his throat tug and snap, getting snatched away. He whipped his head around to see a blond arrogant asshole from class 1-B.

"TEAM COPY HAS TAKEN A HEADBAND FROM EXPLOSION!"

"You're famous, aren't you?" the arrogant fuckhead said, looking smug as he wrapped the headband Katsuki had taken from the white-haired loudmouth around his neck. "As the victim of the Sludge Villain? Tell me about it sometime, Explosion, what it's like to be beaten by villains every year."

…

Izuku didn't like the cruel, taunting things the blond said and he knew Kacchan was furious. There was no backing down now. They blasted forward but had to come to a screeching halt as a laser shot across their path. Kacchan's hand whipped up, grabbed Sero's tape that had been hurtling at his head, and yanked hard.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU EXTRAS!" Kacchan screamed furiously.

Sero nearly toppled off the others, just barely bracing himself on Ojiro's head. Kirishima darted in, pulling Izuku and Uraraka with him.

"Look out!" Ojiro and Ashido cried together, but they were too late.

Kirishima took the brunt of Ashido's acid and grabbed Sero's headband. Uraraka slapped Ojiro's tail as it whipped forward and he began to float, his arms windmilling. Sero used his tape to pull him back down. While the team was distracted, Kacchan set off a round of explosions to create a smoke screen to keep Aoyama and Ashido from being able to aim at their backs. Then they were off once more in hot pursuit of the blond who'd humiliated Kacchan.

At Kacchan's battle cry, the 1-B team turned to face them. Izuku didn't like how confident the blond seemed even with Kacchan's intimidating scream and mask of rage. Kacchan's first blow missed, the blond deflecting the explosion-wielding palm to the side. Izuku's eyes widened as the blond lifts his hand and let off an explosion right in Kacchan's face.

It would have left serious burns if not for the fact that Kacchan's skin was heat resistant. He looked sooty and even more pissed off as he let off an even stronger blast that sent them sliding backward, but it was useless. The blond had hardened his skin like Kirishima.

"You can fucking copy quirks!" Kacchan yelled in fury.

"Release your quirk!" Izuku called to Uraraka. "We need our weight!"

She did and Kacchan actually leapt off their arms. Kacchan came down hard on solid air just in front of the enemy group. It was like a slightly tilted plane of glass. It was titled just enough that Kacchan could perch on it and not fall straight to the ground.

"The hell!" Kirishima yelled in surprise.

"Midnight calls that fair as long as the rider doesn't touch the ground!" Present Mic called out.

"We can't let him fall. Get ready to catch him!" Izuku cried, eyes locked on Kacchan.

He pushed them forward with his enhanced legs. They clashed with the other group. One kid turned his free hand into a drill, but Kirishima put his body in the way. Sparks went off and a horrible screeching sound filled the air as the drill hit his hardened skin.

Izuku punched out at one of the kids at the base of the enemy formation. He had pitch black skin and took a step back when Izuku's fist hit his shoulder. The blow wasn't hard enough to knock him off his feet, which would have been against the rules. The blond rider hit Izuku in the face, but his eyes seemed to widen as he went to punch Kirishima and nothing happened.

The solid air holding Kacchan back finally shattered under his furious blows. There was a huge explosion, a wave of heat, and smoke enveloped them, making them all hack and cough. Kacchan toppled on top of them, laughing like a maniac, screaming, "GO!"

"Explosion is merciless and takes all three headbands Team Copy had! Team Explosion is in first place with TEN MILLION ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHT POINTS!"

Izuku pushed his muscles to almost the breaking point, dragging them all away. Thank god Uraraka had slapped them all and made them weightless again or it would have been impossible. They broke out of the fading cloud of smoke and saw that Team Copy wasn't following. They had likely gone off after easier prey.

"ONE MINUTE REMAINING!"

…

"There!" Katsuki screamed. His blood was singing in his veins. Total victory was just within reach. He pulled on Kirishima's hair to get him to look in the right direction. Toward the wall of ice encircling a space along the edge of the arena. "Move it!"

He felt Izuku move first underneath him, heard him shout encouragements to the others. Their momentum and speed built. They crashed into the wall of ice. Kirishima hit it with both hands. Izuku kicked and Katsuki let off explosions that were more heat than force. They broke through the ice, shattering it.

Glasses was standing there, staring blankly. Half and Half was screaming furiously. Ice spears shot out at the team with the purple-haired kid who had challenged him, but the fucking enormous bird made of shadows kept knocking them aside. Each team of the two riders had three or four headbands around their throats. Katsuki didn't care a fuck which one had more points. He needed to prove to that Half and Half bastard he was better!

He shot into the air, weightless. It sent him flying forward so fast that he was in the Half and Half bastard's face almost before his eyes could keep up. His hand reached for the other boy's head. Fire exploded along Half and Half's left arm and hand. The heat flung Katsuki backward, singeing even his resistant skin.

"TIME!"

He crashed into Kirishima and Izuku who had dived to catch him. His face hurt, but he lifted his left hand in victory. While the bastard had guarded his forehead, Katsuki had snatched a headband from around his throat. It read: 165. The crowd was screaming hysterically.

"In first place: TEAM EXPLOSION with TEN MILLION TWO THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE POINTS! Team Explosion dominated the Calvary Battle from beginning to end! I can't wait to see the closeup footage!"

Izuku was crying and hugging him around the neck. Kirishima pounded him on the back, screaming in joy. Uraraka flung her arms around Izuku from behind. She was jumping up and down she was so excited. Katsuki let them jostle and shake him. He grinned like crazy and caught sight of the Half and Half bastard.

The other boy was staring up in the stands. His face had gone pale and for a brief moment he looked terrified. Katsuki followed his gaze and found Endeavor staring coldly down at his son. Katsuki frowned as he returned his gaze to his classmate. The teen's face had gone cold and blank. He turned and stormed off the arena floor.

"In second place, we have Team Half Hot Half Cold with seven hundred and forty points! They really showed us how versatile and powerful their quirks were, folks! And in third place, a strong showing from Team Dark Shadow with six hundred and fifteen points! They really gave Team Half Cold Half Hot a run for their money! What an amazing showing from class 1-A! What are you teaching them, Eraserhead?"

"We did it!" Uraraka shouted.

"Way to go, Kacchan! You did it!" Izuku added.

"Alright. Let me go, losers," he shouted and pulled free from their grip. He took the headbands from his throat and head. He had six in total. He tossed them to Izuku with a smug grin. "I'm going to get cleaned up. Coming?"

"Yeah," Izuku quickly agreed. He turned to Uraraka. "What about you, Uraraka?"

"I'm going to check in with the others first," she answered, shaking her head.

Katsuki shot Red a questioning glance.

"I want to check in on Sero and a few others," Kirishima said with a smile. "You two go on ahead."

Izuku pulled Uraraka into a quick hug. "Thank you. You were amazing. We couldn't have done it without you."

She blushed hotly, smiling happily.

Katsuki rolled his eyes and turned, walking away.

"Save me a seat, okay?" Izuku called as he chased after him. "I'll be back."

They were just entering the cool, dark tunnel of the players corridor when Izuku bumped his shoulder. He looked up at Katsuki with curious green eyes. "What's up?"

Katsuki's forehead crinkled with annoyance. "I don't like the vibe I'm getting from Endeavor. I knew you would want to check in on the Half and Half bastard."

Izuku's expression instantly tightened with worry. "What happened?"

Katsuki quietly told him what he'd seen.

Izuku fell silent after that, but his eyes had grown hard. They walked in almost perfect step - Izuku on a mission to protect the world and Katsuki on a mission to protect Izuku and destroy as many villains as he could. Even famous ones.

**Chapter end - **

**A/n:** Okay! Hi! I'm sorry this was so late. I really couldn't decide on who I wanted to be on their team. I went back and forth and finally threw my hands up and went with the most obvious and natural choice for this story. I know, I know, kind of lazy, but I think as First Year high schoolers they really would make that choice in that situation.

Also, I didn't get a chance to really make things different from the original story yet, BUT I really wanted to show how well Izuku and Katsuki work together. I hope that came through. They are able to predict each other and react to each other really well. Their teamwork is superb! :D

The kids left for the final are pretty much the same ones from the original, but I will likely pair them up differently. We have Bakugou, Midoriya, Uraraka, Kirishima, Todoroki, Iida, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, Shinsou, Tokoyami, and Hatsume. I hope you liked the chapter!

I will try and get the next one up as soon as I can.


	22. Chapter 22

**One on One: Part Two**

Izuku found Todoroki first, and he texted Kacchan his location. They had split up since the arena was so huge. The boy with two-colored hair and eyes stood in the shadow of a side tunnel leading out of the arena. This was the student entrance, so there weren't many attractions nearby, but Izuku could still hear the laughs and calls of food sellers. There was something really sad about the way Todoroki stood just a few inches shy of the light, cast in shadow, alone with his shoulders slightly bowed.

"Are you okay?" he heard himself ask, his voice soft and full of concern.

Todoroki turned, his face perfectly expressionless. "Midoriya." His shoulders straightened and he stalked toward Izuku, stopping just within reach. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you out celebrating with your friends?"

Izuku blinked at the aggressive tone, but he expected it. "What about you, Todoroki? Why aren't you?" he asked gently. He already knew the answer. Todoroki hadn't made any friends. He'd always held himself apart.

Todoroki's expression broke into a cold smile. "I don't have time for friends. I'm not playing around here like you are."

Izuku lifted his chin, but he didn't say anything.

Todoroki took a step back and turned, leaning against the wall. "You surprised me during the obstacle race, and I didn't expect Tokoyami to partner with that girl with all the equipment. You beat me that round, but I won't lose again."

"Why?" Izuku demanded, fists clenched. "Why are you so determined?"

Todoroki's eyes stared past Izuku, a cold fury burning in them. "Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?"

Izuku's eyes widened, his chest tightened.

"It's not legal anymore, that practice where people hunted partners based solely on their quirks to produce children with something better, stronger." Todoroki's voice was so flat and yet it resonated with pain. "Laws were made against it because people were being taken against their will, forced to reproduce with partners significantly older or younger, partners they did not care for, but the reality is that it still happens."

Todoroki lowered his head, his bangs shielding his eyes from view. "Endeavor caught wind of my mother's powerful quirk. Ice, the complete opposite of his own. If they had a child… A child with the power to control two elements on that scale…" The boy gave a cold laugh. "Oh, the things they could do. So he went about _acquiring_ my mother. Endeavor had prestige, power, money. He was charming and used subtle bribes to win over my mother's family. They… _encouraged_… my mother to give him a chance."

Todoroki's hands clenched into fists. The corridor dropped in temperature. "My mother was married to him in a month and exactly nine months later my first sibling was born, but not with the ability to equally control both fire and ice, so Endeavor tried again and again and again until… He had me."

"But how would that help Endeavor?" Izuku asked, horrified by his classmate's words.

Todoroki lifted his head. His eyes stared cold and unblinking into Izuku's eyes. "Endeavor's always been number two. All Might has always stood in the way of his dreams, his ambitions. He's never been strong enough to overcome him, but if he _created_ a hero strong enough to tear All Might from the number one spot, then it would be as if he'd done it himself."

Todoroki stepped closer, glaring into Izuku's wide eyes. "And that's why I'm going to beat you, Midoriya. I know you have some connection to All Might. Your quirks are too similar and he seeks you out too often. I don't know what it is, if you're his secret son or what, but I'm going to defeat you just like my old man wants…" His left hand lifted slowly as he covered the burn scar that marred his forehead and cheek. "My mother, she's always crying in my memories. 'Your left side is disgusting,' she said as she poured boiling water on my face. Right before she was taken away from me for good."

Izuku felt the blood leave his face. Tears streaked his cold cheeks.

"So I'm going to do what he wants." A cruel, vindictive smile etched sharply across Todoroki's face. "But I'm going to do it with only the power of my right side, my mother's side. I'm going to show him that it doesn't take some super quirk to beat All Might. That it isn't that All Might is too strong to beat; it's that Endeavor is just that _weak_. I'm going to crush his dreams and destroy his ambition for what he's done to my mother."

"I'm sorry!" Izuku blurted. He reached forward to wrap his hands around the hand Todoroki had lifted to his face. "I'm sorry that he did that to you, to your mom! I hate it, and I'm sorry!"

Eyes wide, Todoroki tried to pull away, but Izuku held tight. He looked up into his classmate's face, cheeks wet with tears, determination blazing from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Todoroki, but I'm not All Might! And until you can see me standing before you and not some extension of All Might… Until you realize your quirk is your own — not hers, not his, but _yours_… Well, you won't be able to beat me." Izuku's hand trembled around Todoroki's. "So many people supported me up 'til now. They believed in me. They told me that I could be a hero. That I could save people who were suffering. People like your mom. Like you. And in order to do that, I'm going to give this competition my all! I hope that you do, too."

Todoroki yanked his hand away. "Sorry for wasting your time. It was a mistake talking to you," he said coldly. He turned his back. "Just know… I will beat you" Shoving his hands into his pockets, Todoroki walked away.

Izuku watched him go. He wiped his sleeve across his eyes and cheeks. There was nothing he could say. Nothing Todoroki would hear right now. Guilt weighed heavy in his gut. His classmate had been suffering silently all this time. Izuku should have done more to reach out to him. His phone rang. It was Kacchan.

"_Ran into the Flaming Chicken and High and Mighty. Looks like there's no love between those two."_

Izuku sighed sadly and quietly told Kacchan Todoroki's story.

"_I fucking figured it was something like that,"_ Kacchan said, and it wasn't pity in his voice. It was hot rage. Endeavor had made an enemy of them both. _"How did that asshole get away with it? He practically admitted he'd created his kid on purpose just to beat All Might! Even called Todoroki an 'it'. All Might just stood there like a fucking idiot. He's so fucking useless sometimes!"_

Izuku bit his lip. He wasn't completely oblivious to All Might's flaws, but it still didn't feel right talking bad about him. He was All Might! Izuku decided to change the subject. "Todoroki's going about this revenge thing all wrong. He's still too wrapped up in his father's web."

"_There's nothing we can do about it right now, Izu. We have to focus on our next challenge whatever it is. My guess is we'll start one-on-one battles of some sort soon."_

Izuku wasn't really listening. He was still worried about Todoroki. "I hope he'll be okay. He looked close to the breaking point."

Izuku could hear Kacchan kick something on the other end of the line. _"We can't do anything now," _he repeated. _"Our break's almost over. There's a vending machine here. I'll grab some food. Meet me back at the prep room."_

"Okay," Izuku agreed and hung up. He stared in the direction Todoroki had walked, but he was long out of sight. "Good luck," he whispered after his classmate before turning and heading back inside.

…

As usual, Kacchan was right. When they filed back out onto the field, there was a huge stage of concrete taking up the center of the field. Cementoss sat in a cement throne next to the stage. Midnight got their attention by hitting her thigh with the flogger. The crack of it hitting her skin silenced everyone.

"As you may have guessed, the last challenge is one-on-one combat! You may use your quirks as much as you like. The first combatant who steps out of the ring or who is knocked unconscious will be deemed the loser. However, if an attack of deadly force is issued, Cementoss and I will intervene."

Izuku looked around at the people he might fight. They were all from his class except for the pink-haired girl from the support class and the purple-haired boy from general studies. None of class 1-B had made it through. Izuku felt a little uneasy about that. Class 1-B clearly had some hard feelings about the attention and 'favoritism' class 1-A received. This would only widen the gap between them.

"Pay attention," Kacchan muttered, knocking his arm.

Izuku blinked and looked up at the screen. It showed an eleven person single-elimination bracket. The eleven players would draw numbers. One vs Two. Three vs Four. Five vs Six. Seven vs Eight. However, numbers Nine through Eleven had to wait for the first round to complete; they would fight the winners. That meant numbers one through eight were at a slight disadvantage as they would fight one more battle than the later numbers, but the truly heroic could overcome any disadvantage - or so said Midnight.

One by one, they marched across the combat arena to the center where Midnight held what looked like a fishbowl filled with folded pieces of paper. Izuku was directly behind Kacchan in the line. He watched the blond pull a number and then walk over to stand in the line with the others. Izuku held Kacchan's eyes as he pulled out his own piece of paper. He looked down and saw the number one.

Midnight set the empty bowl down and stepped up to the microphone. Grinning at them, she lifted her hand. "Combatants, reveal your numbers!"

Together, they unfolded their papers and held it high over their head. A camera panned over them, showing the audience what they held to the excited screams of the crowd. Then the first match was thrown up on the screen.

"The first match is…" Midnight flung her flogger high over her head, clearly excited. "Strongest Man versus Dark Shadow! All other combatants please clear the stage!"

"Are you ready?!" Present Mic's voice boomed through the arena and the crowd went wild.

Uraraka and Kirishima both gave him high five's for good luck as they walked past to leave the stage. Iida nodded his head, but it was stiff, nerves playing across his face.

"A lot's happened, but it's now come to a serious battle! One where you can only depend on yourself! Even if you're not a hero, you'll face lots of situations like that! You get it, right?! Heart, skill, body, wisdom, and knowledge! Use all of that and rush up!"

Kacchan looked into his eyes and gave him an easy, genuine smile. "You got this, Deku. I'll see you in the final round."

Izuku couldn't help but smile in the face of Kacchan's unwavering confidence. "See you," he answered, and then he was alone on the stage with Tokoyami.

"Audience!" Present Mic continued enthusiastically. "The finals that you've all been waiting for are finally starting! Match number one! Strongest Man vs Dark Shadow! Bring on the injuries because we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby! Put your morals and ethics aside for a moment! But remember! Anything life threatening is crap!"

Izuku felt his heart beat faster as suddenly he was standing on the huge combat platform alone with Tokoyami. The other boy stared back at him with his large slanted eyes in his bird-like face, the feathers on his head pitch black. Two yellow eyes shimmered over his chest. Dark Shadow. The shadow-creature could form in less than a second. It could span the entire platform, could reach high into the air. It had long extendable arms and acted as a near perfect offense and defense.

All of this passed through Izuku's mind in a second. The pages and pages of notes he'd taken on quirks unwound inside his mind in a stream, but nothing caught his attention. Dark Shadow was both strong and fast. He could move in all directions with just a thought from Tokoyami. How was he supposed to get past that?

"START!" Present Mic yelled in excitement.

"I hope you understand," Tokoyami said, voice deep and resonate. Dark Shadow appeared and floated beside his host. Arms formed, the hands as big as Izuku's body. "You have a bit of a reputation, Midoriya. If I win here, it will be very impressive for my family."

Izuku nodded and squared his shoulders, clenching his fists. "Let's do our best, Tokoyami. I'm ready."

Dark Shadow streaked across the distance between them. Izuku dodged, rolling to the side, but Dark Shadow followed easily. Izuku hadn't used One For All directly against a living thing - not since the USJ. He came up onto his feet and slammed a punch directly into the face of Dark Shadow.

The shadow screamed, setting Izuku's teeth on edge. The blackness rippled, distorted, and then retracted back, sheltering Tokoyami from the gust of wind. Tokoyami slid several feet back even with Dark Shadow as his shield.

"You are very strong," Tokoyami said gravely through his yellow beak. He stared at Izuku unblinking.

"So are you," Izuku panted, sweaty and dirty already.

He was vaguely aware of the crowd was screaming and Present Mic narrating the battle, but it was just a blur in the background. All of Izuku's attention was on the battle. Dark Shadow streaked toward him once more, a massive black hand swinging around to sweep him off the stage. Izuku ducked, weaved, and darted out of reach.

They hit each other over and over, neither gaining ground. Izuku was knocked off his feet several times. He punched and kicked Dark Shadow a dozen times, but the shadow creature kept reforming. Tokoyami was almost blown out of the arena once, but he was a few feet short. Now Tokoyami made sure to keep himself centered. Suddenly, Dark Shadow slammed him to the arena floor, crushing the air out of his lungs.

"Surrender," Tokoyami demanded.

Izuku couldn't! All Might was counting on him - Kacchan was waiting for him - His mom was watching -Izuku closed his eyes and let more of One For All fill him. Red veins shimmered over the skin of his arms. He pushed up with a scream of effort, and slowly the shadow was pried from his body. Shoving with all his strength, Dark Shadow was flung upward. Something snapped; Izuku screamed in pain! He rolled out from under the shadow, got to his feet, and lifted his right leg high, higher than his head.

Red veins of shimmering power streaked across his leg. His pant leg tore away from the force of his quirk activating almost past the bounds of what his body could endure. Yelling, he brought his leg downward. The concrete cracked with a huge bang! The entire surface of the arena spider-webbed. A small crater appeared under Izuku's foot. The sound was enormous. A huge dust cloud filled the arena. Izuku only had a few seconds. He tore his jacket off, biting his lip so hard it bled as it jostled his broken wrist. Then he leapt.

Dark Shadow encircled Tokoyami defensively. The dust was clearing away. Izuku flew toward his classmate, green streaks of light in his wake he was moving so fast. Dark Shadow gave a shriek and whipped around to meet him, but Izuku flung his burning jacket over the shadow's face. The shadow screamed and flailed, diminishing.

Izuku's forearm with the broken wrist slammed into Tokoyami's chest horizontally. His good hand gripped the other boy's shoulder. Izuku gave a yell of agony as his broken bones were jostled. He sprinted forward, pushing Tokoyami backward. The other boy always relied on Dark Shadow. His hits and struggles were too weak to escape Izuku's grip.

Dark Shadow tore free of the burning jacket. He rushed back to his host, clawed hands reaching for Izuku's back. Just as the creature streaked downward, its black beak opened wide to pierce and tear, Izuku came to a sliding stop and rolled backward, dodging the blow.

"Combatant out of bounds!"

Izuku was on his knees, panting and gasping for air. His right hand dangled from a visibly broken wrist. It was already swelling and discolored. Tokoyami stared at him in surprise, his back foot across the white line marking the boundary of the arena.

Present Mic's voice screamed into focus. "Strongest Man wins! What an amazing battle, everyone! Let's hear it for Dark Shadow! What an incredible showing from these two!"

The roar of the crowd was nearly deafening.

Tokoyami walked slowly forward. "When did you figure it out?" he asked. He looked at one of the four pillars that stood in each corner of the ring. They held burning torches. Izuku had used one to catch his jacket on fire.

Kneeling in just a black tank top, cradling his broken arm, Izuku stared up at him. He was battered and bruised, his lip bloody. "I noticed Dark Shadow liked to come from above, but when I got close to the pillars, he stayed low, as far from the fire as possible."

Tokoyami nodded his head. Dark Shadow shrank, looking pitiful. A tear formed under one of the creature's large yellow eyes. Tokoyami stroked along Dark Shadow's head and the creature disappeared inside his body. Then he offered Izuku a hand.

"You are a fierce fighter. I learned much from our match," he said.

Izuku's expression melted into a smile. He grabbed Tokoyami's hand, letting the other pull him up to his feet. He staggered, but his classmate braced him. "Thank you, Tokoyami," Izuku said, smiling up at him. "You and Dark Shadow were really amazing."

Tokoyami ducked his head in embarrassment, making Izuku's smile widen.

"What amazing sportsmanship! Class 1-A lives up to its reputation! We'll take a ten minute break so Cementoss can fix the arena. What else does class 1-A have in store for us?"

…

Katsuki was waiting in the shadow of the corridor. As soon as Izuku spotted him, his smile widened, which made his lip bleed more.

"Kacchan!"

"Good fight, Deku," Kacchan said with a smirk. He wrapped his arm around Izuku's waist and gave Tokoyami a nod and a glare, taking Izu's weight himself.

The bird-brain wisely backed off. "I'll see you after your healing."

"Bye, Tokoyami." Izuku gave the other boy a smile and wave.

"Did you have to get so busted up?" Katsuki muttered as he helped Izuku to the clinic.

"Dark Shadow is a tough opponent," Izuku defended, cheeks blushing. "Not all of us come with in-built flares."

Katsuki smirked and knocked his head gently against Izuku's, laughing.

"Who's up next?" Izuku asked.

"Me." A dangerous smile spread across his face. "I'm up against Glasses."

Izuku shot him a look. Katsuki lifted an eyebrow, waiting for something stupid like a plea to go easy on the other boy, but Izuku only shook his head and sighed. "I'm going to miss it," he said, face filled with disappointment.

"I'm sure your mom is filming this." Katsuki leaned in to place a quick kiss on Izuku's lips. "We'll watch it together later."

Izuku blinked and blushed. "Okay." He smiled at Katsuki and leaned more against his side, fitting against him perfectly.

Katsuki left Izuku in the care of Recovery Girl. An eager grin spread across his face. His boots clomped loudly down the corridor as he made his way back toward the arena. He found Glasses waiting for him at the exit. He gave his opponent a wolfish grin.

"Ready to get your ass handed to you?" he asked.

The other boy pushed his glasses higher up his nose. His steel blue eyes held his own fearlessly. "You will not win this time, Bakugou. It's time you learned some humility."

Katsuki grinned, battle lust singing in his veins. "Give it your best shot, loser." He stalked past the arrogant ass and marched boldly onto the field.

"Put your hands together, listeners!" Present Mic was saying. "Our next match is Explosion versus Engine! Both from class 1-A! Power versus speed, which will come out on top?"

"Oh, it's not even a question," Katsuki taunted, cracking his neck. He climbed the stairs to the stage. Glasses followed behind him. "The only question is how long you'll last."

Glasses took his position across from Katsuki. "You look down on others, but the truth is you're the one who's lacking," he said hotly.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes dangerously, his fingers flexing.

"You may have Midoriya fooled, but not me. You're more villain than hero," Glasses said, voice dark. "And it'll be my pleasure to put you in your place." He took a runner's stance.

Katsuki felt his excitement boil into a hot rage, his grin transforming into a fierce snarl.

"START!"

Glasses blurred, shooting toward him faster than the eye could follow. He lashed out with a roundhouse kick that was powered by his leg engines. The force behind the blow would have knocked Katsuki clear out of the ring, but Katsuki wasn't there. He'd blasted over the other boy's head. He hadn't needed to fucking see the loser to know the other boy would come straight at him. As soon as he'd heard the 's' sound of 'start', he'd positioned his hands and prepared to leap.

Katsuki twisted in mid-air. Glasses had just finished the arch of his kick. Katsuki aimed both palms at the other boy's back. The explosion was huge! It blew Katsuki backward as he was airborne with nothing to brace himself. Smoke billowed upward. Concrete went flying, chewed up by the blast. A smaller explosion slowed Katsuki's backward momentum. He landed hard and rolled backward to absorb the force. Then he was up and running forward, slicing through the smoke, palms sparking and flaring as he rushed forward like a starving wolf.

Glasses was just climbing to his feet, his legs shaking. His glasses had been blasted off his face. Katsuki swung his palm out to the side. The quick, hot pops spun him out of Glasses's path as the other boy shot forward with another spinning kick and a bellow of rage. Katsuki continued his spinning momentum, bringing himself around to face Glasses once more.

His palm, glowing yellow with an impending explosion, swung gracefully upward. The explosion sent the other boy tumbling backward ass over head. More smoke filled the arena. Katsuki dove forward, not letting Glasses escape his wrath. More blasts boomed as he propelled himself forward like a living bullet.

Glasses was on hands and knees. Burns were already blistering over his lobster red shoulders and arms. His gym shirt was in tatters. Katsuki didn't hesitate. His left hand came around this time and blasted the idiot right off the stage. The other boy went flying through the smoke and debris, hitting the turf of the field and sliding. Katsuki stared down at him from the stage, a sneer on his face.

"… Explosion wins!" Present Mic finally cried, breaking the stunned silence.

He'd won in three minutes. "Pathetic," Katsuki sneered. He turned and marched away.

…

Izuku looked over as the clinic door opened. Recovery Girl had just finished wrapping his wrist. It was no longer broken, but it still needed the extra support. "Kacchan!" His boyfriend smelled of smoke, but he looked none-the-worse for wear. "Is your match over?" he asked, wide-eyed. Kacchan had left him less than ten minutes ago.

"Yep," Kacchan said and smirked. He crossed over to his side. Tossing his head at the door, he said to Recovery Girl, "You're about to have another patient."

Izuku couldn't help giggling, and he slapped his good hand over his mouth to hide it.

Kacchan gave him a sexy smirk, his red eyes lidded. "You done here?"

"Go." Recovery Girl flapped her hand at them, her wrinkled face creased even deeper with irritation. "Don't think I didn't hear Kizashi earlier. 'Bring on the injuries because we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby!' Bah! That boy will hear from me later for making unnecessary work for me."

Kacchan grabbed Izuku's unbandaged wrist and tugged him toward the door. Izuku waved at Recovery Girl and flashed a bright smile. "Thank you for everything! I'll try my best not to need you again!"

The door opened before they could make their escape and a robot came in carrying one end of a stretcher. Iida was laid out on his stomach. His gym uniform was practically destroyed. Izuku winced as he saw the terrible burns, but he was more concerned about the hot anger burning in Iida's eyes when he caught sight of Kacchan. Kacchan's hand tightened painfully on Izuku's wrist, and Izuku frowned and planted his feet, not letting Kacchan pull him from the room.

"Hey," he said sympathetically, pretending to think his friend was upset because of the pain. "Don't worry, Iida. Recovery Girl is amazing. She'll set you to rights."

Iida's fists clenched and he looked away, jaw so tight it bleached white.

"Iida?" Izuku asked carefully.

"Why can't you see him for what he is?" Iida suddenly burst out, pain filling his voice as the robots carefully transferred him from the stretcher to a bed.

Izuku gave Kacchan a determined look. The blond sighed and released his wrist. Izuku stalked purposefully forward and looked imploringly into Recovery Girl's eyes. "Can I talk to him for a minute?"

Recovery Girl tutted and began to pull the remains of Iida's burnt shirt from the teen's blistered skin. "Make it fast," she advised.

Izuku nodded. He came around the bed and knelt so that Iida could see his face. He let his hands dangle between his knees. His green hair stood up messily all around his head. His uniform was still dirty. His sleeves and pant leg were torn off at the elbows and knee, but his expression was hard and determined.

"Iida, you have to stop. Kacchan isn't a villain. By trying to make him out to be one, you're just avoiding facing your own shortcomings. Don't forget that's what this tournament is all about. It's supposed to help us grow."

Tears from the pain filled Iida's eyes. His expression twisted; anger still ruled him. "He's…!"

Izuku lifted his hand with the bandaged wrist. "Kacchan insults people. He's crude and insensitive. He doesn't conform to expectations, but that does _not_ make him a villain, Tenya Iida," he said sharply, his eyes glinting and fierce. "You were there. You saw villains up close. Sadistic and cruel. Evil. Don't you dare say Kacchan is the same as that. If you think for one moment a true villain will treat you with the consideration that Kacchan does, you'll be dead in an instant!"

"Consideration!" Iida gasped, outraged.

"Yes!" Izuku yelled, surprising the other teen. "Consideration! If Kacchan were a true villain, you would be DEAD! He's perfectly capable of that! Instead, he used just the right amount of forced needed to win the match. Yes, he burned you. Tokoyami broke my wrist! That's all within the bounds of this competition that _you_ were so excited for!"

Izuku stood up abruptly. "Iida, I'm telling you this as your friend. Your drive and passion to be as great as your brother is one of the things I admire about you, but your inability to recognize your own weaknesses and flaws is going to prevent you from being the best you could be." He turned and walked toward Kacchan. "Anyway. I hope you feel better soon, Iida. I really do." Taking his boyfriend's hand, he left.

"You didn't have to do that," Kacchan said once the clinic was out of sight behind them.

Izuku didn't answer. He kept marching down the corridor, holding tight to Kacchan's hand.

"Hey…" Kacchan reached forward, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him to a stop. The blond's worried expression melted into an affectionate smile as he gently wiped away the large tears that rolled down Izuku's cheeks.

"I could tell you… that I said that to help… Iida. To make him a better… hero, but that'd be a lie," Izuku said through his tears. He stared into Kacchan's soft, red eyes pleadingly. "I hate it when people call you a villain! You're not!"

Kacchan pulled him into a hug, one arm around the back of Izuku's neck, the other slung around his waist. "I'm fine, Deku. I don't give a fuck what that pissant thinks of me."

Izuku's flung his arms around Kacchan's middle and hugged him tight. He pressed his forehead into Kacchan's shoulder. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Kacchan answered surprisingly easily.

The blond usually avoided such bold declarations, and the words struck Izuku. They made his heart feel like it could sing. Izuku smiled and lifted up slightly on his toes. Their lips came together as if pulled by magnets. It was a closed mouth kiss, just their lips touching, but it still felt like an electric current ran through Izuku's body.

When he pulled back, Kacchan's eyes were filled with a burning desire. "Not yet, Izu," he practically purred. Izuku shivered, his knees going weak. Kacchan instinctively held him tighter. Leaning close, he whispered in Izuku's ear, "I can't wait to take my prize when I win."

"Kacchan," Izuku gasped, clinging to the blond's shoulders.

Kacchan laughed, and Izuku felt his face flame and his competitive spirit rally.

Heart thundering, Izuku forced his legs to hold him upright and pulled away. He tossed Kacchan a wild grin. "You haven't won yet. Maybe I'll be the one claiming a prize." He deliberately looked Kacchan slowly up and down, letting his eyes settle on the blond's lips before slowly licking his own. Desire deepened his voice. "You have such a pretty mouth, Kacchan. I can't wait to feel it on me."

When he didn't get an immediate response, Izuku glanced up to see his boyfriend staring at him, eyes wide, a bright blush fanning across his tan cheeks. Adrenaline rushed through Izuku's veins and he turned and walked down the corridor, a subtle sway to his hips. He grinned triumphantly when it took Kacchan two seconds before he followed after him.

…

Katsuki's cheeks felt like they were on fire. He hadn't thought Izuku had it in him to act like that, but he should have known better. This was the same boy who researched gay sex as soon as Izu walked in on him jerking off. The same boy who fucking bought and stored lube in his room before Katsuki even knew what the shit was! Izuku was just so fucking earnest and sweet it always took him by surprise when he was so bold.

His heart was still beating fast when he made it up the stairs behind Izuku and found his class watching the next match. It was the vice president verses the electric idiot. Katsuki watched over Izuku's shoulder as the vice president flung off an insulation blanket she'd created and tossed a stun grenade. Everyone blocked their eyes from the blinding flash of light. When they could see, the vice president was standing over the blond who was on his belly, hands cuffed behind his back.

"Creation wins!" Present Mic called out to the cheers of everyone.

"Aw, man! She repaired her shirt while we were blinded by the stun grenade! I hardly got to see anything," the purple haired idiot complained. "You failed me, Kaminari! Couldn't you have lasted a little longer?" he wailed dramatically.

Katsuki saw Izuku tense in front of him. Everything slowed as Katsuki's mind raced. The fucking Death Book - How many had been woman? How many had been sexually assaulted or degraded before their painful murder? How many times had Izuku endured that? And under that, _"He took everything from her! Her entire family killed and her body violated!"_ and _"That's what lives inside you, Katsuki. A murdering rapist."_ Katsuki saw red.

He pushed past Izuku and marched right up to the fucking asshole. He didn't care that the boy was small and clearly terrified. He reached down and grabbed the little shit by the arm, yanking him to his feet and pulling him over octopus boy's lap. Their classmates got on their feet, shouting and trying to stop him, but Izuku was there talking - talking - talking.

Katsuki dragged the wailing little shit into the corridor. He had to bend over slightly to keep a grip on the creep's arm he was so small, but that didn't stop Katsuki. He dragged the boy into the bathroom and flung the asshole to the floor.

"Anyone in here? You better fucking leave now if you know what's good for you. Me and my friend need to have a private conversation." There was no response. Katsuki gave a feral grin and locked the door behind him. "Looks like it's just me and you."

The creep scrambled to his feet. He was shaking like a leaf in the wind. "B-Bakugou… wh-what…?"

There was a sharp rap on the door. "Kacchan. Let me in." It was Izuku and he sounded serious. Katsuki sighed and unlocked the door.

Izuku wasn't alone. The guy with extra arms came in with him. The lower half of his face was covered in a blue mask like always, but a mouth formed at the end of one of the boy's tentacles. "I'm just here to make sure things don't go too far," it said.

Katsuki didn't fucking care. He had a point to make, and he was going to make sure the little creep got it. "Lock the fucking door," he said tightly and turned back to the little shit.

"Wh-what's g-going o-on?" the creep whimpered. He tried to go to the guy with arms, but Katsuki blocked his path, baring his teeth in a threatening grin. The little shit scrambled away, calling pathetically to his friend. "S-Shoji!"

"We just want to talk," Izuku said reasonably, but his face was pale and grave, his freckles and the dark circles under his eyes standing out sharply. "The way you talk about the girls has to stop, Mineta. They're our classmates. It's not right."

The boy waved his arms, eyes wide. "You can't be serious. That's what this is about?"

The little shit looked fucking harmless with those stupid round purple balls on his head, his child-sized frame, big eyes, and round cheeks. It probably made people feel bad, like they were the bullies if they got mad at him. Good fucking thing it didn't bother Katsuki at all. He cracked his knuckles.

"Yes," Izuku said tightly. "That's what this is about. I don't know if it's because you're trying to fit in…"

"Come off it!" the boy cried. "I mean, you all think the same things as me! Yaoyorozu is practically naked out there! And Uraraka in that skin tight suit! I mean, there's nothing wrong with admiring them, right? Right?!" he demanded angrily. "They're hot! Don't act like you're not looking!"

"I don't give a fuck what they look like," Katsuki growled, grabbing the asshole's attention once more. He crouched to be at eye level and the shit went pale as he stared into Katsuki's furious eyes. "I can't say I even noticed those losers, let alone what they're wearing." His hand snapped out and grabbed the little shit by the front of his gym shirt, dragging him closer. "But I can fucking tell you that your _admiration_ isn't welcome, creep."

Izuku put a hand on Katsuki's shoulder. Reluctantly, Katsuki let the fucker go. The boy stumbled and fell on his ass, looking up at them with tears in his eyes.

"Mineta," Izuku said, trying again. "Telling a girl she's pretty or that her outfit makes her look nice… That's admiration… Hoping she gets her clothes torn off so that you can get a show… During a competition that we're all fighting so hard to win… To be heroes… To save people… That's not admiration… You make it sound like all she's good for is to be stripped naked. She's training to be a hero, Mineta!"

"Male heroes also have revealing or tight clothes," the mouth on the end of the tentacle said. "There's some truth to costumes being designed for appeal as well as utility, but you take it too far. Your comments make more than just the girls uncomfortable."

The blank incomprehension in the little idiot's face was more than Katsuki could take. He stood abruptly and flung his hand out, making it pop and flare loudly. It was a clear message to the other two to stay out of his way.

"You sound like a fucking rapist…" Katsuki said darkly, dangerously, as he stalked forward. The creep was trembling again and he stumbled backward until his back hit the wall. "Spouting all that fucking bullshit about how she's fucking asking for it because of her clothes. I bet you've even fantasized about raping her. About sticking her to the floor with your fucking sticky-ass balls and making her cry as you take her."

"… n-no…" the little shit whimpered, struck nearly speechless with fear.

Katsuki grinned malevolently down at him. "I bet you get away with a lot of fucking shit because of your size and your stupid fucking face… Well, jerk off, today's the day you fucking pay the piper."

"Y-you c-can't hurt me!" the creep practically squealed, terrified. "You'll be e-expelled!"

Katsuki crouched again. He put his hands a few inches apart, his palms facing each other. They glowed yellow and then began to spark and flash. Smoke rose up. A dangerous heat built between them. The flashing light cast ominous shadows over Katsuki's face. He leaned in nice and close.

"Don't fucking play with me, _Mineta_," he growled, voice quiet and slow, almost a croon. "You think expulsion will stop the likes of me?" The fire flaring between his palms reflected in his eyes as if he were some kind of demon. The shit practically turned into a puddle of terrified goo. "I'll fucking trash you, you little shit. I'll come for you in the fucking dark. When no one's looking. And I'd take my fucking time, too." His palms flared, crackling loudly. "I'll make sure the burns are so bad no girl will be able to look at you without fucking puking."

"I'll stop! Please! Leave me alone!" the boy cried, weeping pathetically.

Katsuki leaned even closer. His hands sizzled; the heat was enough to be painful. He grinned, slow and terrifying. He dropped his right hand from the asshole's face toward his lower half. "But before I go… Maybe I should take something… Just to make sure you don't forget…"

"P-please… d-don't…" The little creep lifted a helpless, small hand in supplication.

Katsuki cocked his head, smile becoming demonic. "Your mouth is saying no, but your body's saying yes. All soft and unmarked without any of my scars. Practically _begging_ for it." He let off a small explosion, the noise loud in the small room. It was hot enough to singe the other boy's pants, smoke rising up. The pervert shrieked before fainting from fear.

Kastuki stood up abruptly, a look of disgust on his face. He turned to see Izuku and the boy staring at him. "What the fuck are you looking at?" he snarled with a hot glare. He slammed out of the bathroom, the door banging against the wall behind him.

…

Izuku felt queasy, but not because of Kacchan's actions. Memories stirred in the dark place of his mind, locked far, far away. _It wasn't me_, he told himself. _My body is here. I'm Izuku Midoriya, and that wasn't me._

"I feel bad for anyone who tries to date his daughter," Shoji said, drawing Izuku out of his mind.

It was a joke, but it didn't sound like one. The strong, usually unflappable boy was trembling slightly. Izuku opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say. Mineta was passed out on the floor, his crotch still smoking slightly.

"I'm… not sure we did the right thing…" Shoji said softly. He was looking uneasily down at the unconscious boy. "Mineta… He's not always a bad guy. He can be really funny…"

"Shoji," Izuku said, concern rising for his classmate.

He didn't like the slow, almost emotionless way the other boy was speaking. He reached out and touched Shoji gently on the arm. It was hard to make out his expression. His grey bangs were long and layered, covering half his face. Plus, the blue mask he wore covered his face from chin to the bridge of his nose. Only a single eye could be seen most of the time, but there was no mistaking the way his mask dampened with tears.

"My sister… was raped in college…" Shoji said quietly. Pain and anger cut through his voice, making it shake. "It isn't right, Midoriya. I heard the girls talking… He groped Tsu during the USJ and tries to spy on them when they're changing, and what he said about Yaoyorozu… It isn't right, but… Is this the answer?" he asked, tense and upset.

Izuku's hand tightened on Shoji's arm. "Mineta wouldn't have stopped just because we said so, and telling Aizawa-sensei would have gotten him into real trouble. At least this way he has one more chance to shape up. But if that doesn't work, we're going to have to go to Aizawa. We can't let Mineta harass the girls. It's not okay."

Shoji nodded, but Izuku could see he was still unsure.

Izuku let him go and went to the sink, getting a handful of water. He crouched down and splashed it on Mineta's face. The other boy groaned and jerked up, hyperventilating as he grabbed at his crotch.

"You're fine," Izuku told him sharply. "That blast didn't even scald your skin."

Mineta stared up at him as if Izuku had gone crazy.

"Leave the girls alone," Izuku said clearly. He didn't want there to be any ambiguity about that point. "Not everyone sees them like that. It's disturbing and inappropriate, especially in public or where they can hear you. We're going to be watching, Mineta, so be very careful from now on. We will turn you in to Aizawa if we have to. Not to mention whatever Kacchan will do."

Mineta nodded quickly, eyes wide and teary.

Izuku sighed and got up. "I think you could be a great hero, Mineta. I hope you think about it." He turned and looked up at Shoji. "Come on. Let's give Mineta time to collect himself."

Shoji nodded and let Izuku pull him from the bathroom. They rejoined their classmates and were met with questioning looks. Izuku tried to give them a reassuring smile.

"Mineta will join us in a bit." He looked to the arena, avoiding their eyes. "What'd we miss?"

"Nothing much," Kirishima answered, his voice light and easy. "That girl with pink hair's been yelling her name and showing off all her inventions. It's a bummer, too. I was really excited to see Brainwash in action. It sounds badass."

Izuku looked around at the group as he sat next to the redhead. "Where's Uraraka? And Kacchan?"

"Bakugou hasn't come back yet." Kirishima gave him a more serious look than Izuku expected. "Midoriya. Didn't you notice the line up?"

"What?" he asked, his stomach dropping.

"You're up next. Against Uraraka," Kirishima answered. "She's probably trying to get ready in the prep room.

Izuku's eyes went wide. He stood up. "I'm going to go find her."

"Good luck, man!" Kirishima called.

Izuku found her right where Kirishima said she would be. In the class 1-A prep room. She was sitting at the table, her hands folded in front of her face. She looked up at him. Her face round, her brown eyes large. Her hair fell around her face, framing her pink cheeks. She was only half an inch or so shorter than him, but she was softer with round curves and little muscle.

"Deku! We're up next. Are you ready?" she asked, voice bubbly as always.

"Uraraka," he said, uncertainly.

She stood up abruptly. "Well, I hope you know I'm here to win." She gave him a surprisingly strong look. "Don't hold back on me, Deku. I'll know if you do."

Izuku met her eyes. She was serious. She wasn't nervous, or worried about their friendship, or worried she'd be hurt. She was focused on winning. Izuku blushed, feeling ashamed. He straightened his shoulders and met her determination with his own.

"Let's do our best," he said and held out his hand.

She nodded once, sharply, and shook his hand. "Let's do this."

…

Izuku stared across the stage at Uraraka. The crowd was chanting loudly, the words unclear. The sun glared down on them. Uraraka looked serious. She was leaning forward, her hands held out from her sides.

"Looks like we have an exciting match ahead of us, listeners! Zero Gravity versus Strongest Man!" Present Mic called excitedly. "This is Zero Gravity's first fight while Strongest Man has a bandage around his wrist! Will it hold him back?!"

Strategy ran through Izuku's mind. He couldn't shove her out of the ring like he had Tokoyami. One touch of her hand and he'd lose, but how could he beat her if he couldn't touch her?

"START!"

Uraraka sprinted toward him, keeping low to the ground, her hand outstretched. Izuku reacted, pulling up Full Cowl and punching the air in front of him. The wind gust shoved her away, but it wasn't nearly strong enough to blow her out of the arena. Uraraka tumbled, but got right back on her feet, coming at him again. Izuku blew her away with a left punch this time, his mind racing.

"Come on, Deku! Is that all you've got?" she yelled at him in fury and ran at him again.

Izuku sprang into the air with a rabbit leap, coming down behind her. He was about to kick her out of the arena, but her hand reached under her arm back toward him and almost touched him before he sprang away again. They both stood, breathing hard, staring at each other.

"Looks like things are at a stalemate!" Present Mic cried out.

This time it was Izuku who ran forward. Uraraka ran to meet him.

"What's this? What's this? They're going to face each other head on!"

Uraraka reached out to him with both hands. A mistake. It increased her chances of touching him, but it also left her open. At the last second, he used Full Cowl to grab her wrists, his hands blurring in the air. He pulled her forward, even as he fell backward. Lifting his feet, he kicked her in the stomach and launched her backward. She flew toward the edge.

Izuku rolled onto his belly to watch. Suddenly her speed decreased. She'd made herself weightless and used her jacket as a type of parachute to stop her momentum. Sweating, gasping, she released her quirk and fell hard onto the arena floor. They both climbed back onto their feet.

"What quick thinking! What skill!"

The people in the stadium were screaming louder than ever.

Izuku didn't know what to do. Uraraka was running at him again. He spun in a roundhouse kick that sent her tumbling, but she got up again and again no matter how hard he pushed her away with the force of the wind. The crowd was starting to boo. He heard someone scream out, "Face her like a man!" Sweat rolled down his face.

"Fight me!" Uraraka suddenly screamed. She looked furious. Tears made her eyes shimmer.

Izuku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn't think of a way to get her out of the ring, but he could knock her unconscious. The thought of hurting her made him feel queasy, but he couldn't back down. She needed to win, but so did he!

Izuku sprinted forward. She brought her hands up, protecting her face. She reached out to tag him, but he knocked her arm aside. Her other hand came up and slapped his chest. He felt a moment of weightlessness, but then his punch landed on her face. His weight was instantly restored as Uraraka flew backward. She rolled and came to a stop on her stomach. She wasn't moving. Izuku felt sick.

Midnight crossed the stage to check on her. She stood and raised her flogger. "Zero Gravity is unconscious. Strongest Man wins!"

"What a match, everyone! Let's give the combatants a round of applause!"

Izuku stood there panting. He looked around as the arena gave halfhearted cheers. Heart pounding, he hurried to Uraraka's side. She was coming around, blinking slowly. When she saw him, she winced and covered her cheek.

"Good punch, Deku. You really got me."

"I…" His eyes shimmered with tears.

"Don't you dare say you're sorry!" she scolded. "Help me up. I don't want to be carried away on a stretcher."

Izuku helped her stand and the stadium began to cheer for real. "You're amazing, Uraraka," he said quietly. "You were too strong for me to push you out of the ring. The only way I could win was by knocking you out."

"I'm not made of glass, Izuku," she said sternly. "Stop acting like it's a big deal you had to hit me. You wouldn't do that if I was a boy. Don't forget I'm going to be a hero, too!"

"You're going to be a really, really great hero, Uraraka," Izuku told her earnestly. "Those cheers are for you, you know."

They were just at the edge of the stage and Uraraka looked around as if she just realized the crowd was chanting 'gra-vi-ty'. She blushed and waved her hand. The crowd gave a roar of approval. She gave Izuku a confused look. "But you're the one who won."

"I think you were more heroic," Izuku countered softly. "Our quirks are a bad match up, and the open arena put you at a disadvantage. It's not your fighting style to go against an opponent head on like that, but you fought without hesitation and with real determination. You were really, really amazing!" His eyes shone with enthusiasm as he looked at her.

Uraraka blushed brighter. "Oh, ah… Thanks, Deku." She cleared her throat and said brightly. "I can make it to the clinic myself! You go up and watch Bakugou. He's up next against Kirishima."

Izuku cocked his head. "Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. Her cheek was already swelling and turning dark.

"I told you. Don't fuss over me." She shoved him toward the stairs. "Go on. I'll be fine. Tell the others I'll be there soon."

"If you're sure…"

She waved him away and made her way down the corridor.

Izuku watched her for a minute before turning and running up the stairs to sit with the rest of the class. Kacchan and Kirishima were another unlucky quirk matchup, and he was anxious to see the fight.

…

Kirishima gave a sharp-toothed smile as he slammed his rock-hard hands together creating sparks. Katsuki grinned back. He'd been wanting to test himself against Kirishima's quirk for a while now. This was going to be fucking fun!

"Hardening versus Explosion! This seems like it will be an incredible fight, listeners! Put your hands together and cheer our combatants on! Ready… START!"

Kirishima ran in and swung a punch at Katsuki's face. Katuski leaned out of the way of the punch, but the rock-like protrusions that formed on the other boy's forearm cut his cheek. With a ferocious yell, Katsuki slammed his palm against Kirishima's abdomen and let off a strong explosion. The force rocked Kirishima back. Dark smoke rose up around them, but only the boy's gym shirt was shredded. The skin underneath was unharmed.

Kirishima struck a pose, holding his fists up like a boxer's. "That's not going to work on me, Explosion Boy," he taunted.

Kirishima came in with a flurry of hard punches. Katsuki dogged and evaded, waiting for an opening. Present Mic was screaming bullshit about Kirishima having him on the run; the crowd was screaming like idiots.

Katsuki hit Kirishima with explosions whenever he could dart in and place his palms directly on the Kirishima's rock hard skin. This would be so much easier if he could block the punches Kirishima threw, but the blows were too strong. Katsuki's bones would break against that hard surface, so he kept dodging and ducking away, his feet moving in graceful steps around the other boy's fists and hitting the redhead when he could.

But not even he could evade every attack. He took glancing blows and was knocked on his ass a few times. It was like being hit by a tree! He was bruised and aching, exhaustion starting to pull at him, but Katsuki leapt to his feet and refused to show weakness.

"Stop playing and come at me!" Kirishima yelled in frustration.

Katsuki took the opportunity to slam an explosion right in Kirishima's face.

"What's this? That one looked like it had an effect!" Present Mic called out excitedly.

Kirishima staggered, clearly affected by the blow. His skin looked cracked and scorched.

Katsuki grinned wolfishly. "Just as I thought," he said darkly, his palms beginning to glow. "It takes effort to harden your entire body. Sooner or later, it'll fall apart." He put both palms together, facing outward and let off his biggest blast yet.

Heat and fire and smoke exploded outward. The concrete cracked, pieces blasting away, and when the smoke cleared, Kirishima stood with his arms crossed in front of his face, breathing hard. Katsuki didn't give him time to regroup. He leapt forward, screaming, and delivered a barrage of unrelenting explosions.

Through the smoke and flashes, he saw more of Kirishima's uniform get chewed up and destroyed. Saw more scorching on the skin underneath. Katsuki wound back with his right arm and screamed, "DIE!", bringing his arm around in another big blast that had Kirishima flying backward, unconscious.

"Explosion wins!" Midnight cried, ecstatic.

Katsuki grinned and lifted his arms in the air to the manic cheers of the crowd. Lowering them, he walked over to where Kirishima lay and watched as the robots loaded him on the stretcher. He leaned over and knocked his fist against the redhead's chest.

"Good fight, Red," he said, grinning and happy. That was just the fight he needed after the fucking shit-show that was the little creep.

"You're in my way."

Katsuki frowned and turned. The stretcher went on without him toward the clinic. That had been Todoroki's voice. It had come from around the next turn. Katsuki made his steps light as went up to the corner and stopped to listen.

"You're acting disgracefully, Shoto."

He knew that voice - Endeavor, the fucking Flaming Chicken.

There was the sound of footsteps approaching, but they weren't as heavy as Endeavor's. It must be Half and Half. Katsuki grinned. The other boy was walking away from the bastard without even acknowledging him.

"If you used the power in your left side, you would've had an overwhelming victory in the obstacle course and the calvary battle." Endeavor's voice was full of impatience and anger. "Stop this childish rebellion already. You have a duty to surpass All Might. Do you think you can accomplish that acting like this?"

"Is that all you have to say, bastard?" Half and Half answered coldly, still walking. "You're wasting your breath. I will win and advance with just Mom's power. I'll prove I don't need your power to win."

"Even if that works for this fight with that little girl, you'll soon reach the limits of that power," Endeavor promised darkly. "I created you for a reason, Shoto. You're my masterpiece."

Half and Half turned the corner. He didn't break stride when he saw Katsuki leaning against the wall. Katsuki stared into the cold grey and blue of the other boy's eyes as the other boy stalked past. There wasn't even a tiny flicker in his coldly determined expression. Katsuki was pretty impressed.

Endeavor turned the corner and glared as he almost tripped over Katsuki. "Watch it," he growled and stormed past, his face and shoulders wreathed in flames.

Katsuki sneered at the hero's back and continued on toward the clinic. He really hoped he'd be the one to face off against Todoroki. _That_ would be a fight worth having. He grinned and cracked his knuckles.

**End Part 1**

**A/n:** I really tried to fit all the fights into one chapter, but with the dramatic detours it just became too long. Besides, this gives me a good chance to ask you a question!

The next people Izuku and Katsuki fight will be Shinso and Todoroki! Who do you think should fight Shinso and who should fight Todoroki?

Let me know what you think! ;p


	23. Chapter 23

**The Finals: Part Three**

Izuku stared as an enormous mountain of ice encased half the stadium. Poor Yaoyorozu was trapped inside. The battle had lasted all of three seconds; she hadn't stood a chance. Todoroki stood in front of her, his back to Izuku and the students' section of the stands. His breath frosted the now cold air. The audience was silent and shivering. Even Present Mic and Midnight were silent.

Todoroki walked slowly forward and reached out with his left hand. He began to melt the ice in front of their classmate. Steam wafted around his frame, obscuring him from view. Izuku's heart clenched with sudden sympathy for the hurting teen.

"Half Cold Half Hot wins!" Present Mic finally announced. "Can you believe the power of this kid? It's been a long time since we've seen anything like this, listeners! Half Cold Half Hot advances to the finals! His next fight will be against Explosion! That will be a battle you cannot miss!"

"As Present Mic has pointed out, we've made it to the finals," Midnight's voice echoed through the arena as she walked onto the non-frozen side of the stage. "These last four combatants have shown us great strength of will. Their final matches promise to be very entertaining.

"Three of the four combatants for the finals are from class 1-A!" Present Mic added. "The fourth is Brainwash from general studies! It has been seven years since someone not in the hero course has made it to the finals. You are watching history being made today, folks! Has it been luck or does Brainwash have what it takes to defeat Strongest Man? Could Brainwash be the first ever general studies student who makes it to the Champion match? Could he be the first ever non-hero Champion? "

Izuku frowned. Brainwash was the purple-haired general studies student who wanted to be in the hero course. So far he hadn't used his quirk that Izuku knew of. His first fight was with Hatsume, and she basically used him for a commercial before stepping out of the ring of her own volition. In the calvary battle, he'd been paired with her and Tokoyami. They had seemed to do all the actual fighting. Izuku looked around and caught Tokoyami's eyes.

"I did not see him use his quirk," the teen said without Izuku needing to ask. His tone was solemn. "He approached me with Hatsume and made a compelling pitch to be on their team. I agreed."

Izuku nodded and stood. He gave his classmates a grin. "Well, I'll do my best!"

Uraraka gave him a high five, smiling. Her face was completely healed and her eyes shone with confidence. "You've got this, Deku!"

"I know you can do it!" Ashido cried, pumping her fist in the air.

"Stay focused," Tsu advised.

"Make us proud, President!" Sero and Kaminari called out together, flashing four thumbs up.

Izuku smiled at them, but that smile slowly faded as he made his way toward the stage. Brainwash… It sounded like a psychic quirk of some kind. Those were so rare. It was hard to know how to defend against it. The few psychics heroes he knew about had very limited abilities and needed very specific conditions for their quirk to activate, like his own quirk did. Before One For All, he had no control over when it would activate or what he'd see. After One For All, his quirk only activated on the full moon. Brainwash must have a more controllable trigger if he thought he could be successful in the hero course.

Izuku reached the corridor that led to the field, muttering to himself, but he stopped when he saw the silhouette of Brainwash standing at the end against a backdrop of steam. Izuku hesitated, but then he continued forward. The other boy turned to look at him. He had dark circles under his eyes, ones even darker than Izuku's. There was a serious gravity to his gaze.

Izuku met those lavender eyes unflinching and gave the other boy a smile. "Congratulations on making it to the final. I'm really excited to go up against you, Brainwash." He held out his hand. "Let's have a good fight."

The other boy tilted his head, a look of curiosity on his face as he accepted Izuku's hand. "Most people hesitate to talk to me."

Izuku looked back at him, open and unafraid.

The other boy smiled. "If you don't mind, I prefer to be called Shinso."

Izuku smiled back, relieved the other boy seemed to be so friendly. "I'm Izuku Midoriya."

Shinso gave a nod and released his hand, then he turned to look out at the field. Izuku looked, too, and saw that the ice was gone. Staff with fire and water quirks were finishing drying the stage and removing the water produced by the melted ice. Midnight walked toward the center of the stage, her expression ecstatic. The match was about to start.

"I'd wish you good luck, Midoriya, but I can't afford to lose," Shinso suddenly spoke, voice low and intense.

Izuku frowned at him, worried. There was something tense underlying Shinso's voice, and after a moment Izuku realized it was fear. The other boy was afraid. An old fear, an old voice, rose in his mind, _"Don't tell anyone about your quirk, Izuku. They'll come for you. They'll take you away." _Anxiety strumming through his nerves, Izuku opened his mouth to ask if Shinso knew what his mother had been so afraid of, but the teen was already walking away.

"Let us begin the first match of the finals!" Present Mic was saying over the the deafening cheers of over three thousand spectators. "Brainwash remains a mystery, but his quirk sounds ominous. Can Strongest Man overcome this challenger?"

Izuku walked forward, following the path Shinso had taken. It seemed to take forever and yet he was standing across from Shinso before he was ready, his nerves still rattling from their encounter in the corridor.

The other boy was tall, a good five inches taller than Izuku. His hair stood up around his head, long and soft looking, exposing his forehead. It was a pale purple in color. Dark circles stood out predominantly under eyes that were were long and narrow, his eyebrows thin. He was pale and slender as a girl. That meant he relied on his quirk and not physical strength to win, and that might give Izuku an advantage.

"You look nervous," Shinso said, a humorless smile pulling the corners of his mouth up. "What happened to all of that friendliness from before?"

"START!" Midnight cried, slashing her flogger down.

Her cry interrupted any answer Izuku would have given. He reached inside and grabbed hold of One For All. He let it fill his body in Full Cowl. Green static sparked around him as he took a fighting stance. Izuku tensed to leap.

Shinso's expression crumbled into a look of hurt. "Oh. I see. You were just manipulating me. Trying to get me to lower my guard. So you could win."

Izuku's eyes widened. "No, I — "

A hard shove impacted his brain. It flung him down into pitch darkness. Izuku wasn't afraid. He knew this place. Slender arms wrapped around him from behind, and Izuku smiled, relaxing completely. This was his sanctuary after the visions on the full moon. Without this place soothing some of that trauma, he would have been a gibbering wreck locked in a mental hospital by now.

"Hello, Izuku," a male voice drawled playfully. "How nice of you to visit when you're not hurting or drugged."

A low ambient light filled the space they were in. He turned to see the pale-haired man he'd met here before. He was gangly and awkward as ever. His hair hung in front of his eyes, obscuring them from view, but his mouth was soft with a genuine smile. The man lifted a hand and gave a little wave.

Izuku flung his arms around the man's waist, grinning. Tears welled in his eyes as true gratitude made his chest feel too small. "Thank you. For everything," he said, voice thick with emotion. He was usually too out of it to thank him properly.

A gentle hand ruffled his hair. "It's no problem, Izuku. I'm here for you. We all are." Suddenly he pulled away. "Come on," he said excitedly. "Let me introduce you."

He took ahold of Izuku's wrist and pulled him forward. They walked only a few steps before the darkness parted like a curtain. Standing about twenty feet away stood four people. A fifth figure who looked made out of golden flames stood among them. Izuku knew instantly who it was: All Might! Izuku looked around at the others, realizing who they must be. They were all the holders of One For All!

— Outside his mind, Izuku's body became an empty shell. Shinso stared with wide-eyes. His control had never been so complete so fast before. He could feel Izuku's body as if it were his own. The other boy breathed in when he did, breathed out when he did. Even Izuku's heart rate matched Shinso's exactly.

Shinso lifted his arm, and Izuku's arm lifted simultaneously as if it were on strings. There was power in that limb, in Izuku's entire body. He felt it course through the other boy as if it were coursing through his own body, hot and strong, an infinite source of power. He'd never felt anything like it! —

— Deep inside his mind, Izuku met the images of all those who'd wielded One For All before him.

"We're with you," a beautiful woman told Izuku. She wore an impressive hero costume with a long yellow cape. Her eyes were soft as she reached toward him.

A tall, bald man with goggles resting on his forehead flashed a manly grin. He had a squared off jaw and a body of solid muscle. "Kick some ass, Izuku. Don't ever let evil get away!" His voice was a bass boom, full of energy and life.

A man with short, straight black hair caught Izuku's eyes. He wore a blue trench coat that went all the way to the ground. The collar was tall, covering the lower half of his face, stopping just short of his eyes. They stared over the rim of the collar, piercing but calm. Somehow Izuku could tell he was smiling. The man silently reached his hand forward.

The final man had choppy, shoulder-length pure white hair parted down the middle. His hair was so white that it looked like he didn't have eyebrows. A jagged scar ran across his face from the left corner of his forehead down past the right corner of his lips. "Work hard, Izuku. People's lives rest in your hands," he said, voice a surprisingly beautiful tenor. Sadness resonated in his tone. He reached his hand forward.

Izuku stared at the golden flames that outlined his mentor All Might. He gave a grin, but suddenly he squinted. Next to the golden flames stood two barely visible silhouettes. Izuku turned to the first holder who had helped him so much. "What's happened? Why can't I see them? Are they still alive, too?"

The first holder stepped up to his side, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. In the brighter light of this place, Izuku could see that his hair was a pale silver. It fell in long layers to his shoulders, his bangs so long they almost reached his lips. Unlike the others who all seemed to be wearing some type of hero costume, he merely wore a stretched out, long-sleeved white shirt over faded blue jeans. His feet were bare.

"No, I'm sorry," he said kindly. "They can't speak to you yet. Your birth quirk gave you a shortcut. Usually it takes mastering One For All to be able to tap into the spirits of the ones who came before, but your quirk created a bridge for us to reach you sooner."

"My quirk?" Izuku looked at the people filling the space with him. "It just shows me…" Wide-eyed, Izuku suddenly understood. "You're all so young," he said sadly, realizing he could see the previous holders who'd been violently murdered.

The silver-haired man pulled Izuku into a loose hug. "Toshinori has done the best of all of us," he said with quiet pride. "He made it to the age of fifty. His mentor chose very well."

Fifty… Izuku swallowed hard. Toshinori had lived the longest and he was only fifty. Eight holders of One For All before Izuku, and five of them had been brutally murdered. Izuku turned into the man's embrace and pressed his face into his chest, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry. You all fought so hard."

— Shinso grinned, adrenaline rushing through him. With just a thought, he turned Izuku around to face away from him. Power surged through his veins and he drew back his arm. Izuku's body mirrored him. The sleeve of Izuku's gym uniform had already been torn off at the elbow, but now the whole sleeve tore away as golden light shone through Izuku's skin. Red veins snaked over Izuku's fist, up his wrist and forearm before slashing up his bicep to the shoulder. Shinso snapped their fists forward in a punch.

The surface of the concrete stage cracked as it was chewed up by a blast of force. The wall of the stands buckled as a round crater in the shape of a massive fist slammed into its side; a violent gust of wind punched into the crowd. Spectators screamed as they were blasted away into the seats behind them.

Shinso gave a scream of his own as he felt Izuku's arm break under the force. He had control of Izuku's body, but he did not have the skill to control Izuku's quirk. The pain was horrific! Sweat instantly drenched him; nausea churned up his throat. He wanted to rip his arm off! Anything to stop the pain! The high of experiencing Izuku's amazing power for himself evaporated instantly.

Face pale as ash, Shinso held his arm tightly, trying to squeeze the agony out. Izuku's body mirrored him, gripping hard above the swollen, bruised flesh. He wanted this fucking over with! "Walk out of the arena," he demanded.

Izuku's body took a slow step forward, as if he were sleep walking. —

Izuku pulled back from the hug and saw that he was in the darkness with just the first holder with him. "What's your name?" he asked with a tearful smile. "I can't keep thinking of you as the first holder."

The young man grinned. His hair parted to reveal a pale, peridot green eye full of kindness. "My name is Daisuke." He reached forward and gently touched Izuku's wet cheek. "I'm so glad I've met you, Izuku. The others couldn't hear me as well as this." A faint blush of pink spread across his fair cheek."In life, I was the younger brother…" His head tilted so that his hair concealed his eye and face once more. "I didn't do such a good job of it. I'm hoping I'll do a better job as the older one."

Izuku reached up and grabbed the slender hand that was touching his face. "Daisuke, you're there for me." He swallowed as the fear and endless pain that lived inside him rose up to grip his throat. "You're there…when I'm alone and scared," he whispered, eyes shinning.

When he was a sobbing mess, scrambling around in the dark, mindlessly trying to get away from the brutal knives and fists and strangling hands that killed him over and over - it was Daisuke there, holding him together. Daisuke hadn't even flinched when Izuku had pissed himself in terror. Instead, he'd held him closer.

Breath coming ragged, Izuku continued, "You've seen me at my most broken and helped me… made me feel safe…" He looked up at the other man, tears glittering in his lashes. "I'm so glad you don't mind me thinking of you as my older brother… because I already did." His voice wobbled, his lower lip trembling.

"Izuku…" Daisuke wrapped him in his arms. He held him for a minute before clearing his throat and pushing him back, his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "Find this place again. We have much to talk about, but it's time for you to go. You're about to step out of the arena and lose your match to Shinso."

Izuku jolted. He'd completely forgotten about the competition! His eyes widened. "What? How?"

Daisuke smiled, amused that Izuku had forgotten. "His quirk shoved you down into your subconscious so that he could take control of your body. He's ordered you to walk out of bounds." Lifting his hands to cup Izuku's face, he asked seriously, "Are you ready to go back?"

Izuku frowned. "But how do I stop him from doing it again? And how do I come back on my own?"

"Win as fast as you can," was all the advice Daisuke could give. "Deep meditation can bring you here. It might take a while for you to master that, though." He gently pressed his forehead to Izuku's and sighed. "This might hurt for a second."

Izuku braced himself. "I'm ready."

Daisuke leaned back and then slammed his forehead into Izuku's. There was a split second of pain as Izuku was slammed upward, back into his body. As if from a distance, he watched his foot lift off the ground. When it came down, it would be across the line and he'd be out of bounds. He'd have lost!

One For All sung through his body - He thought of the previous holders - All of them reaching out to him, trust shinning in their eyes - He remembered the feel of Daisuke holding him together when all seemed lost - All Might training him, teaching him - His mother letting him go with tears on her cheeks, respecting his choice - Kaachan, all his love and anger and loyalty - So many people had sacrificed so he could stand here. Izuku couldn't let them down! He couldn't lose! Not like this! Not without putting up a fight!

A surge of determination burned through him and his fingers twitched. His index and middle fingers glowed yellow, red veins spreading across the swollen and bruised flesh, as he drew them up and snapped them down. Wind whipped around his body as he broke free of Shinso's quirk. Pain slammed into him - His right arm and hand screaming in agony! - but Izuku didn't fall. He staggered backward away from the boundary line. Panting and drenched in sweat, tears streaking his pale face, he turned to look at Shinso. The other boy's eyes were wide in shock.

"How?" he demanded. "How'd you break free? It's impossible!"

Izuku ran at him, Full Cowl leaving faint green streaks of light in his wake. His arm flopped, dangling at his side uselessly - PAIN! Izuku gritted his teeth. Just as he had Tokoyami, he slammed an arm across the other teen's chest and began to push him toward the edge.

"No!" Shinso screamed wildly. "I won't lose!" He pivoted out of the way just short of the boundary line. He threw a wild punch at Izuku's face.

Izuku jerked his head aside and spun, his leg sweeping forward. His shin caught the other boy at the small of his back and flung him forward. Shinso soared over the boundary line and skid along the field on his chest before coming to a stop.

"Unbelievable!" Present Mic screamed as Midnight lifted her flogger and yelled, "Strongest Man wins!"

"What an epic battle, listeners! I don't think anyone expected the fight to be quite so dramatic and strange!" Present Mic continued. "What an amazing quirk, everyone!"

There was a wave of clapping and loud shouts of approval, but it was lopsided as the people in damaged part of the arena were busy getting back on their feet. Izuku's eyes widened as he saw people climbing to their feet with blood on their heads or arms. His power had done that. He felt queazy. He took a step in that direction to help, but a swarm of pro-heroes descended on the area.

Midnight's calm voice announced, "As we prepare for the next fight, please clear the damaged area of the stands so that we may make repairs. Anyone injured should please see staff members for treatment."

Gritting his teeth through the pain of his broken arm, Izuku turned away from the damaged area and went to check on Shinso. The slender teen was on his hands and knees. As Izuku approached, Shinso punched the ground in frustration, tears welling in his lavender eyes. Izuku's heart squeezed. He knelt down to be at the other teen's level and put a gentle hand on his back.

"Your quirk is amazing, Shinso," he told him, voice a hoarse rasp. "You should definitely be in the hero course."

Shinso sat back on his heels, cheeks red. "What the hell do you know?" he growled angrily, looking away.

"I just — " Izuku felt shoved mentally backward, his body feeling far away, but he didn't drop into the black place with Daisuke. He looked out his own eyes and heard with his own ears as if through a small screen and speakers.

Shinso laughed. It was a dark and hopeless sound. "You really are something. Usually after I use my quirk on them, people stay as far from me as possible."

A sudden call from the stands caught the other boy's eye. Izuku distantly noted it was a teen wearing the UA gym uniform. He yelled down to Shinso about how amazing he was for making it to the finals. A hero in a metal mask shouted down how he'd love to have Shinso at his agency.

Izuku felt the control on his mind break and he rushed back into his skin. The world became bright and large, the noise and light almost overwhelming in comparison. He smiled at the surprised look on Shinso's face.

"Even though you didn't win, you really showed how useful your quirk would be to a hero," Izuku explained. "I wasn't manipulating you, Shinso. I really do want to be friends. And…" He bit his lip, hesitating, but the pain in the other teen's eyes couldn't be ignored. His voice dropped, heavy with meaning as he whispered, "And maybe I'd understand about your quirk more than you'd think."

Shinso looked at him, brows beetled as he searched Izuku's eyes.

Izuku held that gaze, letting him see the shadows of the many secrets held within him.

"Do you need help getting to the clinic?" Midnight asked as she approached them.

"No." Shinso stood, never breaking eye contact with Izuku. "I'll help him get there." He offered a hand and pulled Izuku to his feet before wrapping an arm around Izuku's waist.

Izuku was filthy, sweaty, and pale as a ghost with pain, but he managed to smile genuinely at the other teen. "Thank you. For helping me."

"You're really not afraid of me?" Shinso asked quietly as they walked across the field.

"Seems to me you have a really good handle on your quirk," Izuku answered with a shrug. He leaned heavily on the other boy. His arm screamed at him in constant, sharp agony, but he forced himself to pay attention to the conversation. "Why should I be afraid?"

At Shinso's dubious look, Izuku's became more insistent.

"We can all do terrible things with our quirks if we wanted to, but we're here to be heroes, aren't we? So I have nothing to fear."

…

Katsuki watched from the shadows as that purple-haired freak half-carried Izu toward him. They hadn't seen him yet, and Katsuki heard the last of Izuku's reassurance to the other kid. He felt frustration boil as he realized Izuku had taken the kid under his wing for some reason.

God, he'd about leapt out on that fucking stage to punch that asshole's face in when he'd had Izuku use his power. The fucking idiot had broken Izuku's arm! And hurt dozens of people in the stands! But Katsuki had to stand helpless, watching as Izuku walked toward the boundary, his eyes empty of all life, as that fuckhead had stood there smirking. It had been infuriating!

"Deku," he said, voice hard, alerting the two to his presence.

Izuku looked up. "Kacchan!" he called brightly, grinning. He gave Katsuki a meaningful look, telling Katsuki not to be mad, to back off the purple-haired freak. "You up for your match against Todoroki? He completely overpowered Yaoyorozu."

Katsuki pointedly refused to look at the purple-haired extra. It was the best he could do. He still wanted to punch him in the fucking face! Instead, Katsuki glared hotly at his boyfriend. He didn't like being told to back off, and he didn't like Izuku questioning his abilities, either. "Todoroki's no match for me. I'm going to wipe the fucking floor with him." Maybe if Todoroki was running at a hundred percent he'd be a challenge, but not with his head so fucking messed up. There was no way he'd win this fight.

Izuku suddenly gasped and winced. Katsuki instinctively reached for him, and Izuku took the offered hand, squeezing until the pain subsided again.

"Get your ass to the clinic," he growled, annoyed as hell.

"I'm going," Izuku responded, panting. "Just…" He lifted his eyes to Katsuki's. They burned with complete trust, with belief. Izu let go of his hand to slap his palm. "Kill it out there, Kacchan. Show them what a badass hero you really are."

Katsuki swallowed as he realized Izuku expected him not only to win, but to somehow fucking _save_ Todoroki. "Shut up, Deku. I know what I'm fucking doing," he snapped, blushing. Shit, would Izuku's faith in him ever stop hitting him so hard?

Izuku's expression softened, his eyes practically shouting '_I love you_'.

Katsuki stomped passed him, heading toward the mouth of the corridor. He stood with his arms crossed as he watched Cementoss repair the stage yet again. Heroes were helping the injured as the staff repaired the stands. Seeing a woman getting a bandage wrapped around her head made Katsuki scowl. What a fucking shit show of a fight, but as he calmed down, he had to admit Izuku had been really fucking impressive. He'd broken through a fucking brainwashing quirk! God, would Izu ever stop being so fucking heroic? A reluctant smile touched Katsuki's lips. He already knew the answer to that question.

"There you are."

Katsuki had heard the heavy footsteps moving toward him and had assumed it was another hero come to help with the mess, but at the sound of that now familiar voice, his face twisted in a snarl of rage that completely overshadowed the anger he'd felt toward the purple-haired freak just moments ago. But Katsuki was the master of his anger, not the other way around, and he forced his expression blank before he turned to face the speaker.

"Endeavor."

The man stood in front of him, flames flickering and burning on his shoulders, over his arms, along the bottom half of his face like a fucking beard. He was huge. Almost as large as All Might in hero form. His cold blue eyes stared down at him as if he were some bug, and Katsuki let his upper lip curl slightly in warning.

"I watched your fights," the man said, his massive arms crossed over his massive chest. "You have a powerful Quirk and you're smart."

"What the fuck do you care?" Katsuki asked calmly.

Endeavor looked surprised at that, but only for a moment. A dangerous glare settled on his features. His voice became even harder. "It is my Shoto's duty to surpass All Might. His match with you will be a very instructive test bed. If you manage to make him work for his victory, I will offer you an internship at my agency."

Katsuki snorted. "And I should be fucking grateful for that?" he asked with an amused smirk, letting some of his disgust glitter in his eyes.

Endeavor's arms unfolded. His hands were probably as big as Katsuki's head. Dangerous anger radiated from him as surely as the heat from his flames as they flickered and burned brighter. "Be careful, _boy_."

Katsuki stared back, hot anger filling his voice. "I don't fucking need you or anyone to help me." He took an aggressive step forward. "I'm going to fucking win this tournament, and eventually I'm going to take the number one hero spot from All Might myself. I'll be even higher than you, Endeavor."

Endeavor glared down at him, his fire flaring blue for a split second before mellowing into a warm red-orange. The hero's face broke into a fierce grin. "You have a shitty attitude, kid, but… I respect your passion. Good luck facing my son." He lifted his massive hand and slapped Katsuki on the shoulder.

Katsuki had to lock his legs in order to avoid being forced into a back-step. He watched through slitted eyes as Endeavor turned and walked away. He hadn't expected the bastard to laugh. He'd wanted to piss Endeavor off a bit, even though he knew it was a stupid move politically.

The number one hero had to be able to navigate political waters as well as being combat ready, so he'd pulled back on what he'd really wanted to do, which was spit at Endeavor for being such a fucking coward. If he wanted to beat All Might, he should fucking do it himself! Not hide away and force his fucking kid to do it for him. What a fucking loser!

Katsuki's fists clenched angrily. The truth was he'd really admired Endeavor. He'd been Katsuki's favorite hero right behind All Might, and both of his heroes had ended up disappointed him. It was irrational - the heroes were men not gods - but Katsuki didn't think he could forgive them for that.

"Please take your seats, ladies and gentlemen! The last fight of the finals is about to begin!" Present Mic's voice boomed out over the speakers. "The winner of this round will go on to fight Strongest Man for the esteemed title of UA Champion! Please put your hands together and welcome Explosion and Half Cold Half Hot to the stage!"

Katsuki, scowling, stalked across the field. The Half and Half bastard came out from another corridor. His expression was as blank as ever, his eyes hard and dark. Katsuki recognized that look; he'd seen it in the mirror. It made Katsuki's glare burn even hotter.

"Will Half Cold Half Hot defeat his opponent in seconds like his last match or will Explosion find a way to avoid his overpowering ice attack?" Present Mic exclaimed dramatically. "Speaking of. Those in the front rows should be prepared in the event that the combatants' quirks reach that far."

"You ready for me to kick your ass, Half and Half bastard?" Katsuki asked, red eyes sharp and predatory in spite of his light tone.

The other teen stared at him, eyes dead. There was no reaction, which just pissed Katsuki off more. Half and Half was miles away, focusing on his inner demons.

"Is everyone ready?" Midnight asked, looking from one teen to the other. She lifted her flogger. "Yes? Then combatants… Start the match!" She slashed her flogger through the air.

Todoroki immediately slammed his right foot down. Huge spires of ice burst into existence, careening toward Katsuki as large as an iceberg. An iceberg with enormous, deadly spikes. Katsuki thrust his hands forward again and again as as fast as he could, exploding the ice with the new heat explosions he'd practiced. Boom boom boom boom boom - explosions firing off at a rapid machine gun pace.

Nearly five times as hot, the heat generated by these new condensed explosions broke through the melting ice. Before he knew it, he was surrounded in dark blue darkness. Every breath he took was agony, the air searing cold. Ice surrounded him on all sides, but it hadn't moved him an inch. He still stood where he started.

— Shoto looked up into the stands where his father watched, arms crossed and forbidding. Shoto tilted his chin up, defiance and cold rage burning through him. _See! I don't need your power, _he thought vindictively._ I will win and surpass you without ever once using the quirk you forced on me!_

A thump sounded in the arena. Thump. Thump. THUMP. It grew louder and louder. Coming closer. Shoto's eyes narrowed as the sound filled the suddenly silent stadium. Suddenly, his ice cracked. Shoto jumped back, shocked, as Bakugou exploded out of the iceberg, fury etched across his features. The blond's hands slammed down on the lip of the ice tunnel he'd created. Instantly steam rose up around him.

"Where are you looking, Half and Half?" Bakugou yelled furiously. "Pathetic attacks like that won't do shit to me!"

Shoto gritted his teeth and got into a fighter's stance. His anger spiked. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! He was supposed to defeat everyone with his ice. Show his father just how useless he really was. How dare Bakugou stand in his way!

— Katsuki launched himself forward, using his palms to blast himself toward the other teen. Half and Half ran foward him to meet him head on. His ice arm swung forward to grab and freeze Katsuki mid-air. Katsuki turned his palm, a small explosion shooting him sideways a millisecond before the other teen made contact. Katsuki grabbed the bastard, one hand latching on to the vibrant red hair, the other grabbing Half and Half's left shoulder. It was the other boy's fire side; the side he left vulnerable and exposed.

"Are you underestimating me? IDIOT!" Katsuki screamed furiously as his body completed the arc, his feet landing hard on the stage. With a low powered explosion to the bastard's shoulder, he flung the Half and Half bastard toward the edge of the ring.

The teen flew through the air, but just before he tumbled off the stage, he created a curved wall of ice and rode it like a fucking wave. It curled around back toward the center of the stage. Katsuki leapt at his opponent, his palm ready to explode in the bastard's face. Half and Half's right arm was behind him, creating the ice wall that he rode like a wave. He reached forward and grabbed Katsuki with his left hand. Katsuki's eyes widened, heart thundering, but the teen only flung him away.

— Shoto's heart was in his throat. He'd almost used it! He'd almost used his fire! Throwing Bakugou away was more out of shock than any tactical decision. Holy shit, Bakugou could fight!

He'd seen it, of course. The boy was brilliant, but experiencing it for himself was another thing. Bakugou's maneuverability was incredible! He was there, then he wasn't, but he was always in your face, pressing you. It sent Shoto's heart racing in panic, made him sloppy. He stood panting, shivering slightly, his body temperature dropping from the excessive ice use. He stared across at Bakugo as if the blond were a wild animal about to attack.

"You stupid fucking idiot."

Shoto's heart squeezed in actual fear at the low tone of Bakugou's voice. The blond got to his feet in a ready stance. He stared at Shoto, eyes practically burning with rage.

"That's the only fucking opening I'm going to give you, and you fucking wasted it."

Shoto jumped as Bakugou let off a big explosion that shattered ice and chewed up the stage, steam wreathed him - making him look demonic in his rage.

Growling, Bakugou demanded, "Are you seriously going to stand there in front of me and come at me using only half your fucking power? Because of your fucking father?!"

Cold as the ice he wielded, Shoto felt his fear mutate to frozen rage. "Midoriya told you." His face contorted into a disgusted sneer. "I didn't expect him to be so petty."

"Izuku told me jack shit!" The blond spat like an angry cat. "Your fucking coward of a father tried to bribe me with an internship! Told me to kick your ass!" Bakugou stomped closer, eyes murderous. "The rest is fucking obvious, isn't it? You fucking insist on using just your ice. Never fucking fire. It's got you all tangled up and YOU'RE NOT PAYING FUCKING ATTENTION! I told you, didn't I, bastard? It's ME you have to fucking look out for!"

Shoto stood panting, torn between anger and confusion, but he didn't have time to think! Bakugou was attacking!

— Katuski launched an explosion at the other boy. A billow of red heat and black smoke filled his vision, but the bastard dodged, shooting another spiked wave of ice outward. Katsuki spun in mid air, landed to the left of the ice and ran around the wall, getting in front of the Half and Half bastard once more.

"We're all out here fighting our asses off!" he shouted, pissed. Forgoing, his quirk, he lashed out with a fast punch and kick. Half and Half - his two-colored eyes wide - dodged the punch and blocked the kick with his forearms. "To be the best fucking heroes we can be! And all you're thinking about is proving something to your fucking father!"

Ice exploded out at him, but it was slower and smaller than the huge iceberg attack from before.

"Don't talk as if you know me!" the Half and Half bastard screamed furiously, his stoic mask cracking open to reveal the fury and pain underneath. "You don't know anything about me!"

Katsuki used explosions to flip over the ice. He started marching forward. "I told your fucking father and I'll tell you. You. Are. Not. Your. Father! Your quirk is not your father's! YOUR FUCKING QUIRK IS YOUR OWN!"

— Shoto shot ice out wildly, just trying to get the demonic blond away from him. "I'll never use his quirk!" he screamed. "I'll reject him utterly and win this competition without using his fucking fire!"

Bakugou dodged his attack, exploding himself in the air. Shoto shot more ice toward him, screaming. Why wouldn't Bakugou shut up! What the hell was he playing at? But Shoto was losing strength, fast. He was shivering hard. His right side was almost completely numb, slow and heavy. Bakugou didn't bother to doge. He slammed his hands forward and exploded the ice. Ice shards and cold air burst outward in a wave as the rapidly heated air expanded.

"How does crippling yourself prove anything except that the flaming coward's gotten to you? That you're letting him shape who you are?" Bakugou spat furiously. "This isn't defiance, idiot! It's capitulation!"

Shoto blinked. There was more than rage in Bakugou's voice… There was pain, too.

— Some part of Katsuki still stood against a wall as his mother beat him and told him to how vile his quirk was. So many times he'd almost given in. He'd almost given up on his quirk, but then Izuku was there, telling him his quirk was amazing, that he could save people. That's why the Half and Half bastard pissed him off so much. He was everything he hated about himself, the fear he'd almost given in to.

Seeing red, Katsuki flew in and slammed a punch into the bastard's face. The teen went flying, hitting his own wall of ice hard. Katsuki stood across from him, panting.

"What the hell are you doing, bastard?" he snarled. "Look at yourself! You're fucking half frozen! You're getting slow, your attacks weak! I'm fucking beating your ass out here! What fucking point does that fucking prove?" Meeting the teen's two-colored eyes with a hot glare, Katsuki screamed at him, "Is this really the kind of half-assed hero you want to be?!"

— Shoto gasped for air as he stared up at Bakugou. Tears blurred his vision for a moment. He launched himself at Bakugou, coming in at a run. His left fist was coated in ice. Being hit by that would be a major blow, but the blond spun out of the way and delivered an explosion to Shoto's back. Shoto went tumbling, almost falling off the stage, but he forced an ice shard to burst upward and stop him. He spun around and charged Bakugou again.

"Shut up," he gasped and sent a knee-high line of ice shooting at the other teen.

"You're just a fucking puppet! Unless you WAKE THE FUCK UP!"

Bakugou blew the ice into pieces. The force shoved Shoto back toward the boundary line. He slammed into the remains of an ice wall, cracking it. Shoto got back on his feet, staggering. His right arm was almost frozen solid. He gripped it hard, holding to his body protectively. He couldn't put any weight on his right leg for fear it would crumble underneath him.

"Why? Why do you fucking care?" he gasped in pain, world spinning.

Instead of blasting him again or punching him in the face, Bakugou spoke lowly. "You aren't the only one," he said, voice raw. "Who inherited a quirk from a fucking vile piece of shit."

Shoto looked over and saw Bakugou for the first time. Really saw him. Angry but also defiant - Determined to beat the shit out of him but also reaching out his hand. Inexplicably, he felt like he was seeing a friend.

"You think the power of exploding things with just a fucking touch comes from a good place?" Bakugou demanded roughly. "You think my fucking parents were happy I could blow them up? Well, they fucking weren't! They hated my quirk! But I won't let them decide my quirk is evil!" He grabbed Shoto by the front of his gym uniform. "I will decide who I am! And I'm going to be a HERO!" His voice dropped, low and intense as he stared into Shoto's eyes. "Now fight me. Fight me with all you've got, Shoto. Fucking show me the hero you'd be if you were free of him!"

A painful memory Shoto had completely forgotten suddenly swam through his brain and he instinctively lashed out, shoving the other boy away from him…

"_I don't want to be like him," he'd sobbed into his mother's shirt._

_A gentle hand stroke his hair. "But you do want to be a hero, right?"_

_Shoto had nodded his head. "I want to be a hero so I can protect you, mama. Heroes are supposed to protect people, right? Not like him! He's a villain!"_

_At her soft laugh, he looked up to see her smiling down at him. "I think because it's you, you can do it. You can be a real hero instead of becoming like him." She stroked the red half of his hair and turned him so that she looked down into his eyes. Her face was full of sweet love as her thumb stroked his tear-damp cheek. Sweetly, she said,"I believe in you, Shoto. Because you have a good heart. You can break free of all this and be a true hero."_

"_I will! I'll be a hero and save you. I'll save everyone who's hurting!" … _

When had he forgotten that promise? Guilt burned through him, bitter and painful. His mother had been wrong. He hadn't been strong enough. He'd stopped caring about saving people and let himself be filled with rage and hatred. But maybe… Maybe it wasn't too late… He looked up at Bakugou and met his eyes. Steam rose from his right side as the frost on his arm and leg evaporated. Maybe he could still be free… be a hero…

— Katsuki backed up, eyes wide as steam shrouded the other teen. Half and Half looked at Katsuki with pain and hope striking across his expression. He never looked away from Katsuki's eyes as flames began to lick free of his scarred face. Fire exploded upward nearly two stories tall; the heat was immense! Katsuki used two small explosions to blast himself even further backward. Grinning wildly, he watched the glorious blaze burst free. Holy shit!

"Something's finally happening, listeners! Half Cold Half Hot has activated his flames for the first time!"

The blue of the bastard's eye practically glowed within the inferno. "Even though you wanted to win…" Half and Half called over the roar of the hungry flames. "Damn it… Why would you help your enemy?"

Katsuki grinned with honest joy as he took a fighting stance. "What glory is there in beating a cripple?" He laughed, wild and free. "You think I won't kick your ass just because you've stopped screwing around? Think again, Half and Half! I'm still going to wipe the floor with you!"

For the first time, Katsuki saw the other teen smile. "You're insane, Bakugou. Don't blame me for what happens next."

As adrenaline and battle lust roared in his blood, making him feel invincible, Katsuki ran forward. His hands popped as he built up heat in his palms. He crossed his arms, flung himself in the air, and began to spin. He couldn't see what Half and Half was doing, smoke billowing and obscuring his view, but he saw a piercing white light and knew it was dangerous, maybe even life-threatening.

As if in slow motion, a wall of flames roared forward like a mountain of burning death. Katsuki felt his lungs spasm as the oxygen in the area suddenly decreased. His carefully restrained explosions still spun him like a top in the air. His palms glowed white-hot as he built up the largest explosion he was capable of. It was agony, his palms feeling like they were splitting in half, but Katsuki was grinning, his heart thumping hard and fast.

This was it! This was fucking it! Every day before the Sports Festival, he'd trained with Half and Half in mind, knowing the bastard would be his biggest rival besides Izuku. He'd pushed himself to exhaustion and had created this attack specially to combat fire.

"HOWITZER IMPACT!" he screamed through the pain. He flung his hands forward and pushed his quirk to the max. It felt like the whole world combusted in an explosion!

The centripetal force made the explosion feed on itself, sucking in air that only exponentially increased its size and force. Katsuki hung suspended in the air, his rotating momentum arrested and held in place by the backlash of the explosion for one glorious moment.

The explosion dwarfed the stage and nearly reached to the stands. White hot flame ballooned out consuming the oxygen and starving Todoroki's fire, snuffing it out. An enormous wall of ice speared upward in front of the teen, trying to shield him from the force, but the thick ice cracked and shattered almost instantly under the brutal force, steam rising in a blinding curtain. People went flying from the force, slammed backward into others higher up in the stadium. Smoke filled the air, blinding all. It billowed up like a huge cloud, casting the whole stadium into darkness.

Katsuki fell on his stomach. His arms hurt like a motherfucker. He pushed himself up onto his knees and lifted his head. He could hear coughing and cries of confusion and fear. Slowly the smoke cleared, and Katsuki could see Todoroki out of bounds, sprawled on broken blocks of ice fast melting. Singed and burnt, most of his gym uniform shredded and blackened, Todoroki looked like a broken doll.

Katsuki climbed onto his feet. He staggered and caught his balance. Present Mic was shouting madly about the match, but Katsuki didn't care about that right then. He crossed the stage, dropped down onto the field, and made his way to his opponent's side. Todoroki cracked his eyes open just as Katsuki climbed up and leaned over him.

"That was fucking amazing, you Half and Half bastard." He gave the other teen a grin and offered a shaking fist. "I'd like to fight you again, this time with you taking it fucking seriously from the beginning."

"What happened to calling me Shoto?" Todoroki asked, smiling. He knocked Katsuki's fist with his own before his arm fell heavily to his side once more.

"How about IcyHot?" he countered, glaring. He teetered and just barely caught his balance.

Todoroki snorted, a laugh escaping him. "You really are insane."

"Are you two alright?" Midnight cried, running up to them, Cementoss at her side

"Peachy," Katsuki answered, exhaustion threading through his voice. He looked down at the battered teen. "Can you stand?"

Todoroki dragged his limbs in and feebly pushed to his feet. "Yeah," he rasped.

"To the clinic," Midnight ordered. "The both of you." She looked around at the destroyed arena. "Looks like you have work to do, Cementoss. Again."

The Cement Hero sighed and turned back to the stage. "I'm on it."

As Katsuki and Todoroki leaned on each other, Midnight gave Katsuki a serious look. "You're up against Strongest Man for the Championship. We'll have exhibition matches while Cementoss fixes the arena. You have ninety minutes to be ready."

Katsuki nodded. Giddy excitement bubbled up from his core. "I can't fucking wait," he admitted, grinning.

Midnight shook her head and turned back to the stage.

"Thank you," Todoroki said softly as they entered the arena corridor, leaning against each other.

Katsuki looked over at him, annoyed. He hated that he had to lean on this bastard for support and now the stupid idiot wanted to get sentimental? "I fucking told you. I just wanted a good fight."

"I still don't know how I feel about this part of my power," Todoroki said, ignoring him. He lifted his left hand and looked at it pensively. "But you made me remember something important… so… Thank you."

Katsuki looked away, uncomfortable.

"Shoto!"

They both looked up at the booming voice. Endeavor strode toward them, a wide grin on his face. He looked delighted.

"You've finally abandoned your childish tantrum! You're a perfect upgrade of me," he said, arms wide. He dropped them, reaching one arm out for Todoroki's hand. "You've finally acknowledged that I'll lead you down the path of the mighty!"

Katsuki sneered and opened his mouth, but Todoroki beat him to it.

"I haven't abandoned anything," he said, voice even. He met his father's eyes. "It's not something that can be so easily reversed." He looked away, over at Katsuki. "But at the end… just for a moment… I wasn't thinking about you."

Endeavor looked shocked as Todoroki took a step, making Katsuki move forward with him. As they passed the number two hero, Todoroki continued.

"Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing… Whether it's correct or not… I need to think about it."

They turned the corner. The heavy tread of Endeavor's boots didn't follow them.

"What a fucking asshole," Katsuki muttered.

Todoroki choked out a surprised laugh, making Katsuki grin.

**Chapter End**

**A/N: **Finally! These major chapters are so hard to write! I just want to keep revising and revising. It never feels good enough! _(collapses in exhaustion) _I just had to cross my fingers, post, and hope for the best so that I could move on to more great parts! XD


	24. Chapter 24

**Champion: Part Four**

Izuku lay on a gurney in the clinic. He'd just come around from surgery and was back in the temporary clinic. The top half of the bed was inclined so he could sit mostly upright. Looking down, he saw that his right arm was wrapped in bulky bandages and strapped to his chest. His thoughts moved slowly and he was vaguely aware of the lingering effects of drugs.

"I was successful in removing all the bone shards from your joints and muscles," Recovery Girl informed him. She stood at his bedside, barely tall enough to see over the edge. Her voice was clinical, and Izuku blinked slowly at her, vaguely aware she wasn't happy. "I've already administered my kiss, but even with accelerated healing it will take time. The damage was extensive."

"I'm sorry," a low, sad voice said from his other side.

Izuku looked over to see Shinso sitting in a chair by the bed, looking lost. "You didn't know about my quirk's rebound." He smiled tiredly. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Recovery Girl sighed. "Midoriya." Her voice was hard enough that it caught his attention. "You've broken this arm repeatedly. In February at the entrance exam. Then again in April during that reckless battle simulation. You broke your index finger in April on the first day of school, and a week later at the USJ you broke several bones in that hand along with your two middle fingers. It's only been a month since then." She looked sternly into Izuku's eyes. "In your fight with Tokoyami just a few hours ago, you broke both your ulna and radius directly above the wrist. Now both have been shattered so completely that I had to pull bone shards from your joints. Not to mention you broke your two middle fingers again getting free of that one's quirk. If your bones suffer another break before a full six months has passed, you'll risk permanent damage." Gravely, she asked, "Do you understand me, Izuku Midoriya? You will lose full function of that arm."

Izuku swallowed, his green eyes wide. "Yes, ma'am. I understand."

She nodded. "I've already explained all this to that idiot friend of yours," Recovery Girl told him meaningfully. She was talking about All Might. "He'd like to see you, so if you could say goodbye to your classmate?"

Izuku looked over at Shinso and saw resignation in his lavender eyes, as if he knew his fate were terrible and there was nothing he could do to stop it. It broke Izuku's heart. He was determined to not let that be true.

Izuku looked back at Recovery Girl and gave her a sweet smile. "Can you tell him I'm alright and I'll talk to him after the festival? I need to talk to Shinso for a minute. It's important."

The old woman looked surprised at this, but she slowly nodded. "Very well." She turned and walked away, her syringe cane clicking with every step. The door shut quietly behind her.

Shinso stared at him, and Izuku scooted over and gestured with his unbandaged arm for the other boy to sit on the edge of the bed. "I get the feeling you don't think we'll have a lot of time to talk after the festival," Izuku said quietly. "I want to ask you something, but I don't want anyone else to hear."

Shinso sat on the bed, facing Izuku. He searched Izuku's eyes again. "Is this about… why you think you can understand my quirk?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet.

Izuku nodded. He took a deep breath, eyes on his lap as he confessed in a whisper, "On the night of the full moon, I have visions about people who will be murdered in the future. I've kept it secret, though, because of my mom. She thinks I'd be taken away…"

Izuku trailed off as Shinso grabbed him into a hug. Izuku's eyes went wide. Pale purple hair covered half his face. It was soft just as he'd guessed, not coarse like Kacchan's blond mane.

"Shhh," Shinso hissed urgently. The hug was just a disguise to get his mouth closer to Izuku's ear. "You don't know for sure Recovery Girl can't hear us. You're mom was right, Midoriya. If a certain group of people find out you have a psychic element to your quirk…" He was breathing hard, speaking fast, barely above a whisper. "They took me when I was six. I was taken to a _school _and never saw my family again." His hold tightened. Izuku's bandaged arm gave a painful throb caught between them. "After nearly nine weeks, I finally _convinced_ my handler to enroll me at UA. I don't know how long my brainwashing will hold. He'll come back for me… I thought, if I was in class 1-A, it would be harder for them to make me disappear again…"

The clinic door opened and Shinso jerked away from him. Izuku stared at the other boy in horror, tears burning his eyes. Shinso's voice had been full of so much fear, but he couldn't see it on the other boy's face. It was pale, the dark circles under his eyes predominant, but his expression was blank. A chill went down Izuku's spine.

"Both of you up onto a bed," Recovery Girl said stridently as she marched in. "I'll be right back. I have to fetch a few things."

As she hurried into a supply room, Kacchan and Todoroki staggered through the door, leaning on each other. They looked shredded and on their last legs, but they were smiling. They parted just long enough to practically crawl onto clinic beds. Kacchan claimed the one next to Izuku. Todoroki climbed on the bed next to it.

"Are you alright?" Izuku gasped, his heart still racing from Shinso's desperate words.

"I'm fucking fine, Deku," Kacchan insisted. He grinned, holding Izuku's eyes. "We've got ninety minutes. Then we're up. Winner takes the prize," he said, eyes burning with excitement.

Izuku smiled, but it was only a shadow of the real thing. Shinso's fear pressed at him.

Kacchan immediately frowned. His eyes flashed down to the bulky bandages wrapped around Izuku's arm and torso, the limb pinned to Izuku's chest. "Izu?"

"I'm fine," Izuku assured him. "I have to go talk to Aizawa-sensei. I'll be back."

He slipped off the bed, getting to his feet in the small aisle between them. Izuku swayed slightly, his head feeling light and floaty. He grabbed the arm Kacchan thrust out toward him for support and caught his boyfriend's eyes.

"Watch Shinso for me," he asked lightly, but he tightened his grip on the blond's forearm in warning. He got a fierce glare in return, but Kacchan tipped his chin down in a fractional nod of acknowledgement. Izuku had a lot of explaining to do later.

Izuku's forced smile widened as he turned to Shinso who was staring at him, eyes wide, his stoic expression wavering. "Shinso," he called, voice still light. "I'm going to step out for a minute. Will you keep Kacchan company while I'm gone? He's not a very good patient, so you have to watch out for him." He let his tone become more serious as he held the other boy's eyes. "Don't leave his side until I get back, okay?"

"Midoriya!" Recovery Girl's angry voice snapped across the room. She carried a tray piled high with bandages, ointment, and disinfectant wash. "Get back in bed this instant! You just woke up from surgery!"

"I'm not going far," he promised and gave her his best puppy dog look. "I swear! I just need to see someone and I'll come right back."

"Your body's healing as fast as it can, draining your reserves as it does," she said lowly. "You're going to fall flat on your face and will probably break that arm again when you do." Her eyes burned with surprising fire behind her clear lab glasses. "Did you already forget what I told you the consequence would be if you break it again?"

"I feel fine," he lied through his teeth. "I'm going to take it nice and slow." He wasn't taking no for an answer and moved toward the clinic door.

"Deku! You're okay?" Uraraka cried as they almost collided in the doorway. Kirishima was right behind her.

After the fight with Shinso, she'd come immediately, along with Iida and Kirishima, to check on him, but he'd shooed them away. It wasn't like they could help him and he didn't want them to miss the fight between Todoroki and Kacchan. He told them he wanted all the details later, so they'd reluctantly gone to watch the fight.

"Should you be out of bed?" Uraraka asked, big brown eyes full of worry.

"My friends will help me," Izuku said over his shoulder to the fuming nurse. "They won't let me fall."

"What?" Kirishima asked in confusion, practically catching Izuku as he stumbled.

Izuku threw a bright grin up at him. "I have to talk to Aizawa-sensei. Just for a minute. Would you walk with me?"

"Of course," Uraraka agreed immediately, slipping under his arm to support him on his other side. She looked over her shoulder at the glaring blond and the confused Todoroki. "Great match, guys! Congratulations, Bakugou."

"Yeah! It was the manliest!" Kirishima called excitedly back at his friend, but Izuku hadn't broken stride and they were back in the hallway before he could finish what he was saying, the clinic door swinging shut. "What the heck?" he asked, confused as he looked down at Izuku.

"Are you really okay?" Uraraka demanded as she helped him walk along. "What's going on?"

"Yeah," Izuku reassured her. "I'm just super exhausted from Recovery Girl's quirk. The surgery was successful." He quickly changed the subject. He couldn't spare the energy to talk. Just putting one foot in front of the other was taking all of his concentration, so he pushed out as lightly as he could, "Tell me about Kacchan's fight, and where's Iida?"

"He got a call from his mom. We haven't seen him since," Uraraka said, clearly worried.

Kirishima, however, couldn't be subdued. He lit up, practically vibrating with excitement. "Oh man! The fight was _epic!_"

Izuku listened intently to the descriptive blow-by-blow of the fight between his boyfriend and their classmate. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face when Kirishima described Todoroki suddenly using his fire.

He was just telling Izuku the part where Kacchan used his final move when they reached the elevator by the preparation rooms. The elevator didn't move when Izuku hit the button. Uraraka frowned and hit the call button a few more times. They finally heard an engine whir as the lift descended.

"There was this huge wave of air. Mineta went flying! Shoji had to hold him by the leg. Yaoyorozu explained it was because of the cold air heating so fast that it created a shockwave or something. It was massive! The whole arena was filled with smoke! People with air quirks tried to funnel it away, but by the time we could see, Bakugou was standing down there by Todoroki. Todoroki was smashed against his ice! Can you believe it?"

The elevator doors opened. Aizawa stood inside. He looked out from bloodshot eyes over the edge of his scarf. "Midoriya. What are you doing here?"

Black crowded around the edges of Izuku's vision, but he flashed a big smile at his teacher. "Shinso told me that general studies students could be moved to the hero course if they proved themselves at the festival," he said brightly. "I think Shinso should join our class, sensei! I mean, he really showed he was as good as a hero student, didn't he? He's the first general studies student to make it to the finals in a really long time! I got special training from All Might," he added, voice heavy with meaning. "Remember? That day I was out of school? It wouldn't be fair if he wasn't considered just because of that. I mean, I would never have been able to break his quirk's hold on me if it weren't for that. Anyone else wouldn't have been able to break free, and Shinso would have gone on to fight the Championship match. He probably would have won, too!" He stared up at Aizawa, desperate. His heart beat hard and fast in his chest. The black was creeping ever closer to the center of his vision, tunneling it. "Please. I think he'd do really well in our class, sensei. He…"

"Enough," Aizawa cut in. He lifted a hand and stepped closer to them, crouching so that Izuku was looking down at him. When he spoke, it was soft, the sound not carrying further than their small group. "We will talk later about what drove you to leave the clinic when you're on the verge of passing out, but you don't have to push yourself so hard. I've already filled out the form requesting Hitoshi Shinso's transfer to our class."

He reached forward and put a gentle hand on Izuku's head. "The entrance exam wasn't rational enough and favored physical quirks. You can trust me to be capable enough to see that." He stood. His voice returning to a normal monotone. "Uraraka. Please float him back to bed. He should not have left it. Do not be worried if he passes out before you get there. He has over-exhausted himself."

Uraraka saluted, eyes wide. "Yes, sir!"

Izuku stared up at his teacher in shock. He didn't know why he was so surprised. Of course Aizawa had already anticipated Shinso's need and acted. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Tears blurred what little vision he had left. Uraraka touched Izuku's cheek and he immediately floated off the ground.

"What was that all about?" Kirishima asked as they began walking back to the clinic. He was holding Izuku's good arm, pulling him along like a balloon.

Uraraka sighed. "Deku's trying to take care of everything all on his own again."

Izuku didn't hear any more, passing out in their hands.

…

Katsuki stared unblinking at the purple-haired extra. The teen's eyes were unfocused and disinterested, lazily tracking Recovery Girl's movements as she treated Todoroki and Katsuki's burns, scrapes, and bruises. He wasn't exactly avoiding Katsuki's gaze, but he wasn't meeting it, either.

Katsuki's mind raced. He wanted to know what the fuck was going on, but in the absence of actual information, he was left to try and piece it all together. This is what he knew:

Braindead over there had some kind of mental quirk. He'd turned Izuku into a fucking puppet, but all he had control over was Izuku's body. He hadn't known about One For All, hadn't know it would hurt Izuku, hadn't known how to modulate the power. Therefore, he had none of Izuku's knowledge, none of his memories.

Izuku had broken free somehow - and Braindead had been surprised. That suggested that something unique about Izuku, likely his psychic quirk, had given him an advantage. The two had been friendly enough, Izuku already putting his invisible wing of protection over the teen, so some new interaction had taken place that Katsuki had missed.

He took a deep breath, still staring at the other teen, and switched gears.

Izuku had apparently woken from surgery - Katsuki's heart skipped a beat at that, but he refused to be distracted. Whatever had passed between the two, Izuku had left the brat in Katsuki's care, as if he needed watching, and ran to Aizawa. But did the teen need watching because he was dangerous or because he was in danger?

Katsuki thought it more likely that the boy was in danger. Izuku wouldn't have advertised he was going to their teacher if the teen was a danger to others. Braindead would have bolted as soon as he heard that. So who would the kid be in danger from? Katsuki's eyes narrowed as things began clicking in place.

"Shit," he hissed softly under his breath.

Less than ten minutes had passed since Izuku had left and he had a pretty good idea about what was going on. He didn't like it one fucking bit! If Izuku was protecting this kid from some fucking messed up group who collected psychic quirk users, then this was really fucking bad. Izuku needed to stay off the psychic goon squad's radar, not stand in their fucking way! These were the last people in the world who should become aware of Izuku's existence.

Katsuki scowled, knowing that convincing Izuku of that would be a losing battle. This extra was far from weak, but despite that there was still an air of vulnerability about him. It was in the dark circles that lined his tired if distant eyes, the way he held himself so completely detached from everyone around him. Izuku was obsessed with saving _everyone_. No way would he turn a blind eye to this idiot's problems. That meant the only way to keep Izuku safe was to make sure this extra was safe, too.

_Well, fuck,_ he thought, even as he resigned himself to keeping an eye on the idiot.

"What's going on?" Todoroki asked quietly as Recovery Girl stomped away with the used supplies. He was shirtless, his gym shirt in rags. His pants weren't much better. Recovery Girl was going to get him scrubs to change into until an extra gym uniform could be found.

Katsuki had managed to keep all his clothes, though they were damp in paces and soot-stained. They had both received a kiss from the elderly nurse and were told to rest. Exhaustion pulled at him hard. He regulated his breathing, making it nice and slow, resting as much as he could, while keeping his mind and eyes alert.

"If I had to guess," he said, low and even. "I'd say our class president is making a pitch to get Braindead over here added to our fucking class roster." He glared at the other teen. "What was Deku's fucking damage, anyway? Recovery Girl said something about surgery."

Dull lavender eyes met his own. When the teen spoke his voice was factual and cool, but Katsuki could hear hints of unease underneath that stoic facade. "His forearm shattered bad enough that she had to remove bone splinters from his elbow and wrist joints before using her healing quirk. He'll make a full recovery, but if he breaks that arm or hand again in the next six months, there could be permanent damage."

Katsuki knew it wasn't fucking fair to blame this idiot. He hadn't known Izuku's power broke his body. He hadn't been in Izuku's entrance exam group, wasn't there to witness the fucking train wreck of All Might's battle simulation, and he wasn't at the USJ, but Katsuki was still pissed as hell. The idiot knew it, too. He couldn't hold Katsuki's eyes.

"What about your match?" Todoroki asked from the other side of him.

Katsuki lips parted in a furious snarl. He slammed his fist down on the bed. "What fucking match?"

The contestants had always been battered by the time the tournament had been winnowed down to two, but Braindead's fight with Izuku had been unprecedented. A whole bunch of coincidences had lined up to result in Izuku broken but still the winner. He wasn't in any condition to fight - not if it could cost Izuku full use of his right hand and arm. The match would have to be fucking canceled.

The door opened. Cheeks and Kirishima entered. Izuku floated next to them, limp and unconscious. He looked like he was underwater. His wavy, green hair swayed around his head in the air currents. His legs bumped together and broke apart again in slow motion. It sent a chill down Katsuki's spine. As if he was seeing Izuku's corpse floating deep underwater, cold and unreachable. His throat tightened. He was completely unable to speak.

"What happened?" Todoroki asked.

"Passed out," Kirishima answered. He gave Izuku's floating body an exasperated look. "Aizawa said he's over-exhausted."

Recovery Girl stomped out of her office. "Bah! That is an understatement. Put him on the bed."

They did so and Cheeks canceled her anti-gravity quirk. The nurse got busy checking Izuku's vitals.

"What was so important?" Todoroki asked quietly, looking to Katsuki for answers.

Katsuki's throat was still too tight, so it was Cheeks who answered.

"He wanted Aizawa-sensei to transfer Brainwash into our class." While everyone else was watching the production of Recovery Girl fussing over Izuku, she was watching the purple-haired kid with curious eyes.

Kirishima grinned at Katsuki. "Aizawa told Izuku he had already started the paperwork and to go back to bed."

"Aizawa asked for my transfer?" Braindead suddenly spoke up. His cheeks had flushed a pale pink. With excitement or embarrassment, Katsuki couldn't tell.

"Yeah." Cheeks nodded and smiled. "Looks like we'll be classmates. I'm Ochaco Uraraka. Nice to meet you."

"Hitoshi Shinso," the extra answered. He gave a tight smile.

The door opened again and everyone turned to see pro-hero Living Chains walk in. He wore a black leather jacket and matching black leather pants. Both had silver chains and studs covering nearly every inch.

"I'm here to collect the winners for the award ceremony," the man said, steel grey eyes bored and detached as they took in the room.

Katsuki's eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Winners?" Kirishima echoed.

"Award ceremony?" Cheeks asked, confused.

"Recovery Girl contacted Midnight. Said Strongest Man had to forfeit due to injury." Grey eyes found Katsuki's. "Explosion wins by default."

"No," Katsuki growled. His fists clenched beside him. "No fucking way. I forfeit, too, then."

"Doesn't work like that kid," the man said, shaking his head.

"The festival can't conclude without a winning ceremony," Recovery Girl agreed, butting in. "Don't forget the world's watching."

"We didn't even fucking fight!" Katsuki spat furiously. He swung his legs off the bed and got to his feet. "How the hell can you say I beat him? No! I won't accept a win like this! I don't fucking care what those losers out there want to fucking see. I didn't fucking win anything."

"Bakugou…" Kirishima said uneasily.

"Your opponent is unable to fight while you still can. Think of it this way, you paced yourself better. It's a legitimate win," Living Chains offered, uncaring.

Katsuki crossed his arms. "I won't stand there and fucking claim I won this fucking tournament when Deku wasn't even given a fucking chance to fight for it."

"Be reasonable." Living Chains's voice grew hard. "The medal ceremony ends the festival. We can't have an empty first place. I couldn't care less what you do with the medal afterward. You can even throw it in the trash, but you're coming with me to accept it."

Katsuki sneered and crossed his arms. "I won't accept any fucking fake-ass award. You can have your fucking ceremony without me."

Faster than the eye could see, chains shot out of the pro-hero and wrapped around Katsuki. He toppled, hitting the edge of the bed as he fell. He bounced off before falling to the floor. His hands exploded, but in response the chains thickened into huge metal cuffs that encased his hands.

"The fuck!" Katsuki screamed. "Get these fucking off me, you asshole!"

A chain slapped around his mouth, morphing into a mussel. Katsuki thrashed, truly panicked now. He hadn't thought he hero would actually use his quirk! What the fuck?! He was supposed to watch Braindead, protect him while Izuku was out! This wasn't good.

"Hey, man," Kirishima's voice came from above him. Katsuki couldn't see him. All he could see was under the bed. "Maybe we should take it easy."

"The chains aren't hurting him." The pro answered, he sounded as bored as ever. "You two, you tied for third place. Make your way out to the arena. They're about to get started. I'll bring this one along."

Katsuki screamed in rage behind the gag. He hadn't thought the pro would attack him! Was this part of an abduction plan to get to Braindead? How in the hell would they know to get him out of the way unless… Fuck! This group collected fucking psychics! They would have seen Katsuki was going to be a problem.

Katsuki let explosion after explosion rip from his palms, but the cuffs killed the blast before he could do any damage. His skin began to blister, but he refused to stop. Whatever it took, he had to get out of the chains. He had to protect the purple-haired idiot for Izuku!

The pro walked toward him and grabbed him by the chains that wrapped his torso. He was lifted roughly to his feet. Katuski went still, no longer thrashing uselessly. He had to wait, be smart. "Let's get this over with," the hero drawled and dragged Katsuki toward the door.

Todoroki and Kirishima were watching, frowns on their faces. Katsuki jerked his head toward Shinso and then back toward Todoroki. He stared into the two-colored eyes desperately. He gave a loud grunt and did it again. Nodding at Shinso and then Todoroki, this time glaring hotly at Kirishima. The red-haired boy frowned at him, then the clinic door slammed shut between them.

FUCK! Katsuki breathed deeply through his nose. Despite it being covered by the metal mask, he was able to breathe easily. The asshole really was tying to be careful with him. Not that it fucking mattered if Living Chains was some puppet working for the fucking psychic patrol.

Anxiety and rage burned him from the inside out. Katsuki tried to slow his breathing, but his heart beat so damn fast. He panted into his face mask, his eyes darting around, taking everything in. There had to be some opening he could take advantage of, but the corridors were mostly bare. No one else was around. The fucking chains bound him tight.

Katsuki's eyes widened. Where the hell were they even going? He hadn't seen this section of the arena before. It looked more run down, advertisements faded at the edges and torn. Behind the mussel, Katsuki bared his teeth, sensing a trap closing around him. Fear made his hands shake inside the metal cuffs. Was he about to be killed? No, he couldn't be! Izuku would have seen it! But maybe Izu's visions only worked once? Maybe you only got one second chance at life. He began to hyperventilate.

"You know…" Living Chains said, speaking suddenly. He didn't turn around to face Katsuki, instead looking straight ahead down the corridor. "I really respect Eraserhead. He's an incredible hero and a great teacher." He glanced back and his face was hard and full of cold hatred. He looked forward once more. "Did you know he expelled my sister's class in her first year? All twenty kids. My sister was devastated for a long time, but… I always figured Eraserhead saw something I didn't. Maybe he saw something that told him my sister wouldn't make it as a hero. Maybe he did it to protect her… But then here you are… Apparently worthy when my sister wasn't… A foul-mouthed punk who belongs more in a street gang than a classroom."

Katsuki glared murder at the back of the bastard's head, but the vicious words actually helped him dial back the panic a bit. If this was personal against him, then it didn't have anything to do with Braindead. Shit, Katsuki really fucking hoped that was true. He felt sick imagining Izuku being told Katsuki was missing or dead. Damn it! His palms reflexively released an explosion, burning his skin.

Living Chains opened a door and yanked him carelessly into a poorly lit room. Katsuki was tossed to the floor. He tensed to kick out, but already the chains around his body had attached themselves to the floor, pinning him. Living Chains looked down at him, eyes as merciless as his metal.

"Eraserhead must have gone soft. You're no hero. You're nothing but an egotistical punk with the instinct of a natural born killer." He leaned down, getting close to Katsuki's encased face. "I'm not the only one watching, _Explosion_. We'll be there when you slip up, and we'll put you down like the dog you are."

Katsuki yelled defiantly, eyes blazing, but the sound was muffled by the metal gag, making it little more than a hum.

Living Chains snorted, unimpressed. Straightening, he lifted his hand to his ear and spoke. "The brat refused to participate in the ceremony. I have him contained in the room under the stadium."

Katsuki panted in rage. He thrashed in the chains, making them rattle and clank loudly, but there was no give.

"Understood. Standing by." The asshole turned and walked away. He put his back to the wall next to the doorframe and leaned casually there. He watched Katsuki with uncaring eyes.

Katsuki glared back before dismissing him like the loser he was. He turned his attention to the room. There were a few dusty boxes and supplies, but it was mostly empty. Blood pumped hot in his veins. He could feel his heart beat hard and fast in his temple and throat. Time was ticking by. Time he didn't have. At any moment, that purple-haired extra could get abducted. All because this petty asshole wanted to bang on his fucking chest and feel superior.

Suddenly the ceiling began to melt. Katsuki flinched away from the liquified cement, but it turned, bending against gravity to create a flowing arch above him. Living Chains gave a sarcastic salute as the floor he was bound to tilted upward to became a pillar at his back.

Katsuki screamed in rage as the cement hardened under his feet and began to lift him upward like an elevator through the new hole in the ceiling. He yanked hard on the chains, trying to free them from the concrete pillar behind him. Sunlight blinded him as he was lifted upward. The cheers of thousands hit him. Cracking his eyes open he watched confetti flutter through the air. Heard the deep booms of fireworks going off above him. It was all a confused jumble of sight and sound, his brain scrambling to interpret it all.

"Bakugou!"

He whipped his head down and his focus latched on to the sight of his classmates standing near the base of the raised platform he stood on. Kirishima was there, bright red hair standing straight up in spikes. He was waving his hand and gave a thumbs up, pointing to the side. Katsuki looked over. There, on a lower tier, stood Todoroki and Shinso. Relief washed through him so powerful his knees nearly gave out.

Todoroki met his eyes and gave a nod. Shinso didn't look Katsuki's way. He stared outward, his hands in his pockets, his expression blank. Katsuki followed his gaze to see dozens of media with cameras flashing and sparkling like crazy. Craning his head around to his other side, he saw a hologram of Izuku on a tier only slightly lower than his. The image of Izu stood smiling, his hand up in a peace sign, his mouth stretched in a wide, friendly grin. Every few seconds, the image flickered.

Midnight flung her flogger in the air and flashed a movie star smile at the cameras. "Now for our winners! Tied for third place, I present to you Half Cold Half Hot and Brainwash!" Loud cheers met this announcement. "In second place, we have Strongest Man!" More cheering. "Finally, I present to you this year's Champion! Let's hear it for this year's first place winner, Explosion!" The cheers were manic.

Katsuki snarled, thoroughly pissed off.

"Now it's time to award our First Years with their metals," Midnight called, arm movements dramatic and graceful. "And who better to award them than THIS MAN!"

A booming laugh carried down to them. The crowd suddenly grew hushed. Cries of "All Might" lifted into the air. In an iconic costume of red, white, and blue, All Might flipped off the top of the stadium and came crashing down to the field. If the screams of the crowd had been loud before, it was nothing compared to now.

"I AM HERE to deliver medals!" All Might, massive and grinning heroically, strode up to the third place podium. "Congratulations, young Brainwash. Be proud of what you accomplished this day. You showed everyone how strong you are. "

The purple-haired extra bowed his head as All Might set the bronze medal around his neck.

Turning to Todoroki, All Might wrapped his arms around him in a hug. "Your expression is completely different from before. I am proud of how far you've come." He pulled away and set the bronze medal over his neck. "Congratulations. You have earned this victory."

"Thank you. I realize now I have a few things to settle." Todoroki looked up at the iconic number one hero with quiet strength. "But I do want to be a hero."

All Might gently pat him on his back. "I feel confident that you will be able to do what you need to do. Remember I am here for you."

Katsuki watched, eyes bloodshot and glaring, as the hero made his way to the second place podium.

"Strongest Man was unable to challenge Explosion for first place this year, but I am confident that he will achieve great things!" he announced. He set an open box with the second place silver medal on a raised shelf set chest-heigh next to the hologram. The crowd cheered in excitement.

Then it was Katsuki's turn. Katsuki furiously thrashed in the chains one more time before he allowed himself to go still. All Might had his hands on his hips. His iconic smile never wavered, but Katsuki could see he wasn't happy.

"Now, then. Explosion!" He paused. "This is too much." His hand reached forward and easily broke the jaw piece of the mussel. He pulled the metal away from Katsuki's face. "Good job doing what you set out to do. You beat everyone and took first place."

"All Might," Katsuki growled, voice hoarse and rough from screaming. "First place like this… It's fucking trash! I didn't earn it. I don't want that stupid fucking medal."

All Might coughed into his fist. "I understand how you feel." He struck a ridiculous pose, but his tone of voice was low and meaningful. "In this world where heroing is made into a public affair, there are many times when society will judge your actions as award-worthy even though that moment does not feel like a triumph to you. I want you to remember that those cheers and accolades signify, at least to them, you have done something heroic. You should gracefully accept those honest feelings whether you feel it is deserved or not. To do otherwise is to be ungrateful."

Katsuki was unconvinced, but he didn't argue against it. All Might's smile widened, becoming genuine. He gently placed the gold medal around Katsuki's neck. Teeth bared and glaring bloody murder, Katsuki nonetheless allowed him to do so.

All Might turned away and spread his arms, addressing the stadium and reporters. "These are our winners this time! But listen here! Anyone could have ended up on these podiums. It's just as you saw! Competing, improving each other, and climbing even further! The next generation of heroes is definitely sprouting. So, I have just one more thing to say. Everyone, please say it with me! Ready, go…"

The stadium screamed as one, "PLUS ULTRA!"

As more fireworks went off and the crowd went nuts, Katsuki called out to anyone who fucking cared. "Let me out of these fucking chains. Now."

All Might and Midnight were too busy waving at their adoring fans, but Todoroki leapt up onto Katsuki's platform. He eyed the chains for a second before putting his right hand on the metal. With pinpoint accuracy, he froze a section of links and then brought his left hand up to melt it. The change from sub zero to melting hot in such a short time made the metal snap.

"Thank fucking god," Katsuki snarled.

He yanked free, practically tearing his hands from the cuffs. Todoroki had to put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Furious, Katsuki pulled away from his touch and marched over to the third place podium. He leapt down and stomped up to Shinso. The teen stared at him impassively. Katsuki grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the stairs, ignoring how much it hurt to do so. His palms were blistered and burnt. They looked like the split skin of an overripe grape, oozing and raw.

"Let's get out of here," he growled and yanked the teen after him.

Kirishima and Cheeks were waiting for them at the base of the stairs and fell in beside them. Todoroki took up the rear, trailing behind uncertainly. The rest of the class watched on, looks of confusion or concern coloring their expressions.

"What's going on?" Kirishima asked, voice low and worried.

"Nothing we can fucking talk about here, idiot," Katsuki snarled at him. Pain and exhaustion beat at him.

No one said anything after that, simply escorting Katsuki and Shinso into the stadium. They didn't have to go far. They nearly ran into Aizawa who was walking quickly down the corridor toward them. The air around their teacher was intense and made the others fell back, hesitant, but Katsuki kept walking, pulling Braindead with him.

"Who did that to you?" Aizawa demanded, tone low.

Katsuki sneered. "A fucking loser. It doesn't matter. We need to talk." He let go of the purple-haired extra. Tears nearly sprung to his eyes, his hand screaming in agony.

Aizawa studied him for a long moment. Katsuki stared back. Sighing, Aizawa gave a small nod. "Very well. Come with me." His eyes went to the group standing awkwardly behind Katsuki. "Go enjoy the celebration. You've earned it."

"Catch you later, man," Kirishima called, waving.

Katsuki gave him a brief nod before following Aizawa down the corridor. Braindead followed of his own accord, hands in his pockets, eyes dull. They weren't even out of the arena yet when Katsuki's steps slowed, his feet seemingly doubling their weight. Aizawa adjusted his pace to match. Katsuki was too tired to bitch about the concession.

They left the stadium completely and headed back toward the school. However, to avoid the crowds, they had to take a longer, more in direct route to get into building. It was nearly thirty minutes later when they finally made it to Aizawa's strange, cluttered office.

Katsuki practically collapsed on the couch. Aizawa asked the purple-haired idiot to take a seat in front of the desk while he took out a first aid kit and brought it over to where Katsuki sprawled. Katsuki watched, eyes heavy, as his teacher cleaned and bandaged his hands, slathering them with very expensive healing ointment before doing so. It hurt like a bitch, but he didn't even twitch, a thick fog of exhaustion saturating his mind.

"Why did you do this?" Aizawa asked quietly.

Katsuki cracked his eyes open, not realizing he'd closed them. "Was supposed to keep an eye on him," he answered tiredly.

Aizawa said nothing after that. He finished tying off a bandage and stood. Carrying the medical box with him, he went to his seat behind his desk. He gave his full attention to the teen sitting across from him. "Can you explain why Midoriya left his hospital bed to beg me to put you in my class and why Bakugou burned his hands trying to get to you?"

Despite his best effort, Katsuki's eyes slid closed. His head slumped, resting on the back of the couch.

Braindead's low, stoic voice answered, "I've been training at a facility that specializes in psychic quirks… They have a more… clinical approach to quirk control. I convinced my handler that attending UA would be beneficial, but I'm not sure how long they will continue to agree…" The teen's careful words paused. Confusion bled into his voice. "I'm not sure why, but Midoriya wanted to help me. I told him it would be harder for my handler to withdraw me from the school if I were in the more… popular class of 1-A. He told… Bakugou to watch me."

Relief washed though Katsuki. The kid was being pretty damn upfront with Aizawa. Confident his teacher would handle things from here, he stopped fighting it and let sleep pull him down into darkness.

**Chapter end.**

**A/N: **A shorter chapter, but that's all I have for now. Looks like Shinso is joining class 1-A. :D

Actually, I have a question for you guys. Now that the Festival is over, the boys might collect on their little promise for after the match. I guess I want to know how you feel about those scenes. Let me know if you'd prefer a gloss over of sexy times or if you'd enjoy them a little more detailed.

Hope you liked the chapter!


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **Hello, everyone! You know how last chapter was on the shorter side… Well, this one makes up for it! It's SOOOOO LONG! I was tempted to break it in half, but I wanted to keep it all together. That being said, it might be two weeks before the next update…. My fingers hurt from my typing binge! XD

I just LOVED the reactions and feedback I got for the last chapter. I don't usually like to switch POVs from the boys, but the (understandable) uproar over Living Chains motivated me to let you guys peek behind the curtain so to speak. The chapter opens with Aizawa's POV.

Also, I really appreciate the feedback about the sexy scenes. Most of you were happy to have a detailed scene, but one or two of you preferred it to be glossed over. One commenter gave some good advice and told me to just mark where it starts and ends so those who want to skip it can. So! Look out for the sexy times line break!

Sexy times = **XOXOXOXO**

**Consequences and Cuddles**

A call to Nezu and Aizawa had permission to let Shinso stay in a dorm. It wasn't anything extravagant. A small living room with a kitchenette placed against one wall with an attached bedroom and bathroom. Shinso gave little reaction at seeing it. He simply bowed, the gesture seemingly well-practiced, the angle exact.

"Don't leave campus without an escort," Aizawa ordered him. "We will collect your things tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," the boy answered, monotone and obedient.

Aizawa left him there reluctantly, feeling very unsatisfied.

This wasn't a permanent solution. Shinso needed someone to take care of him. Letting him live alone after the institutionalized treatment he received for the last nine years would only compound the damage to his growth. Aizawa feared the boy would needed social rehabilitation, but this was the best that could be done on such short notice. At least his physical safety was secured.

Sighing, Aizawa made his way through the school. Shinso wasn't his only problem. Anger stirred in the pit of his stomach as he came to a stop in front of an office door. He rapped once on the wooden surface before pushing it open. He found All Might sitting on the couch, steam escaping him as his quirk went dormant. Just as Aizawa had suspected, this office was the closest place All Might could go for privacy after the award ceremony had used up all the time he had in his hero form.

"Aizawa," Toshinori greeted, exhaustion coloring his voice.

His hero costume sagged ridiculously on his now emancipated form, but what could you expect when the man no longer had a stomach? All Might had fought so hard, had literally saved thousands, and had suffered greatly. Seeing him like this, it was still a shock even after three months of knowing about his condition. Aizawa shut the door behind him and crossed his arms.

"Explain to me why one of my students was chained like a criminal to a stake and you did nothing about it, All Might."

Toshinori sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I didn't know anything about it. I jumped down and saw him like that. Midnight signaled for me to leave it, so I thought there must be some reason he was restrained. We both know that Bakugou's temper can be volatile. If he did something violent or aggressive in front of all those people, in front of the cameras, it would have been devastating to his future. I thought the chains were excessive, but figured those who are not put off by his personality would likely see it as an acknowledgment of his strength."

All Might's expression darkened. "But when I got closer and saw the mussel I knew something was wrong. That was completely unacceptable. I did my best to get through the ceremony as fast as possible and removed the mussel as quickly as I could. Midnight and I made sure the cameras were on us as much as possible, so the damage to Bakugou's image would be minimized."

Aizawa kept his voice neutral even as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why did Midnight signal for you to leave him?"

"She didn't know he'd come up like that, and once he had…" Toshinori stared pensively out the window, avoiding Aizawa's accusing eyes. The sun was setting and the sky looked coated with blood. "She was worried that if she rushed to the stage and freed Bakugou it would look like villains had infiltrated the school again or that a hero had gone rogue and attacked a student."

His voice quieted, growing heavy, as he looked back at Aizawa. "After the USJ, it's paramount that we reassure the world that UA is still strong and unbroken. Crime is on the rise. Criminals are organizing. UA's reputation is all that prevents chaos from breaking loose. The festival wasn't canceled for that very reason. We tried to salvage the situation as best she could."

"Who chained him up to begin with?" Aizawa asked coldly. He already knew this answer, but he was curious to see how far All Might had investigated the matter.

"Living Chains." Toshinori's hands fisted. "I couldn't find him after the ceremony. He'd already left. It's possible he's gone rogue, but he didn't hurt Bakugou, so maybe he did not realize the magnitude of his actions."

Aizawa's temper flared. He wrestled it back down, but some heat still bled into his voice. "Those were quirk chains. He had to have sensed what was happening within them, and he did nothing when Bakugou set off several rounds of explosions trying to escape, severely burning his hands in the process. It's a wonder the kid wasn't screaming in agony by the time he was sent up to the podium."

Toshinori stared back at him helplessly. "I did not know this."

"I've filed a formal complaint against Living Chains, Midnight, and Cementoss," Aizawa continued, eyes glittering with rage. "Living Chains did not report in after being summoned. Nezu has given me the go-ahead to track him down and bring him in. I don't know what punishment will be dealt to the other two, but I have been assured they will not make this mistake again. I also sent a complaint about you."

Voice growing rough with anger, Aizawa hissed furiously, "As soon as you sensed it was wrong, you should have broken those chains. You could have played it a dozen different ways, but you were too focused on UA's reputation to think of anything else!"

Toshinori glared back at him. "Nearly seventy percent of the heroes working in the country have graduated from UA. The school's reputation aids them by deterring criminals. Without it, they'd face even greater resistance, putting their lives and the lives of civilians at higher risk."

Aizawa's eyes flashed red as his quirk activated. His hair lifted and his scarf began to writhe. "The reputation of the school _is_ the students! You protect it by protecting them! If the teachers of this school can no longer see what the _right_ things is, if we become blinded by fear of the future, if we let ourselves be guided by _reputation_, then the war against evil is already lost!"

Stalking forward menacingly, he glared down at the wide-eyed hero staring up at him. "Tell me the truth, All Might. During your analysis of the situation, did you even _once_ consider _your student's_ mental state? Bakugou is a child in your care and a hero chained him up like a terrorist! Like an animal! He was displayed for all the world to see with a _mussel_ strapped over his face! And his teachers stood in front of him and pretended it was okay! To save face! To protect a _reputation_! And you have the gall to look me in the eye and say you did it because it served a higher purpose?" Voice dropping to a vicious hiss, Aizawa spat, "That sounds an awful lot like what a _villain_ would say to justify their crimes!"

Toshinori looked gutted, blue eyes filling with tears. "No… I…"

Aizawa's quirk deactivated, his eyes went dark, his hair and scarf stilled, but his voice did not soften. "You failed Bakugou as his teacher today, and this isn't the first time you've made mistakes, All Might. Your attention is too divided between heroing and teaching. Once you took this job, these students should have become your top priority, but they haven't. You don't seem to understand that teaching is not a hobby or a thing you can just bumble along and do with a smile and good intentions. Teaching is a big responsibility with long reaching consequences for every failure. Consequences that are paid for by the students, not yourself. So let me be clear. Devote yourself to these students and put everything else aside… or get out of my school."

He didn't give All Might time to respond. Spinning on his heel, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Shaking, Aizawa closed his eyes and leaned back against the door. Yes, he was still angry, but he was also shaken by the look of utter devastation on All Might's face.

"Went a little rough on him."

Aizawa turned and saw Hizashi leaning against the wall. His friend stared at him over the rim of triangular, rockstar glasses. Aizawa pushed away from the door and began walking, the tall blond falling into step with him.

"He needed a wake-up call," Aizawa explained tiredly. "Nothing less would have gotten through his thick, self-righteous skull."

Hizashi smiled slyly, his voice going sing-song. "Of course. You were only trying to knock some sense into All Might. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that you completely lost your temper because the kid in question happened to be your Katsuki."

Aizawa shot him a warning glare.

Hizashi held up his gloved hands in surrender. He mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key, white teeth flashing in a grin, but immediately contradicting the gesture, he said, tone innocent, "I think it's sweet."

"Did you find him?" Aizawa demanded, changing the subject. He'd grown too immune to the idiot to get too annoyed.

"You wound me! There is nothing my little network of listeners can't discover!" He lifted his hand and extended his first two fingers. Between them was a small slip of paper. "I believe this makes it four dinners you owe me." He batted his eyes flirtatiously.

Aizawa took the paper and slipped it into his pocket. "After the mess in Hokkaido I cleaned up for you?"

Hizashi grinned. "I was hoping you'd forget."

Aizawa rolled his eyes.

Hizashi gripped his shoulder supportively, his yellow-green eyes staring at him over the rim of his glasses. "Good luck with your Katsuki," he said. "Let me know if you need anything."

Aizawa nodded and stepped inside his office to see Recovery Girl's lips retracting back into her face. Katsuki's hands had been unbandaged so that the nurse could examine them, and Aizawa watched as the oozing, split skin smoothed over, healing before his eyes.

"He was in the temporary clinic when Living Chains took him," he stated, tone cool and neutral.

The old woman sighed. "I don't get between heroes. I'm a healer; it's not my place. All I can do is advise and heal. The boy refused to back down. Tadataka reacted to that defiance. I do not approve, but I could not stop him." Her voice grew sharp as she looked up at him. "Do not disregard the fact that this boy's aggressive and disrespectful attitude contributed to the situation. He needs to get that under control."

Aizawa said nothing. There was some truth to the old woman's words. Katsuki's attitude helped create the situation in the first place. However! It was also true that Recovery Girl was under the influence of her own prejudice. She, personally, found Katsuki's profanity offensive, which made her less sympathetic and less inclined to help him. She wasn't physically able to stop Living Chains, but she could have made a call to any of the dozens of heroes at the stadium, but there was no advantage in trying to get the old woman to admit she was wrong. She was the school healer. Aizawa couldn't afford to alienate her when her services would most certainly be needed again.

"Make sure he eats a good dinner and goes back to bed," Recovery Girl ordered, confident she was the one in the right.

"I will," Aizawa agreed, voice carefully neutral.

Recovery Girl took her leave, her cane clicking on the floor as she left.

Aizawa shut the door behind her, his shoulders relaxing as he did so. Sighing, he moved to stand over the boy still sound asleep on his couch. Katsuki's expression was relaxed and soft, his lips slightly parted. He looked so much younger without the constant glare.

His coarse blond hair was limp, heavy with sweat and soot. His uniform was a mess, torn and singed in several places. He'd fought hard, and Aizawa felt a swell of pride fill him. Since day one when he had watched Katsuki burn with a wild, defiant freedom as he annihilated robots during the entrance exam, he had been moved.

Seeing the boy's more guarded behavior on the first day of school had pulled him in even further. He'd known then the likely cause of the boy's sharp attitude, and it had broken his heart when Katsuki had confirmed it. The more he'd seen, the more attached he'd become to the fierce, brilliant boy. Aizawa couldn't say it out loud, Katsuki wouldn't welcome such sentiment or trust it, but he would move heaven and earth for this child.

"Katsuki," he called gently, crouching down so he wasn't towering over the boy. "Come on. Time for dinner."

Red eyes fluttered open. Exhaustion was etched across his unguarded face.

Aizawa's voice became soft and compelling as he stood. "Let's get some dinner. Then we'll head back to the house."

Katsuki got to his feet and followed him docilely. It made Aizawa protective as hell, and he walked closer than he normally would, becoming hyper alert to their surroundings. Recovery Girl would have said this quiet, obedient demeanor was an improvement, but Aizawa much preferred the boy's fire and defiance.

The cafeteria was empty, even the workers were gone. Aizawa went in the back and heated up some food stored in the kitchen's massive refrigerators. It took only seven minutes, but he came out to their table to see Katsuki asleep again with his head pillowed on his arms.

"It's ready," Aizawa said, daring to shake the boy's shoulder.

Katsuki sat up and ate slowly, eyes heavy. Aizawa matched his pace. They had just finished eating when Midnight and Cementoss entered the room.

The heels of Midnight's stiletto boots and the heavy thud of Cementoss's feet gave them away long before they reached the table. Katsuki tensed, his head came up and he became more alert. His expression closed off in an annoyed glare. Aizawa stared up at the heroes, eyes dull and face obscured by his scarf. He'd known they were coming; he'd called them, after all.

"Aizawa, Bakugou," Midnight greeted. "I'm glad I caught you." She took a seat at the table. Cementoss followed her lead and sat as well.

"Midnight," Aizawa greeted. "Is the media gone?"

"Coast is clear," she confirmed before turning her attention to Katsuki. "I wanted to apologize, Bakugou," she said, voice low and sincere. "The way Living Chains handled the situation was unprofessional, and I did not respond appropriately to his actions. I should have released you as soon as I saw you restrained. You did not warrant such treatment."

"I did not understand, either. I could tell you were bound, but not to that degree when I pulled you up," Cementoss added. He bowed his square head deeply so that it nearly touched the table. "I ask that you forgive me."

Aizawa watched Katsuki carefully from the shelter of his long, scraggily bangs. The boy kept his expression in a light glare, not giving away his thoughts, but his hands were not as well guarded. The one still on the table clenched into a fist. Was it anger or anxiety that filled him?

"It's fine," Katsuki growled, dismissing their apologies. "It doesn't fucking matter."

Midnight frowned. "It does matter. I was shocked when I saw you, but the ceremony had already begun, the media was already filming. I did not have time to consider the best course of action and I reacted poorly."

She bowed her head. Aizawa wondered if Katsuki understood how significant that was for the dominatrix. She _never_ bowed her head to males. Katsuki remained silent, simply watching the pro-heroes. After a few more beats of silence, Midnight lifted her head and rose to her feet. "Thank you for your time," she told Katsuki respectfully. She looked over at Aizawa. "I will see you later."

Aizawa nodded, expression impassive.

"I hope you rest well," Cementoss said in goodbye before following Midnight from the room.

Aizawa looked back to see that Katsuki was watching him, the intelligence in those eyes blazing bright.

"You told them to come apologize," the boy stated. It wasn't a question.

"I told them we would be grabbing dinner before we left. What they do is their business," Aizawa corrected and stood. "Are you ready?"

Katsuki looked at his hand, noticing it was healed for the first time. "Recovery Girl?"

Aizawa nodded. "She stopped by my office before heading to the infirmary." Not waiting for more questions, he grabbed their dirty dishes and took them to the back.

Of course, it wasn't that easy to put Katsuki off. As they made their way through the dark halls, more questions came. "What about Izuku? And Braindead?"

Aizawa chose not to remark on the nickname Katsuki had given Shinso. It wasn't too offensive, and he trusted Katsuki not to go too far. The boys would have to work it out between them. "Shinso was given a dorm room in the school. The school's security will ensure he is not removed without our notice. As for Midoriya, he was moved to the infirmary here. Recovery Girl will watch over him tonight. I expect by morning his arm will be mostly healed."

"Not for six fucking months," Katsuki disagreed.

Aizawa nodded. "Yes, I read Recovery Girl's report. His arm will be more susceptible to breaking while the bones fully recover their density. Any more breaks and the damage will be irreversible, even with her quirk. I will create an intensive training course to get Midoriya accustomed to using his legs as his primary offense. He is too quick to throw a punch, although this time around it was not his fault. He's done a remarkable job of mastering his quirk in such a short amount of time."

Katsuki wasn't aware of it, but his face relaxed as Aizawa praised Midoriya. Aizawa couldn't help smiling. The kid truly was in love. Aizawa could only hope that it worked out for them. Heroes didn't have the best record when it came to maintaining relationships. A great example of this was UA. Almost all of the staff here had been pro-heroes, and they were all single except for a handful of exceptions. But as Aizawa watched the boy at his side, he couldn't help thinking that Katsuki and Midoriya were different. He hoped that was true. For Katsuki's sake.

…

Izuku opened his eyes and yawned. Clear, soft morning light fell over his bed. He was in the infirmary at the school. Someone, likely All Might, had moved him from the stadium while he was out. Flexing his right hand, he saw that white bandages wrapped his arm from shoulder to finger tips. They were stiff and supportive, but allowed him to bend and use his arm and hand like normal. Izuku was just glad the limb wasn't strapped to his chest anymore.

The door opened and All Might in his deflated form stepped into the room. Toshinori's blue eyes were bright, his blond bangs shiny as they framed his narrow face. Izuku tilted his head curiously as he noticed that his mentor wore a nice button down shirt and dress pants. He'd clearly made an attempt to look nice.

"Ah! Good timing," the hero said, smiling wide. "I was just coming to fetch you, young Midoriya."

"Good morning," he answered, returning the smile. "Thank you for taking care of me yesterday."

Toshinori waved away his gratitude. "Do you remember that I told you I knew someone who could help you with your visions?"

Izuku's eyes widened. "Yes."

"He's here. It took me awhile. He didn't believe me at first, but I insisted and he came as soon as he finished the job he was in the middle of."

Izuku sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "He's here to meet me?" he asked, nervously.

Toshinori nodded. "Get cleaned up and meet me in my office." He handed Izuku a plastic-wrapped school uniform. "Here."

Blushing, Izuku accepted the clothes, conscious of the fact that he was wearing wrinkled scrubs and was still grimy from his fights yesterday. "Thank you," he said, embarrassed.

"It is no problem at all." Toshinori slapped his shoulder and took his leave.

Sighing, Izuku saw that his bag was sitting next to the bed. He grabbed it, taking it into the bathroom with him. As he waited for the water to get warm, he checked his phone and saw a text from his mother.

x

Okaasan

_Your teacher told me you're staying the night at school. _

_I saw the festival! I hope your arm is alright! _

_Text me right when you wake up._

x

Izuku typed a quick answer, _Morning, Mom. I'm okay. My arm's healed and I feel much better. I'll be home by dinner, promise. _

His mother texted back right away.

Okaasan

_Izuku! I'm so glad you're okay. _

_Come home soon as you can. I'll cook a special dinner. _

_You can invite Katsuki, of course._

x

Izuku

_Thanks, mom. Love you._

x

Smiling, he opened the text with Kacchan, sending the word, _Morning! _Then he began to type his questions. _Is Shinso okay? How are you?_

The dots indicating Kacchan was writing back appeared before Izuku could send the second text. He already knew what Izuku was going to ask.

Kacchan

_Braindead's fine. _

_Aizawa is getting him a special dorm in the school. _

_He's not going anywhere._

x

Izuku felt a huge wave of relief. Thank god!

Izuku

_Thank you for watching out for him. _

_Are you okay? What happened after I passed out?_

x

Kacchan

_I'm not the one with a broken arm, idiot. I'm fine. _

_The fucking idiots gave me first place. You got second._

_Braindead and IcyHot took third._

x

Izuku frowned, knowing how unhappy that would have made Kacchan. He felt guilty. If he'd been stronger, they could have had their final match.

Izuku

_Sorry Kacchan_

x

Kacchan

_Shut up, Deku_

_How's your fucking arm?_

x

Izuku

_Fine. No cast or anything. Just light bandages. _

_Toshinori's here. Wants to introduce me to that guy who might help with the moon_

x

Kacchan

_Want me to come?_

x

Izuku

_No. I'm okay. _

_I'll tell you about it after_

_Mom's making a special dinner_

_You want to come to my house?_

x

Kacchan

_I'll be there_

Smiling, Izuku texted,_ Love you_. Kacchan didn't answer, but Izuku hadn't expected him to. He took a quick shower and got dressed. Hooking his yellow backpack on his shoulder, he made his way to All Might's office.

He was curious, but he was also really anxious. He knew he needed help. Just thinking about the full moon made his stomach drop and twist into knots. He wanted to help them, the people he saw, but… It was getting harder and harder to face those terrible deaths. He did everything he could to forget about it, to forget it was going to happen again and keep happening. It was the only way he could get through the rest of the month.

All Might opened the door still in his deflated form."Come in, Midoriya. How are you feeling?" he asked, shutting the door behind Izuku as he stepped in.

"I'm feeling better," Izuku answered politely, eyes taking in the room.

The office was simply decorated. A desk sat to the right with a computer, a few pens, and a few small stacks of papers sitting on top. A pale blue couch sat against the far wall with a low coffee table before it. A grey rug covered most of the floor. The only other thing in the room was an ornate wooden table in the corner. It had an electric glass pitcher that boiled water, a tea pot, four mugs, and several containers of tea.

He clutched the strap of his backpack tightly, trying to ground himself. His mind was avoiding the upcoming conversation, and he forced himself to look squarely at the tall, lean man standing at the window.

"Let me introduce you," Toshinori offered. "This is Yome Sato. He's a very dear friend."

The man turned to face Izuku, his hands locked casually at his back. He looked to be in his late thirties with sharp, rather elongated features. He was dressed up even more formally than All Might, wearing a white suit with gold buttons, a white dress shirt, and a red-dotted tie. His shiny, dark green hair was smoothed down and parted to the left. It had three yellow streaks running through the bangs, two to the right and one on the left. His eyebrows were also yellow, matching the rims of the triangular glasses he wore.

Serious golden eyes stared at him, but Izuku only saw them for a moment as the man pushed his glasses higher up his nose. Light reflected off the lenses, concealing those sharp eyes from view. When he spoke, his voice was clipped and precise. "I am Sir Nighteye. You may call me Sir," he said, voice a low baritone. "Toshinori asked me to come speak to you."

Izuku flushed. He could tell the man wasn't happy to be here. "Oh, uh, thank you for coming," he said awkwardly, looking to his teacher for help.

Toshinori shrugged. "I'll make tea," he offered and turned to the table with the teapot.

Nighteye walked forward. "My quirk is called Foresight. I can only use it once every twenty-four hours, but it allows me to see the entirety of a person's future like frames of a film. What I see cannot be changed."

Izuku stared up at him, eyes wide.

"So you understand," the man continued, "why I have doubts about the claims you have made to Toshinori. In fact, there is no record of anyone who has possessed a type of future vision ever being able to alter what they have seen. Those who have tried have only made their vision come true faster. This is called the Curse of the Oracle."

Izuku swallowed hard. "I… I didn't know that."

"I plan to use my quirk on you so that the truth may be known. Do you have anything you want to say before I do so?" Nighteye tilted his head so that his hard golden eyes could be seen once more. They were sharp and cold.

Izuku said nothing. What was there to say?

Nighteye shook his head. He was standing directly in front of Izuku now. "If you insist," he said, voice grim.

The man reached forward and touched Izuku on the shoulder. The gold of his irises morphed into a type of scope as his quirk activated. Instantly, Nighteye's mouth fell open on a gasp and he collapsed. Izuku reflexively tired to catch him, but the man was surprisingly heavy and slipped out of Izuku's hands.

Toshinori rushed forward. "Yome!" He knelt, pulling Nighteye's torso into his skinny lap. Nighteye's body twitched and spasmed. Blood trickled from his nose.

Izuku rushed to the table with the tea to get napkins and hurried back. He knelt next to the two men and held the thin material to Nighteye's face. Looking up at All Might, he asked, frightened, "Is this supposed to happen?"

"No," Toshinori answered. He never looked away from the other man's face. "No. It isn't. Yome, you stubborn fool."

"Should we call Recovery Girl?" Izuku asked, panicked.

Toshinori didn't answer.

Izuku pushed to his feet and rushed to his backpack where it had fallen in all the commotion. He dug out his phone.

"Yome! Can you hear me?"

Izuku looked over to see Nighteye sitting up, one hand clutching his head at the temple. He clumsily swiped his glasses off his face and glared blearily over at Izuku. "You die…" he rasped. "You die a hundred thousand times… How is that possible?"

Toshinori braced his friend's back with his shoulder, helping him stay upright. "Yome, I told you."

"No," Nighteye snapped, regaining some strength. "No! You told me he sees people die in the future! That's not what I saw! I saw the boy die again and again!"

Izuku couldn't meet those accusing eyes and dropped his own to the floor. "I… I don't see people die…" he agreed, voice soft and vulnerable. His hand clenched around his phone. "I don't see it," he repeated, forcing his voice to steady, his shoulders to straighten. "I _feel_ it."

"Izuku…" Toshinori murmured, pained.

Izuku lifted his chin. His hands still shook, but he met Nighteye's bloodshot glare. "Someone close to me told me that I die for them so they don't have to." Eyes hard and determined, he vowed, "I'll do whatever it takes to save them. I have to help them."

Nighteye looked horrified. "You die for them. What I saw… It's not a trick?"

"What did you see?" Toshinori asked, voice intense. His hold on Nighteye tightened.

"That boy… He dies… Over and over… A hundred thousand painful deaths…" Nighteye shook his head. He looked so confused. "Those were the deaths of other people? And you stop it?"

"I try," Izuku answered. He looked to his teacher. "I can't save everyone, but I save everyone I can."

Nighteye gripped Toshinori's arm, looking at the blond hero with wide eyes.

"As you saw, he experiences those deaths as if they are his own," Toshinori explained softly. "So far he sees the deaths of around seven victims every full moon back-to-back. When he comes out of it, he's not well. I was hoping you could help him control it somehow… Help him get some distance…"

Nighteye's expression went smooth and emotionless. He pulled away from All Might and pushed stiffly to his feet. "I have to think about this," he said, trying to get control. He straightened his jacket and tie. Without another word, he pushed past Toshinori and went out the door, shutting it softly behind him.

Izuku felt defeated.

All Might put a warm hand on his shoulder. "Don't be discouraged. Yome just needs time to think. He has a psychic quirk himself, but more than that he's a genius. He's probably the smartest person alive. Even smarter than the principal." His hand tightened as his blue eyes peered earnestly into Izuku's. "I promise. We'll figure this out."

Izuku gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Thanks, All Might."

"Sit." Toshinori pulled him toward the couch. "Let's have some tea. You can tell me about your battles. I was watching of course, but it's not the same. I was very impressed with you. You really showed intelligence as well as strength and perseverance." He flashed a grin. "Young Bakugou did as well, of course."

Izuku's allowed himself to be guided to the couch. He sighed, accepting the steaming cup. "He really is amazing," he said, love shading his voice, his shoulders relaxing. "When he ran across that minefield, dodging all those mines…" A smile peeked out the corners of his mouth. "It almost doesn't seem possible the things he can do."

Toshinori smiled, listening to Izuku talk.

…

Katsuki tossed his phone next to him on his bed and stretched. He was still tired from the festival, but he felt much better. He looked at his hands. They were completely healed. Katsuki shook his head, grateful but baffled over why Aizawa tried so hard to take care of him.

He climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom before shuffling to the kitchen. There was a note on the table telling him there was as a plate of eggs and bacon in the oven on warm and that Aizawa had gone back to the school to finalize things with the purple-haired extra. Katsuki retrieved his breakfast, and while he ate, he flipped the note over and scribbled that he was staying the night at Izuku's. He made quick work of the food and cleaned the dishes that were in the sink.

Stretching, he made his way back to his room to get dressed. He hoped the guy All Might had found could help Izuku, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it now. He'd have to wait to hear what Izuku had to say about it. He needed to get his mind off things. Maybe he'd go for a run or do a full workout.

As he pulled his shirt over his head, he noticed his phone flash from the bed. He picked it up. It was a text from an unknown number.

x

?

_I'm going to visit my mom_

x

Katsuki knew immediately who it was from: Todoroki. This was the mom who had burned Todoroki's face. Because she'd basically been sold into sexual slavery to Endeavor just to create children with a powerful quirk.

Katsuki grimaced, hating how messy the situation was, but he wasn't an idiot. There was only one reason he could think of that the bastard would have texted him that message. Izuku would want him to help, and if he were being honest, the bastard's situation did get to him. So he sighed and typed back, _Want some company?_

There wasn't an immediate response, so Katsuki finished getting dressed. He was just tying his shoes when his phone buzzed again. It was an address to a hospital. A quick check in his maps application and he texted back that he'd be there in thirty minutes. He shoved his phone into his pocket, checked the window, and grabbed a rain jacket as well as an umbrella.

He ran, his legs eating up the distance. It felt good to stretch and feel his lungs working, but halfway there the darkening sky opened and a heavy rain began to fall. Of course it was fucking raining! Damn. No good deed goes unpunished. Grumbling, face set in a scowl, he slowed to a walk and opened the umbrella. His feet were soaked by the time he made it to the hospital.

He found the Half and Half bastard waiting for him. The teen wore a dark rain jacket over a pale shirt, dark jeans, and white sneakers. An expensive leather messenger bag was slung across his chest and rested at his hip. His two-colored bangs hung in his eyes, but when he looked up, Katsuki could see he was anxious.

"She's in room 2458," Todoroki said, voice even, trying to hide his nerves.

Katsuki nodded. He shut his umbrella and shook it before they stepped inside the hospital lobby. "You been here before?" he asked, wet feet squeaking slightly on the shiny tile.

"No," Todoroki answered, low and subdued. "I was afraid it would put too much pressure on her. She called my left side ugly. Said she couldn't bear to see it." There was a slight tremble to the fingers that reached up to touch the scarred skin under his blue eye.

Katsuki bumped his shoulder roughly with a glare. "Then it's about fucking time you showed her you're not him."

The teen nodded, a slight smile curling his lips. "You're right."

They found the room, but Todoroki hesitated at the door. He took slow, deep breaths, his hands clutching the strap of his bag.

"You could wear a hat," Katsuki suggested, tone neutral.

One grey and one blue eye glanced over at him. "What?"

"A hat," Katsuki enunciated carefully, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "You know. To cover your fucking hair. And an eye patch. You'd look stupid as hell, but you would cover his colors. I don't see the big fucking deal, though. You don't look anything like that ugly asshole."

Todoroki snorted and shook his head. "Thank you, but no."

Taking a deep breath, he reached forward and slid the door open. A woman with thick, white hair that fell to the small of her back sat at the window across from them. She wore white hospital scrubs. She didn't turn to see who had come in, just kept staring out at the rain.

As Todoroki stepped inside, Katsuki kept his expression as neutral as he could, but inside anxiety vibrated through him. He braced himself for hateful words, for an attack. She already hurt Todoroki once, scarring him permanently. Tense, he leaned against the closed door and crossed his arms.

Todoroki crossed the distance to the window alone. His voice trembled slightly when he spoke. "Hello, Mother."

The woman looked up into Todoroki's face. After an anxious beat, she smiled. "Shoto."

…

Izuku made it home just after lunch. He felt relaxed and happy. Talking with All Might had been good. They hadn't spent that much time together in a while. They talked about the sports festival and school, about changing Izuku's fighting style and movies they'd seen, about Izuku's classmates and Kacchan. All Might even told him stories about Nighteye when he'd been All Might's sidekick. Most of them had Izuku laughing so hard he could barely breathe. It had been really nice.

"I'm home!" he called.

His mom practically ran into the hallway, yanking him into a tight hug. "Izuku! Tell me everything!" she exclaimed kissing his cheek and pulling him into the kitchen.

Izuku smiled and told her about the festival, talking more about his friends than himself. Inko butted in with her own commentary, making Izuku laugh or pout in turns. As they talked, they started dinner. Standing side by side, they cut and prepared the vegetables and began making the curry sauce. When he ran out of things to say, his mother came and took his face into her hands.

"I wish you didn't have to do such dangerous things, but I always knew you'd make an amazing hero, Izuku," she said, tears in her eyes. "I'll support you one hundred percent."

Izuku hugged her tightly. "Thank you. That means so much to me."

An hour later, it was nearing dark when Izuku heard the knock at the door. Opening it, he practically flung himself on Kacchan. The blond caught him easily, chuckling right in Izuku's ear. It made him shiver and, still grinning, he grabbed Kacchan by the hand and towed him to the kitchen.

"Mom! Kacchan is here!"

"Katsuki-kun!" Inko came over to give him a quick hug. "You were amazing during the festival, dear! I'm so impressed!" She kissed his cheek and hurried back to the stove, smiling. "I'm making your favorite curry!"

Kacchan scowled. "I did okay, but I didn't really win."

"You were amazing," Izuku corrected, repeating his mother's words. He ducked in to kiss the opposite cheek his mother had kissed.

Kacchan shot him a hot glare and swatted at him.

"Regardless," Inko said firmly, looking over her shoulder. "You did really well in all the events. My favorite was the calvary battle. You two make a formidable team!"

Kacchan smiled at that. "That was fucking fun," he agreed.

Laughing, Izuku got the plates and silverware they'd need while Kacchan moved to the refrigerator to pour some drinks. Cold milk always went best with Inko's spicy curry. They talked about nothing really as they ate together, teasing each other and cracking jokes. It was nice.

After they finished, Izuku did the dishes with Kacchan while Inko went into the living room to watch tv. Once the dishes were done, Izuku wished his mother a good night and tugged his boyfriend to his bedroom. It had been a great day, but he missed Kacchan terribly. It felt like they hadn't had any time alone in days. He shut the door and leaned against it, sighing in relief now that it was just the two of them.

Kacchan smirked at him. "Did you want something?" he asked, tone playful.

Izuku cocked his head, deciding to play along. "Not really. I was wondering since we don't know who won how we will decide who gets the prize." He gave a shrug. "Maybe neither of us should. I mean, I'm okay with just going to sleep."

Kacchan's eyes narrowed. "You don't care, huh?" he asked, voice a low growl.

Izuku couldn't help his reaction. His cheeks heated.

A slow smirk spread across Kacchan's face, and a spike of lust shot down Izuku's spine. "Maybe the person who gets the prize is the person who _takes_ it." Kacchan practically leapt on him, pinning him to the door. Bodies flush against each other, Kacchan licked a hot path up Izuku's neck to his ear, biting softly and tugging on it.

Moaning, Izuku gripped Kacchan's shoulders tightly, his heart thudding hard and fast in his chest. "Maybe we can both have our prizes," he suggested, voice husky. One of his hands slid up the back of Kacchan's neck and gripped his hair. "Maybe you can give me what you promised and afterward…" He pulled, making Kacchan lift his head and look into his eyes. Izuku was red as tomato, but he got the words out. "I'll suck you off like you wanted."

"Fuck," Kacchan hissed and kissed him hard and hot.

**XOXOXOXO**

Katsuki had never been more turned on. He stabbed his tongue forward, wanting to swallow Izuku whole. And fuck if Izuku didn't melt against him, opening to Katsuki's tongue and wrapping his arms around Katsuk's neck.

Growling, Katsuki pulled Izu off the door, shuffled him across the room, and pressed him onto the bed, their lips never separating. They only came apart when Katsuki tugged Izu's shirt over his head. The flushed, excited look on Izuku's face - his swollen, glistening lips - his dilated emerald eyes - it all spurred Katsuki on. Curling over Izuku's sprawled body, a humming-growl in the back of his throat, Katsuki closed his mouth over Izuku's collarbone and bit down.

"Oh my god," Izuku gasped, arching.

Katsuki's warm tongue soothed over the bite, making Izuku shiver and gasp. He moved a few inches down and bit him again, holding Izuku's muscle and skin between his teeth for a long second before releasing him.

Izuku was gasping now, clutching at his hair, body shaking. Tears beaded in his eyelashes. Katsuki had no idea why this turned Izuku on so much, the bites had to hurt even though he was being careful, but every whimper and gasp, the way Izuku arched into him, clutching him desperately closer, begging for more, told Katsuki he loved the fucking hell out of it.

Izuku tossed his head back, exposing his throat. He was moaning near constantly now. Eyes wide, mouth open, his hips rocked against the air. Katsuki bit him again and again, leaving little red marks scattered across his chest. He was biting harder now, turned on by Izuku's yelps and gasps. When he got to Izuku's stomach, the boy had to bite into his own wrist to muffle his cries.

Katsuki knew Izu was close. Heart beating hard and fast, he unzipped Izuku's pants and gripped his dick in a tight fist. Izuku arched so dramatically he nearly flung Katsuki off the bed. Ribbons of white shot over his bite-marked chest and stomach. Katsuki never pumped his fist, merely held tight. He could feel every pulse of Izuku's cock and it rocked him to the core.

…

Izuku lay panting, staring almost blindly up at the ceiling. His body shivered, his muscles twitching in reaction. A sweet haze filled his head, ringing in his ears. Warm, he was so warm, and everything was good. Sooooo good…

Slowly, he became aware of Kacchan sitting beside him. Became aware of the blond's tight, hitched breaths. It made Izuku shiver again in the best way. Sitting up, feeling light as a feather, he lazily looked his boyfriend over.

Kacchan was sitting at the edge of the bed, his cheeks hot and his hair disheveled. His eyes were blown wide and dilated. Izuku practically purred. With slow, heavy hands, he pushed Kacchan's shirt off over his head. The blond stared at him as if hypnotized, pliant under his hands. Izuku hummed happily and kissed him chastely on the lips. The cum on Izuku's chest was drying, but it felt strangely good, pulling at his bruised skin as it cracked.

Izuku left chaste kisses down Kacchan's throat, licking up the salt left behind. Slowly, his mouth trailed down Kacchan's muscled chest. He was gorgeous, lean and muscular, and Izuku ran his tongue down the middle of the blond's six pack abs, licking over the hard ridges and flat planes. Kacchan was panting fast, still staring down at him mesmerized.

"I'm gonna put you in my mouth," Izuku told him, still feeling dreamy and oh so good. He got a grip on his boyfriend's rigid shaft, pulling it free from Kacchan's pants. "Try and hold it in. I want to take my time."

All he got in response was a rapid blinking of Kacchan's gorgeous red eyes.

Izuku smiled sweetly and turned his attention to Kacchan's cock. It was flushed and thick, warm in Izuku's hand. He'd dreamed about this, he'd read about it, but nothing could have prepared him for this moment. It was strange and kind of frightening, but the haze of his orgasm still saturated his mind, making everything feel like a dream.

Opening his mouth, Izuku ran his tongue over the round head. Kacchan tensed, his hands clenching in the blankets besides his hips. Izuku took note of that as he tried to analyze the taste on his tongue. It was salty and a little musky. It wasn't too bad. He licked over the head again. Kacchan gasped above him, and Izuku decided maybe he could do this if Kacchan made sounds like that.

He opened his mouth and closed his lips around the head. Teeth, he had to be careful of the teeth. Although, thinking about Kacchan's teeth on him even here, between his legs, made Izuku shiver hard and moan. Kacchan's hand flew to Izuku's head, gripping his hair. He didn't push or pull; he just held Izuku still.

Izuku's eyes slitted in pleasure, enjoying the feeling of his hair being tugged. When those fingers slackened, he let more push into his mouth, sucking lightly as he did. Drool pooled at the corners of his tight lips, some spilled free to roll down his chin. It slicked Kacchan's shaft. Embarrassed, Izuku tensed to lift his head up so he could swallow all the drool, but Kacchan's voice stopped him.

"Izuku," the blond groaned, guttural and rough, his name almost like a plea. "Fuck. _Izuku_."

Izuku flashed his eyes up, a deep need striking through him, burning like fire. There were tears in the blond's ruby eyes. Seeing that completely overwhelmed Izuku. He was desperate to hear more, to make Kacchan fall apart, and Izuku hungrily pressed his mouth down further.

"Izuku, fuuuuuck…" Kacchan groaned long and low and helpless. His hips rolled softly, pressing even deeper into Izuku's mouth. A deep shudder went through Kacchan's body. His hand tightened painfully in Izuku hair.

Izuku stared up in awe. It was all there, blazing in those red eyes, how much Kacchan loved him, adored him, wanted him. Everything inside Izuku melted. It was like something collapsed, some unknown resistance breaking. He just… gave everything over. He felt it. Like all he was was suddenly open to Kacchan. He was Kacchan's in a way he never had been before, and it was the most incredible feeling he'd ever felt.

A whimper escaped Izuku's swollen lips. Drool slicked his mouth and chin, making him sloppy as hell, but it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was the feel of Kacchan's hand on his head, the weight of him filling his mouth, and the way he was looking down at Izuku as if he were the whole world.

…

All that existed was Izuku on his knees at the edge of the bed, folded over Katsuki's thighs. Drool fucking pooled in Katsuki's lap, soaking him, and all he could see was bright green eyes staring up at him, shimmering with tears. Izu was completely open to him, filled with a trust and love so strong Katsuki could fucking feel it resonate through his own body.

Katsuki panted hard as he slowly pumped in and out of Izuku's dripping mouth. Izu's body was completely limp, plaint to his every push and pull, even as his lips held tight to Katsuki's cock as if never wanting to let him go.

Suddenly Katsuki hit the back of Izuku's throat. More tears spilled down his love's cheeks as Izu gagged. Shivering in pleasure, Katsuki slid out, dragging across Izuku's hot tongue. Izuku whimpered, lips wrapped tight around the tip. He pulled at Katsuki's thighs as he shifted up higher on his knees and opened his mouth wider.

Katsuki pressed back in, deep and smooth. He hit the back of Izuku's mouth, but this time slipped into the now opened throat. He felt it when Izuku gagged, felt it in the tightening of Izuku's throat all around him. His cock was squeezed by Izuku's reflexive swallow, Izu's throat constricting around him, and oh my god Katsuki saw fucking stars.

Katsuki stared deep into Izuku's sweet eyes as he sat nestled in the boy's throat. Tears spilling past his eyes, hands trembling, Katsuki let him see how much he fucking adored him, how fucking blown away he was. Moaning, he caressed Izuku's wet cheeks and he slowly pulled his hips back, lifting Izuku's head.

Izuku sucked in air, breaking the seal on his cock, but he latched right back on and slid down Katsuki's dick all on his own, a hungry sound resonating from deep in his chest. Katsuki bit his lip and helped him, angling Izuku's head with the grip he had on the teen's hair. He slid into Izu's throat like coming home.

Katsuki rolled his hips, barely moving so he never broke free of that incredible heat. Shuddering and groaning, eyes rolling, he rocked inside that tightness, never feeling so complete. "Izuku… love you… I love you, Izu… fuck… fuck me… take me in, Izu… that's it… oh fuck… just like that…" he babbled mindlessly.

Opening his eyes, hips still bouncing, he looked down and saw Izu's freckles gone under deep red, eyes fluttering from lack of air, drool spilling from his slack mouth. Katsuki gasped and pulled back, freeing Izuku's throat.

Izuku coughed and panted, tongue hanging out. Barely conscious, he grasped at Katsuki's thighs, trying to pull him closer. Katsuki groaned, tears falling from his eyes. He should let Izuku go, let him rest, but pleasure and hunger coiled and lashed inside him, filling him with a blinding need for more. Izuku was too beautiful, too perfect. There was no stopping.

Breathing fast, he cradled Izu's head gently between his hands and guided his mouth back down his cock, desperate to be a part of Izuku again. Izu's eyes fluttered as Katsuki blocked his airway one more, his clutching hands going slack, but Katsuki didn't stay there this time, instead pulling free almost as soon as he was inside only to thrust forward again. Izuku clung to his legs, but he never tensed. He remained plaint and trusting, catching the rhythm as Katsuki thrust slowly in and out, matching his breathing to the motion of Katsuki's hips.

"Izuku… fucking look at you…" Katsuki groaned, barely more than a whisper. "… so fucking beautiful…"

His whole body shivered as if he were in a blizzard, completely overwhelmed by the feel of Izuku wrapped all around him, staring up at him with those fucking dazed, soulful eyes. His hands were tangled so deeply in Izuku's hair they were never coming out.

Katsuki pushed Izu's head down a little harder than before, and suddenly his hips bumped up against Izuku's face. He was as deep inside Izu as he could go. Eyes wide, mouth falling open on a gasp, Katsuki lost it. He fucking cracked open and shattered into a million pieces.

…

As Kacchan let loose a low, resonating cry, Izuku's eyes rolled as he came hard for the second time that night. With his face held tight to Kacchan's hips, the blond's cock stretching his throat, warmth filling his belly, Izuku quaked and shuddered as a pleasure more intense than he'd ever known rolled through him.

He clung to Kacchan's legs. His vision whited out and was barely aware of Kacchan slipping free of his mouth. He would have passed out completely, his consciousness cutting in and out, but the sound of Kacchan quietly crying brought him around. He crawled shakily onto the bed, still trying to catch his breath.

Through the black dots that filled his vision, he saw Kacchan laying on his back, legs hanging limp over the edge of the mattress. He was breathing hard, quiet whimpers catching on every exhale. He pulled Izuku to him, kissed his face, his lips, licked into his sloppy mouth. Izuku responded clumsily, dazed, body floating, mind hazy. He couldn't stop smiling. He held Kacchan close and kissed him again and again until Kacchan's breathing slowed and he grew quiet.

Sighing happily, Izuku curled up against his side and tucked his head under Kacchan's chin. "Love you so much," he rasped painfully, voice wrecked.

Kacchan held him tighter. "Fucking love you so goddamn much."

Smiling, Izuku sank into a warm, healing sleep.

**XOXOXOXO**

They woke together late the next morning. They were a mess, the room still smelling of cum and sweat. Katsuki wrinkled his nose with a low chuckle. He pulled Izuku in and kissed him. Izuku blushed. Small bruises dotted his chest and stomach, and he touched one almost reverently. Katsuki took his hand.

"Come on. Let's get a shower."

Needing to touch Izuku as much as possible, he climbed under the hot spray with him. Eyes full with smiles pulling at their lips, they helped each other wash. Before shutting the water off, Katsuki kissed Izuku long and deep, then grabbing a towel, he helped Izuku dry off, careful of the bites marring his skin.

Still holding hands, they went back to the room to dress, but Katsuki insisted that they eat first before they started cleaning. As Izuku heated the curry, Katsuki wrapped his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku tilted his head to rest it against Katsuki's. At the table, Katsuki pulled Izuku onto his lap and they ate together like that.

"Are you okay?" Katsuki asked, free arm arm slung around Izuku's waist. "You haven't said anything yet."

Izuku hummed. "Feel good." His voice was hoarse and raspy. He turned to hold Katsuki's eyes. "Last night…" A shiver ran through him, his eyes fluttering closed as he remembered. Opening them, he leaned forward and kissed him. It was soft and sweet. "Thank you, Kacchan. For everything."

Katsuki grinned, cheeks red, and held Izuku tighter. After a few minutes, he said, "I saw IcyHot yesterday. He went to see his mom. Hadn't seen her since his face." He lightly shook his head. "She's kind of out of it if you ask me, but she was nice enough. IcyHot seemed happy when we left."

Izuku hummed again, listening.

"Aizawa knows a psychic goon squad might be after Braindead. He's keeping him at the school for now, but I can tell he doesn't like it. I think he's worried about him being alone in the dorm." Katsuki sighed. "He's trying so hard to take care of me, too."

"That's not a bad thing," Izuku rasped, eyes warm.

Katsuki shrugged. "I appreciate it, but I don't really need any complicated emotional bullshit right now."

Izuku laughed, more air than sound. "Then don't let it be complicated. He cares. You care."

"What about you?" Katsuki asked, resting his chin on Izuku's shoulder again.

Izuku sighed. "It didn't go well. His name's Sir Nighteye. I don't know much about him beyond the fact that he used to be All Might's sidekick and has his own agency. I guess he likes to keep under the radar."

Katsuki ran his hand through Izuku's damp hair soothingly. "What happened?"

"He didn't believe me. Thought I was tricking All Might…"

Katsuki simply listened as Izuku told him about the Curse of the Oracle and Nighteyes' reaction when he used his quirk on Izuku, but it wasn't all bad news. Katsuki smiled as Izuku told him how much he had enjoyed spending time with All Might and his mom afterward.

"We'll figure it out," Katsuki promised. "Even without help, I'll take care of you. You know that."

Izuku smiled, his freckles standing out cutely on his fair cheeks. "I know."

They finished eating and got up to do the dishes, shoulders touching as their hands worked.

"How's he trying to take care of you?" Izuku suddenly asked, looking up at him curiously. "I mean, you said that like it's something different from just letting you stay at your house."

Katsuki frowned as he remembered yesterday. Shit. He hadn't meant to bring it up. Izuku knew him as well as he knew Izu, so Izuku turned and faced him, ignoring the last dishes as he gave Katsuki an expectant look.

"Kacchan? What happened?"

Postponing this would only make shit worse, so Katsuki tried to play it off as if it weren't a big deal. "This guy showed up after you passed out, saying you forfeited because of your arm and that I took first. I was fucking pissed and refused to accept it, so he used his quirk to wrap me in chains. I thought he might be from the psychic squad, getting me away from Braindead so they could take him away…"

The anxiety of that moment came back to him and he looked away, hoping Izuku wouldn't see it. "I kept trying to blast my way free, but the fucking loser morphed the chains into cuffs that completely encased my hands. I burned them up pretty bad."

Izuku instantly grabbed his hands to look them over.

Katsuki let him, watching Izuku turn them this way and that. It gave him something to look at besides Izuku's face, at least. "Aizawa treated them back at the school. He did such a good job I didn't even suspect he was going to ask Recovery Girl to heal them. He even had Midnight and Cementoss apologize to me."

Izuku went still and Katsuki looked up at him. His heart plummeted. Izuku's eyes practically blazed with fury. Holy shit! He turned his hands over to clasp Izuku's. "I'm fine," he insisted.

"Why would they need to apologize?" Izuku demanded, voice low and raspy and full of heat. He never looked away from Katsuki's eyes.

Katsuki swallowed, glaring defensively. "They didn't know I'd been fucking chained up. Cementoss shifted the cement and lifted me up onto the platform like that. I guess they didn't know what to do, so they just hurried through the fucking ceremony."

Izuku stared at him. His voice was clipped and rough when he spoke. "They didn't know what to do," he echoed. "Why were they so panicked?" When Katsuki scowled and said nothing, he said bluntly, "Mom filmed the festival. You might as well tell me, Kacchan."

Katsuki took his hands out of Izuku's and turned to face the counter, scowling. Fuck! He'd been in such a good fucking mood, too, but, shit, he couldn't blame Izuku. If their roles were switched, Katsuki would be just as fucking pissed. It wasn't fair to be a little bitch about Izuku getting upset, so he took a deep breath and turned back to his boyfriend.

"It's embarrassing as fuck," he said with perfect honesty. "I don't want to talk about this again, and I don't want you to make a big deal about it. Okay?"

Izuku searched his eyes. He nodded, his anger banking. It wasn't gone Katsuki knew, but Izuku was putting Katsuki's feelings first. It made something hot and big burn inside Katsuki. He pulled Izuku in toward his chest, wrapping his arms around him. Closing his eyes, he tried to be as matter-of-fact as he could.

"The asshole wrapped at least five loops of chain around my chest, pinning my arms to my sides. My elbows could still bend, but my hands were bound together in cuffs that covered them completely. When I cussed his ass out, he morphed a mussel around my face. I could breathe through my nose, but it held my jaw closed so I couldn't make much noise." Burying his face in Izuku's hair, unable to look him in the face, he confessed. "I looked ridiculous. Like some side-show freak."

Izuku held him, arms warm and accepting. "I love you, Kacchan. You're amazing."

Katsuki snorted and pulled back. "The fuck?"

Izuku gave him a warm smile, fingers lifting to caress his cheek. Eyes shining, his voice rang with sincerity as he said, "I mean it. You're amazing. You outdid all of us with your quirk use, strength, and strategy. I know you don't think you got first place fairly, but you can't deny you were in the top two. Out of all the students with amazing quirks in our year, you came out on top, and I'm really proud of you."

Katsuki felt tears burn his eyes, completely taken by surprise by Izuku's praise. He looked away and roughly grabbed the plate he'd set on the counter. "It's not a big deal."

"It is to me," Izuku countered. He put a hand at Katsuki's lower back and leaned his head against Katsuki's shoulder for a moment before turning back to the dishes. Voice rising playfully, he said, "I've got to work extra hard to try and keep up with you."

Katsuki shot him a worried glance and groaned at the wide grin Izuku sported. Well, shit. He foresaw grueling training sessions in his future because like hell was Katsuki going to fall behind. Realizing he was grinning, actually excited about that, he laughed.

"Bring it on, Deku."

**Chapter end.**

**A/N: **OMG! I did it! :D

So… that was fun. I was so inspired by all the feedback and hilarious comments and the uproar about Living Chains that I just couldn't stop writing. And the… **XOXO**… scene was also really fun to write. ;p

I hope you liked seeing Aizawa's POV and I hope Nighteyes' debut didn't disappoint. I know it was kinda brief and fast. I was going to detail Izuku hanging out with All Might more, but the chapter was already pretty large so I just summed it up as they had a really nice time bonding all morning. Same with the Izu/Inko scene. I originally planned to do that in a bit more detail, too. I'm happy with the end product though. Let me know what you think? :D


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** Thank you for the amazing feedback as always! I am SO GLAD that Aizawa's POV added to the story and didn't break pace or distract from the main plot of the boys. And I was so happy so many of you mentioned the love scene and said it was good. Love scenes can so easily fall flat, be cringe worthy, or seem awkward. I never know how it reads to other people without feedback and most are embarrassed to comment about it ( which is totally understandable lol ). So THANKS for letting me know the chapter came out okay! I really do appreciate it! XD

Also, I regret to inform you that I made a mistake! I got Sir Nighteye's name wrong. I thought we didn't know his real name, so I made one up. Then I made a mistake with translation so it was all a mess. Some how I thought Night in Japanese was Yome, but that means Bride! Wow. Talk about a subconscious slip of the tongue! Yoru means Night (I think). Sorry about that!

**For clarification**: **Sir Nighteye'**s name is **Mirai Sasaki**. All Might calls him **Yoru** (night) as an affectionate nickname.

x

**Back to Normal**

Monday dawned with grey skies. It promised to be another rainy day, but that didn't bother Izuku at all. He was practically vibrating with energy and was ready to get back to work. Kacchan shot him a challenging grin and they raced all the way to the school. Kacchan won, but just barely. Panting, Izuku protested that he'd cheated, cutting Izuku off when he'd tried to go around him as they passed the park.

Kacchan shrugged with a smug grin. "You weren't good enough to get around; I was good enough to stop you." He punched Izuku's shoulder lightly. "You owe me some fucking ice cream, Deku."

Izuku shook his head, smiling as he caught his breath. He opened the door to the classroom. It was more than thirty minutes before class was supposed to start, but they still weren't the first ones there. Todoroki was at his seat reading, but it was the other teen in the room who caught Izuku's attention. Izuku's face lit up with a smile and he practically ran into the room, throwing his arms around the other boy's shoulders to give him a hug.

"Shinso! How are you?" he asked brightly. "I'm so glad you were accepted into the class. If you need any help, let me know. I have notes for all our classes, but I'm sure you were studying something similar in general studies. I have notes for our Hero class, too. Don't worry. You'll get caught up in no time. Everyone will help you."

Shinso said nothing to the flood of words. He was quiet and pale, his eyes lined with dark circles, but his lips had curled slightly in a small smile.

Izuku looked up to see Kacchan and Todoroki talking quietly. "Have you met Todoroki?" At Shinso's small shake of his head, Izuku smiled. "Let me introduce you. Come on."

At Izuku's approach, the two teens fell quiet. Kacchan was staring at Shinso, a mild glare on his face. Todoroki was looking back and forth between them curiously.

"Todoroki, let me introduce you to Hitoshi Shinso." Izuku turned and gestured to the quiet teen standing slightly behind him. "I know you've met at the festival, but I thought an official introduction would be nice."

"Nice to meet you," Todoroki said with his customary cool politeness. He looked up at Kacchan who was leaning against the desk next to his. "What was all that at the award ceremony?"

Izuku made sure to keep the friendly smile on his face, but inside he felt himself go cold. It had been hard sneaking in time to watch the footage of the ceremony without Kacchan noticing, but he'd managed. The cameras weren't on Kacchan very much, focusing mostly on Midnight and All Might, but Izuku had seen him clearly when All Might had given Kacchan his medal.

Seeing those heavy chains, the huge metal cuffs, the muzzle before All Might had snapped it off… Izuku had nearly screamed in rage. He wanted to jump inside the screen and rip them of his boyfriend, and he felt sick knowing he'd been unconscious while all that was happening.

"It might be wise to let him in on the situation," Kacchan said, measuring Shinso with his red eyes. "IcyHot's one of the heavier hitters in the class and he can keep a secret. His fucking father's the number two hero in Japan and we didn't even know until the festival."

"Todoroki's a friend," Izuku agreed, backing Kacchan up. He looked over at Shinso, giving him a sincere look. "But it's up to you. It's your story to tell."

Shinso looked at the three of them, his expression blank, his body posture unconcerned. "It would be best to keep it to ourselves."

Izuku couldn't mask the disappointment he felt and he knew it showed on his face because Shinso continued, shoving his hands in his pockets and turning his face away toward the window.

"Not because it's a secret. They know I'm here, but because you never know when someone might feel uncomfortable and petition to get me sent back."

Izuku didn't know what to say. He couldn't swear that it wouldn't happen, but he wanted to think that no one in the class would do such a thing.

Kacchan broke the awkward silence, voice harsh and angry. "They can fucking petition all they fucking want. Aizawa is backing you, so you're not going anywhere."

"Is this because you have a psychic quirk?" Todoroki asked carefully. He turned his two-colored eyes up to meet Shinso's. "I'm not afraid of you."

Shinso smiled coldly and Izuku's heart twisted at the bitterness in that expression. "That's because I haven't used it on you. It's always different after that."

"It wasn't different for me," Izuku immediately argued. He stared straight into Shinso's surprised eyes, refusing to back down. "We're still friends even though you used your quirk on me."

"That's because you're a fucking idiot," Kacchan muttered and Izuku shot him a warning look.

"Then use it on me."

The three of them looked in surprise at Todoroki. The teen stared back, his chin lowered stubbornly.

"Use it on me and then we'll see," he said again, logical as always.

Shinso took one hand from his pocket to run through his hair. It was soft and long, standing up around his head. "Why does it matter to you so much?" he asked.

"Be— " Todoroki started to answer, but then he just went blank.

Izuku watched with great interest as Shinso's quirk took hold. Kacchan was scowling fiercely, but he didn't say anything to stop this.

"You're going to get up and go to the window," Shinso said, voice even, almost bored. "You're going to lick the glass."

Izuku shot Shinso a curious look at the strange order, but the boy didn't elaborate. He shrugged his shoulders. Both of his hands were back in his pockets. They watched as Todoroki got up and walked to the window. He bent forward and began licking the glass. Suddenly, Todoroki tensed and spun around, his eyes were narrowed.

"Todoroki…" Izuku began, alarmed. He held his hands up, palms out in a calm gesture.

"That will be very useful against villains. How long does the effect last?"

Izuku relaxed in relief and shot a look at Shinso.

The purple-haired teen stared at Todoroki in confusion. "As long as I want it to or until they receive a jolt strong enough to break my control," he answered carefully.

"Is it always so fucking obvious you've fucked with them?" Kacchan demanded as Todoroki returned to his desk.

Izuku frowned, staring at him. Kacchan knew exactly how much he wasn't happy with his picking on Shinso, but Kacchan was ignoring him. Izuku elbowed him in the side hard enough to make the blond take a half-step to catch his balance. Red eyes glared at him defiantly. Izuku shot him a glare right back.

"I can implant an idea, but the mind is much harder to control than the body. The subject has to be exposed to my quirk for at least seventeen hours for anything to take hold," he recited, as if he'd had to explain this many times before.

It sent a chill down Izuku's spine and he shot a worried look at Kacchan. Kacchan took a step closer to Izuku in response. Shinso looked away from them. Izuku thought he was looking at the smear on the glass that Todoroki had left behind.

"That's how I got here in the first place. I implanted the idea in my handler that I'd grow stronger and be more useful at UA. It took over a month, but the idea finally took and he enrolled me. I don't know how long the brainwashing will last." He faced them again, eyes settling last on Todoroki, but his voice remained monotone. Machine-like. "It will be harder for him to remove me from the school if I'm in class 1-A. This class is really high profile. People will ask questions if I disappear, and the Institute does not like questions. Midoriya and Aizawa-sensei are helping me stay free."

Izuku's heart pounded in his chest as fear twisted his stomach. His lips parted to ask about the Institute, but Mina, Tsu, and Yaoyorozu walked in. The girls hurried over once they saw them. Izuku pasted on a big smile. He fielded their questions about his still bandaged arm and introduced Shinso, explaining that the teen had been officially enrolled in their class. Kacchan and Todoroki separated themselves from the group, both going to their separate desks as even more of their classmates arrived. Izuku towed Shinso along with him, making sure everyone got to speak to the teen. Izuku even spoke to Mineta.

Mineta was tense at first, but Izuku didn't want that. The teen had a lot of potential. He was incredibly smart and his quirk was really useful. Izuku just couldn't accept the abusive way he treated the girls, but he honestly believed that Mineta could change, so he did his best to make the teen feel included. While Kirishima and Uraraka were talking to Shinso, Izuku leaned down to talk to the other teen quietly.

"We can still work together, Mineta. We're still classmates. I know you can be great."

Mineta didn't answer, but he relaxed a little.

The only one Izuku didn't get a chance to speak with was Iida. His friend was the last one to arrive to class. It was worrying because Iida thought that if you weren't ten minutes early, you were late. Izuku shot his friend a concerned look as he took his seat. Iida gave him a smile and turned to face the front.

Aizawa walked in, shoulders slumped, scraggly black hair obscuring most of his face. "Good morning," he said, sounding exhausted. "I hope you noticed that we have a new addition to the class. I expect you to assist him while he gets a feel for the hero division."

"Yes, sensei," the class said as almost as one.

Aizawa stared out at them for a moment. "More importantly, we're having a special hero class after lunch today."

Izuku sat straighter. He could practically feel everyone else doing the same.

"Code names," Aizawa stated.

A few people in class cheered out loud in excitement. Even Izuku grinned in excitement.

Aizawa activated his quirk. His eyes flashed red and his hair lifted around his face. The class instantly fell silent again. "It's not impossible for a villain to figure out a hero's identity, but we try not to make it too easy for them. That's why only UA-controlled cameras are allowed on campus. It's why student faces are blurred when the festival is aired. It's why we called you by your quirk name, but what you may not know is that the information blackout goes way beyond these precautions.

"The Sports Festival is a live event only. Posting footage of the Sports Festival is a criminal offense, as is revealing a hero's identity. UA has a whole division devoted to scouring the internet, removing posts that reveal a hero's identity or footage of the festival, so we don't need to make their jobs harder. That is why we design our costumes to help conceal our identities and why we take up code names. It's important that the name you choose reflects your ideals or skills. It will affect how people see you, but it will also affect how you see yourself."

With that introduction, the excitement in the air had ebbed. This was serious. It could alter the course of their future.

Aizawa continued, voice growing sharp. "In two weeks time, you will spend seven days at a hero agency working in the field. Typically first years are placed with heroes who have a good relationship with the school. However this year is different. You made quite the impression and we've had heroes send in requests for you. We call this drafting and it usually starts toward the end of second year and throughout your third. In other words, for pro-heroes to extend offers to first years like you shows that they are interested in your future potential." His eyes narrowed as he noticed some of the class growing excited, grins stretching across their faces. "Let me be clear. These offers will be canceled if that interest dies down by graduation. Do not get comfortable."

Mineta hit his fist on his desk, turning the class's attention to him. He looked angry. "Adults are so selfish."

"So we'll have to prove ourselves even after we get picked?" the invisible Hagakure asked timidly.

Aizawa sighed. "Exactly. Pros have a job to do, and if you can't help with that job, then you are of no use to them." He turned to the board, hitting a button on a remote he held. "Here are number of offers we've recieved."

Todoroki 4123

Bakugo 3556

Midoriya 1083

Tokoyami 360

Iida 301

Kaminari 272

Yaoyorozu 108

Kirishima 68

Uraraka 20

"It's usually more spread out, but all eyes were on these three this year." He said, jerking his thumb at the display. He was talking about the three that scored in the thousands. His dark eyes found Shinso's. "We will likely get late requests for you as well, Shinso, once word gets out that you were moved to the hero division."

Shinso shrugged, not really worried about it.

"Gah! There's such a big difference," Kaminari complained. He flung his head back dramatically, almost hitting Kirishima in the face.

Uraraka was shaking Iida from behind. "Wow! We got offers, Iida!"

Izuku looked over and smiled at Iida in sympathy for suffering her enthusiasm, but Iida avoided his eyes. Izuku felt his stomach twist. Something was really wrong with the other boy.

Mineta actually reached forward to clasp Izuku's shoulder. "Midoryia, you got less than half of Bakugo's offers. People are worried about your reliability since they saw your power break your own body."

"I'm working on that," Izuku assured him.

"Todoroki's first and Bakugo's second. The opposite of how the festival ended…" Jiro said in confusion, looking over at Kacchan.

Izuku clenched his hands into fists. He knew why. It was those fucking chains!

"I probably only got more because of my dad," Todoroki answered with cool indifference.

Sero was the only one with the guts to say what they were all thinking. "Some people are too scared to ask for a guy who had to be restrained on the podium."

"If they're scared of that, then they shouldn't be fucking pros!" Kacchan growled, glaring furiously, red eyes smoldering.

Izuku had to look away as his fists clenched, a wave of rage washing over him again.

"Alright," Aizawa cut in. "That's enough. Whether or not anyone asked for you, you will all be participating in internships. It will be educational for you to see pros at work firsthand." The bell for homeroom rang and Aizawa shuffled to the door. "Be ready for your hero class. You'll have to submit your official code name before you leave school today, so start thinking about it."

The class broke into conversation, many of them moving to speak more easily to friends. Kirishima was comforting an annoyed Kacchan, while Yaoyorozu was giving Shinso their class schedule and showing the teen her notes. Izuku got up and went toward Iida. Uraraka already had him cornered.

"Does this have to do with the call you got from your mom?" she was asking. "You left early and I couldn't get ahold of you after that."

Iida pushed his glasses higher up his nose. "My brother was attacked by a villain. He's in the hospital, but he will live."

"What?" Izuku was aghast. "That's horrible. What happened?"

"There's a villain out there who is attacking heroes. My brother was his latest v-victim." Iida tripped over the last word, but he squared his shoulders. "Please don't be concerned. This is difficult for my family, but I am as determined as ever to do well and become a hero for my brother's sake."

Uraraka poured her sympathies out to Iida, but Iida didn't seem to really want that. Izuku put a hand on Iida's arm. Uraraka fell silent, eyes tearful as she looked at him expectantly.

"I want you to know I'm here for you," Izuku said firmly, holding Iida's eyes. "I know we don't agree when it comes to Kacchan, but that doesn't change the fact that we're friends, right?"

Iida held his eyes for a long moment before he gave a nod. "Of course, Midoriya."

Izuku couldn't say more because the pro-hero Ectoplasm entered the room to start their math lesson. Everyone returned to their seats, bowing to Ectoplasm in respect before sitting. Izuku tried to focus on the lesson, but he was distracted. Between worrying about this ominous institute that Shinso spoke of and Iida, he hardly caught any of what Ectoplasm was trying to teach them.

Between classes, Izuku used his phone to search the internet for news on Ingenium and found several articles about the attack. It had been brutal. Ingenium nearly hadn't survived it. Izuku knew how much Iida worshiped his older brother and was more and more uneasy with how put-together Iida appeared. By all accounts, Ingenium hadn't even been released from the hospital yet. Why was Iida even at school? As the bell rang for lunch, Izuku approached his friend.

"Iida…"

Iida stood from his desk. "If it's about my brother, there's no need to worry about me," he said again. "I do not want you to worry needlessly. Really. It's going to be okay, Midoriya. I'm going to call my mother while I eat. You guys go on without me."

Uraraka came to stand at Izuku's side. "If you're sure," she said softly, big brown eyes full of compassion.

Iida gave them a smile. "I'm sure." Then he was gone.

"What's up?" Kirishima asked, coming up to them. Most of the class was watching them curiously, including Kacchan who was frowning suspiciously.

Izuku gave them all a solemn look. "Iida's brother is a pro-hero and he was attacked by a villain. He's in the hospital, but he's going to be okay."

There were murmurs of sympathy as the class digested this. Izuku couldn't help glancing anxiously at the doorway Iida had gone through. The teen insisted everything was going to be fine, but Izuku knew that couldn't be true. Iida was hiding something, and Izuku knew whatever it was couldn't be good.

…

Katsuki was more than a little annoyed as they left lunch for their afternoon hero class. Izuku had been quiet. He was clearly worried about Glasses, but, shit, there was nothing they could do about it. He wished for once Izuku would just let it go. It was drama they didn't need, not with Braindead hanging over their heads.

Katsuki's red eyes settled on the creepily stoic teen. The teen wasn't exactly expressive, but the way he went so fucking robotic when talking about the Institute did not fucking bode well. Suddenly the classroom door opened. All the boys in the class sat straighter in excitement as Midnight strutted in.

She wore her skintight hero costume, her bust and ass on full display in her black corset and stockings. She had her flogger in hand as she struck a pose next to the teacher podium. "So it's time to get serious and pick a code name!" she told them, grinning, her blue eyes flashing. "It is still considered a temporary name, but there have been many heroes who make their public debut early and were stuck with those hero names for the rest of their career, so keep that in mind when you pick a name today."

She made her way along the front row of desks, passing out stacks of dry-erase boards. The students passed them back dutifully. "When you give yourself a name," Midnight continued, leaning against the podium, her arms crossed under her breasts. "You get a more concrete image of what you want to be in the future, and you can get closer to it. Names and nature do often agree." She winked. "I see a few of you are already ready. Let's start presenting names."

Kirishima looked up, his hair bright red and styled into upward spikes like always. "We're presenting these?" he asked, nervously.

Katsuki snorted at his idiocy. Why give them dry-erase boards if they weren't going to present them?

Without being called on, the blond half-French boy got up and walked to the front of the room. He lifted his board high above his head and cried out dramatically. "The Shining Hero: I can not stop twinkling!"

Katsuki nearly burst out laughing. Midnight had more tact and corrected the boy with a straight face.

"It'll be better if you take out the I and shorten the can not to can't," she told him.

"It's still too fucking long," Katsuki said bluntly. Someone had to fucking say it. The kid would embarrass the fuck out of himself if he used that lame-ass name. "How the hell is anyone supposed to use that in an emergency?"

"My sparkle is just too bright to contain," Frenchy said with a sniff, dismissing Katsuki's words.

"Bakugo has a point. Think about it," Midnight suggested and sent the loser back to his desk. "Next!"

Pinky went up next. She bounced excitedly and flipped her board over before she even came to a stop. "Alien Queen!"

Katsuki actually liked this one, but Midnight looked horrified.

"Are you trying for the thing with acid blood and head inside its mouth? I wouldn't, if I were you!"

Pinky walked back to her desk, disappointed. Katsuki made a mental note to call her Alien Queen from now on. The name was badass no matter what Midnight said.

One-by-one their classmates came up with names. The frog girl picked Froppy and was approved. Kirishima picked Red Riot, a spin off of his favorite hero Crimson Riot. Katsuki gave him minus five points for unoriginality, but it wasn't a terrible name and it was better than the girl with extendable jacks for earlobes. She got negative fifty points for unoriginality. She went with her quirk name: Earphone Jack.

The kid who shot tape from his elbows was also too on the nose. He went with Cellophane. Then the blond with the huge, muscular tail chose Tailman. Could these fucking extras really not come up with something more original? Katsuki grimaced as the loud-mouthed jock who powered his quirk with sugar chose Sugarman, but he perked up when the Alien Queen went up a second time. The girl shouted out the name Pinky and Katsuki sighed, dissapointed.

The electric idiot chose Chargebolt, and the invisible girl called herself Invisible Girl. I mean, wow. Minus one million for unoriginality. Katsuki was shocked Midnight was allowing it, but she was acting like each of these lame-ass names were fucking fantastic, squealing and clapping.

Then there were the cutesy names, but at least there was some cleverness to them. Octopus boy went with Tentacole. Little rich girl picked Creati. Bird boy chose Tsukuyomi, which basically meant god of the night. Ballsy. Katsuki could respect that.

The little pervert picked Grape Juice, which was dumb as hell, but at least it was different if juvenile. The mute kid who had a rock-like head and could control animals chose Anima, which actually had nothing to do with animals. In Latin, it meant soul, so it was clever. Cheeks picked Uravity, a combo of her first name and her quirk.

Then there was the Half and Half bastard. With a perfectly flat voice, the teen flipped over his board and said, "The Extreme Hero: IcyHot."

"Oh! I love it!" Midnight cried.

Katsuki smirked, eyes flashing in amusement. "I should fucking sue."

Todoroki smiled as he walked past on his way back to his desk. "It was either that or Shoto."

Katsuki grinned. "Bastard suits you better."

Todoroki shook his head, smiling. "I wish."

"That just leaves us with Iida, Midoriya, Bakugo, and Shinso, yes?" Midnight called, looking out at the class with a hand shading her eyes as if she were blocking out the sun.

Katsuki looked over to see Izuku watching Glasses. The extra was oblivious to Izuku's concern, staring down at his board intently. He was even fucking sweating. Shit. There was going to be no prying Izuku away from that loser after this.

Scowling, Katsuki got up and went to the front, gaining Izuku's full attention. Striking a pose, he held the board with one hand and let off a crackle and pop from his other. A few of the weaker idiots actually flenched at the sound. "The Combat Hero: Primus. Because I'm going to be first," he stated cockily. "And because I'm always fucking primed and ready to go."

Midnight clapped her hands. "I like it! Primus. It's a clever name. It suits you."

"Way to go, Bakugo!" Kirishima exclaimed. "Very manly!"

Smirking, Katsuki strutted back to his desk, tossed his board down, and kicked his feet up, his hands crossed behind his head.

Izuku got up, his board clutched to his chest. He shot Katsuki a wide, approving smile before giving the room his attention. He turned his board around. It read: Deku. "I didn't like this name at first. It meant useless." He met Katsuki's eyes and Katsuki looked back, his chest tight. "But then someone really important to me told me that I could be strong. He told me I could be a hero when no one else believed in me, and because he did, I was able to believe it, too. I'll never forget the day he looked me in the eye and told me Deku didn't mean useless anymore. Deku meant 'never give up'."

Izuku broke their connection, looking out over their classmates. His next words, Katsuki knew, were meant for Glasses and possibly Braindead.

"So many people have supported me and picked me up when I thought I couldn't go on." Voice dropping, becoming heavy with pain, tears glittered in his eyes. "Hands reached out to me when all seemed lost. I can't tell you what that meant to me. How desperate and grateful I was. More than anything, I want to do that for others. I want to do everything I can, work as hard as I can, so that when someone is struggling all alone in the dark like I was, I will be strong enough to clasp their hand tight and pull them into the light. That's what the name Deku means to me, what being a hero means to me. I want to give people who are suffering hope because the darkness _can_ be beaten."

After a beat of silence, everyone began clapping loudly. Midnight even pulled Izuku into a hug. Katsuki saw that Braindead was staring at Izuku with bright eyes and Todoroki's looked about ready to run out and save hundreds. Kirishima and Cheeks weren't far behind him, ready to follow Izuku anywhere, but Glasses was looking down. His shoulders were bunched; his head lowered in unspoken rejection.

_Stubborn fucking bastard,_ Katsuki thought to himself, glaring.

As Izuku escaped Midnight and returned to his seat with red cheeks, Braindead stood and made his way to the front. The class slowly grew quiet as they stared up at their new classmate expectantly.

"I haven't known you for long, but I wanted to say I'm very grateful to be here. I admit that when I applied, I did it mostly because of UA's reputation, but since meeting you," he inclined his head toward Izuku. "I've begun to understand what it really means to be a hero. I'm going to do my best to live up to that, so thank you for this chance." He turned his board around and lifted his chin, eyes glinting with determination. "I will be the Persuasive Hero: Socrates."

In that moment, it clicked in Katsuki's mind. Socrates. Teach by asking questions. Braindead's quirk activated when you answered his questions or responded to something he said! Katsuki had to admit he was pretty impressed. It was pretty fucking honorable to give away a clue that could potentially help someone defend against his quirk. Honorable but dumb in the long run. People would work it out, and what would Braindead do then?

"Okay, Iida. You're last," Midnight called.

Glasses stood up and walked stoically to the front of the room. He gave the room a smile that rang false to Katsuki as he turned his board over. It read: Engine. He'd gone with his quirk name, but that wasn't the name that had him sweating and trembling, so he must have chickened out.

"Excellent choice," Midnight said cheerfully and clapped her hands. "Well, that took less time than I thought it would."

Katsuki's eyes followed Glasses as he returned to his seat. Something told him that the rumors were true. That Ingenium had been hurt badly enough that he wasn't going to be able to return to hero work. That the idiot had been struggling over taking his brother's name. If that was the case, it was no longer a matter of 'if' the teen was going to self-destruct. It was 'when'.

Glancing at Izuku, Katsuki saw that his boyfriend was smiling and saying something to Cheeks. Green eyes bright, freckles dusting his cheeks, he looked happy and unburdened. Katsuki's fists clenched. He would have to make sure Izu was well away of the blast when Glasses exploded.

"Looks like you have some time left to hit the gym," Midnight was saying. "Bakugo, Shinso, Midoriya. I believe Aizawa wanted to see you three in gym four. The rest of you are to do independent training."

Katsuki cast a wary glance at the purple-haired teen. Indifferent lavender eyes met his own. Scowling, Katsuki pushed up from his desk and grabbed his bag. He and Izuku were meeting Aizawa for some martial arts training and he wasn't happy that Braindead had been invited along.

Izuku said goodbye to the other extras before chasing after him. He walked at Katsuki's side, smiling happily. Braindead walked on Izuku's other side, stoic as ever. Izuku talked non-stop, his voice normal and familiar. Katsuki's glare lightened a bit. At least the braindead idiot wasn't noisy, listening to Izuku's chatter without feeling compelled to contribute to it.

…

Izuku collapsed, gasping. Aizawa had tied a belt around his waist and then tied his hands to the belt with leashes that were only four inches long. As a warm up, he'd been told to complete fifty kicks, squats, flips, and lunges. Once he was done with that, he was then told to literally run through the obstacle course that filled three-fourths of this gym.

Cardboard cut-out villains jumped out at him from around corners and leapt up from the ground. Because he was moving so fast, each attack startled him. If he tried to use his hands to defend himself, his arms were jerked short by the leashes and he was shocked by the belt. It was enough to send a painful jolt through his body, making him hiss and grit his teeth, but it wasn't enough voltage to actually harm him.

Nearly four hours later, he was drenched in sweat and his legs and lungs burned as if they were on fire. Glancing to the side through heavy, sweat-soaked bangs, he watched Kacchan, Shinso, and Aizawa move through graceful katas. They were beautiful and fluid, but also deadly.

Aizawa had told Shinso that their quirks were very similar in function and he offered to train Shinso in his style of martial arts. He even promised that if Shinso proved capable, Aizawa would train him to use his unique capture weapon. Izuku smiled tiredly, remembering how surprised and happy Shinso had been by the offer. It wasn't going to be easy, though.

Aizawa, armed with a long staff, tapped them hard enough to sting when either Kacchan or Shinso made a mistake. Shinso was struck more often than Kacchan, but that made sense. Kacchan had been fighting for years and had a natural aptitude. Even though he'd never studied martial arts, that experience still showed.

Shinso wasn't as physically fit. He was gasping like a fish out of water. His fluffy purple hair hung damply down his neck to his shoulders, clinging to his cheeks and forehead. His arms and legs shook violently, and his eyes were glazed over in pain and exhaustion.

"Enough," Aizawa said, having mercy.

Shinso instantly collapsed.

"Let's spar," Kacchan order/asked. He was breathing heavily and was sweaty, but he was nowhere near exhausted. His eyes were bright and an eager grin stretched his face.

Aizawa inclined his head.

Izuku smiled fondly, affection making his chest feel warm. He couldn't walk, not yet, so he literally crawled to Shinso's side. "You okay? I promise it gets easier the more you do it."

Shinso was still breathing too hard to answer. He lay flat on his stomach, his face tinged with green. If he didn't cool off soon, he'd throw up.

Izuku knew that feeling well and felt a stab of sympathy. "Here," he said and helped the teen roll over and prop his head up on Izuku's thigh. Izuku fanned his face with a hand. As Shinso recovered, Izuku watched Kacchan's match.

Unsurprisingly, Kacchan was on the offense. His hands and feet flashed along with knees and elbows, but Aizawa moved like water, bending and swaying clear of all of Kacchan's attacks. Every time Izuku was certain Kacchan would land a blow, Aizawa managed to escape just out of reach.

Suddenly, Aizawa lashed out and landed a direct blow on Kacchan's bicep. The blow was hard enough to fling Kacchan's arm out-wide and set him off balance. Aizawa's other palm stopped short of slamming into Kacchan's exposed chest. The blow would have caused major damage.

Izuku winced and looked down, checking on Shinso. The teen was staring quietly up at him. He'd caught his breath by now. Izuku offered a smile and stopped the fanning motion with his hand. "Feeling better?"

Shinso nodded. "Thank you."

"I think I can walk," Izuku said, testing his limbs. "Want to get some water?"

"Yes," Shinso answered quickly, licking dry lips. "That would be good."

Izuku laughed. Together they clumsily got to their feet, bodies aching. Leaning against each other, they made their way to the side where a water fountain stood. They took turns at Izuku recommendation. Vomiting was still a possibility if they drank too much too fast.

"How long have you been training like this?"

Izuku straightened from slurping at the water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well, we've always tried to stay fit. You know, going for runs and doing push-ups and stuff, but it wasn't until about ten months before the entrance ceremony that we began real physical training. Then, a month or so before the test, we started officially learning how to spar. Of course, ever since we were accepted into the hero course, combat training like this or quirk training is almost a daily thing."

Shinso pensively watched Kacchan and Aizawa fight. "I see."

"You'll catch up," Izuku said softly, intuitively knowing what was worrying the other teen.

Lavender eyes glanced over at him. "Why are you so nice to me?" Shinso asked, sounding honestly confused.

Izuku tilted his head, not knowing how to answer that. "Why wouldn't I be?"

They stared at each other for a long minute. Izuku felt the chasm between them, the incomprehension on Shinso's side, and had no idea how to bridge that gap. Shinso was first to look away. Izuku turned his eyes to Kacchan just in time to see Aizawa slam the blond down on his back. Izuku winced.

"He's going to be pissed," he said, voice low.

Shinso actually laughed.

Izuku stared with wide eyes. It was the first time he'd ever heard Shinso laugh. It was low and resonant, and Izuku smiled happily at hearing it.

Leaving Kacchan behind to gasp and sputter on the mat, Aizawa walked up to them, draping his scarf around his shoulders. "I expect you both to be here two hours before class everyday until I am confident you won't hurt yourselves," he said dryly and left them alone in the gym.

Izuku flashed his most friendly smile. "I'm starving. Let's get some food at the caf."

Shinso stared at him for a long second. "You don't have to eat with me. I do not mind being on my own."

Izuku blushed at being seen through so easily. He quickly thought up an excuse. "I eat dinner at the cafeteria a few times a week. It's just my mom and me at home and she works a lot. I don't want her to feel like she has to cook every night."

Shinso said nothing, expression inscrutable.

"Kacchan! We're going to the caf for dinner. You want to come?" he called.

Kacchan got to his feet, eyes narrowed in a pissed-off glare. "I'll fucking meet you there," he snapped, tone annoyed.

Unbothered by the growl in his boyfriend's voice, Izuku grabbed Shinso's arm, tugging him toward the door. "Come on. I feel like pasta. What about you?"

Hands shoved in his pockets, Shinso merely shrugged.

Izuku scooped up his backpack on the way out, swinging it over one shoulder. They walked slowly, their bodies still not happy with the intense workout. As they made their way through the hallways, Izuku talked happily about his favorite dishes, inserting little stories about the few times he'd tried to cook. Once they were finally in line for food, Izuku noticed Shinso staring at all the choices and had a feeling the teen was a little overwhelmed.

"I'll have what he's having," Shinso said when the cook looked at him expectantly.

Two plates of napoleon pasta were handed over a few minutes later. Izuku ordered a glass of milk to go with it and again Shinso ordered the same thing.

The cafeteria was large with hundreds of tables spread throughout the massive space. The ceiling was high above their heads. A row of windows lined the top letting in the red-gold light of sunset. Green plants hung down from the ceiling to make the space feel more natural. A few pillars where scattered here and there with half walls for a semblance of privacy.

The place was crowded at lunch, filled with over a thousand students, but only a few dozen people were there for dinner. Shinso took the lead and guided them to a table in a shadowed corner. Izuku didn't mind and followed him easily. He winced as he sat, his thighs protesting.

"I hope you like it," he said as he lifted his fork. "It's one of my favorites."

"It's fine," Shinso answered, fatigue shading his voice.

Izuku felt Shinso watching him as he twirled his fork and lifted a bite to his mouth. Shinso mimicked him and Izuku watched anxiously from behind a friendly smile. He felt a wave of relief wash through him as Shinso's eyes widened and he stared down at the pasta with happy-surprise.

"See?" Izuku grinned. "Good, right?"

"Yes, it is," Shinso said, voice hushed, and took a bigger bite.

Izuku felt quite pleased with himself and set himself the task of exposing Shinso to as many new things as possible.

To this end, after their afternoon training, Izuku spent hours every day with Shinso. He even stayed late in the teen's dorm room one night watching movies of all kinds. Kacchan, Kirishima, Uraraka, and even Todoroki caught on to what he was doing and contributed to the mission.

Kacchan got a used laptop from Aizawa and took time out to show Shinso how to surf the internet. They searched many topics from plant life to heroes and Shinso was enthralled with how much information was available. Kirishima gave Shinso a used music player already stocked with his old favorites. It was now often found in Shinso's pocket much to Kirishima's delight. Uraraka took Shinso shopping for clothes since all he had was his school uniform and a few shirts and a pair of jeans. (Aizawa gave the teen an allowance). Todoroki gave him some of his favorite novels while Izuku had coaxed him into a hot tub and made him try different foods at dinner.

After spending time with his new friend, Izuku was often home later than normal and the circles under his eyes began to darken. With Aizawa's training in the morning, Izuku was forced to get up at four in order to get to school by a quarter to five.

As class president, Izuku was usually in charge of homeroom unless Aizawa came in to give an announcement or lecture. Izuku used that time to check in on the other students while the rest of the class used that time as a study hall, but Thursday was different.

"Good morning!" Izuku greeted the class as the homeroom bell rang. "Our internships start the Monday after next and your internship request forms are due. Pass them up to the front and I'll take them to Aizawa-sensei."

The forms were passed forward obediently and Izuku walked across the front row collecting them. "Aizawa said he should have our placements by tomorrow. If not, he'll email you over the weekend." With a cheerful wave, he left the room and went in search of the teacher's lounge. His own form sat on top of the pile. He hoped he'd made the right choice.

Over the last few days, he'd helped a few students narrow down their choices. The most surprising of the group was Uraraka who had chosen Gunhead, a combat hero. When he'd questioned her, she'd said, "If I always choose what makes me most comfortable, my perspective will always be narrow." It had been a good point and it had made Izuku think more carefully about his own choice.

All Might had called him the night Aizawa had told them about the internships and let him know that his old teacher Gran Torino had asked for Izuku's internship. Sir Nighteye had as well. All Might would have talked to him about it in person, but he had left for a teacher training workshop and would be gone all week.

"They both have a lot they could offer you," All Might had said over the phone. "Gran Torino has been a pro-hero for many years and has worked with the best heroes out there. He even trained me. However, I'm confident that Sasaki will be able to help with the moon. Think carefully about your choice. I'll support you no matter which you choose."

(Much like Kacchan and Izuku were, All Might was very careful when he talked about Izuku's birth quirk on the phone or by text. None of them were oblivious to the possibility of government monitoring. Just because it was illegal did not mean it didn't happen.)

The decision wasn't an easy one. Aizawa had made it clear the internships could really shape them as heroes, so there was a lot of pressure to choose the correct path, and like All Might had said, both heroes could teach him a lot. This meant Izuku was one of the last in the class to make a decision.

Shinso wasn't going on an internship, instead opting to stay at school to continue his training with Aizawa. Kacchan had taken one look at the list of agencies who had asked for him and had chosen right away. He'd picked Endeavor's agency. Partly because Todoroki (Izuku had no idea what their friend was thinking!) had chosen his father's agency. There was no way Kacchan would let him work with the "flaming asshole" alone. He'd also chosen Endeavor because the Flame Hero had been the number two hero almost as long as All Might had been number one. There was a lot Endeavor could teach him.

Kirishima had chosen the Chivalrous Hero, Fourth Kind. The hero was great at hand-to-hand combat and had a skill for the business side of heroing. He was a good choice considering Kirishima's style of fighting. Uraraka had chosen Gunhead, of course. As for Iida, Izuku didn't know where he had chosen to go. When Izuku had asked, Iida had told him that he'd spoken to Aizawa personally about it. Izuku hadn't felt comfortable pressing him when the teen clearly didn't want to talk about it, but it worried him.

The teacher's lounge was a long, rectangular room with cubicles and desks. There was a coffee bar along the wall under a row of windows. Aizawa's desk was close to the door, and Izuku made his way over, bowing his head respectfully at a few teachers as he passed.

Aizawa looked up at him, eyes bloodshot and tired. "You have the forms?"

"Yes, sensei," Izuku answered. "About Iida…"

"I already spoke to Iida," Aizawa answered, taking the stack. His tone of voice made it clear he would not answer any questions on the topic. "I'm more interested in your choice." He lifted the top paper and looked at the name printed in his first choice box. He looked back up at Izuku. "Interesting choice."

Izuku held his gaze, standing beside his decision.

Aizawa stood and made his way toward the door. "Walk with me, Midoriya."

Izuku obediently followed in his wake.

They walked through the hallways without speaking, students in uniform walking past, talking lightly. After a few minutes, Aizawa turned and they exited through a side entrance. It was the middle of May. The weather was warm, the sun bright. It was a beautiful day. Aizawa cut across the lawn and headed toward a large tree, the branches thick with bright green leaves. A metal bench sat under the tree in the shade. A breeze shook the leaves, making the shadows dance and whisper softly.

Aizawa came to a stop and faced Izuku, his hands folded at his back. "It is my understanding that your visions take quite the toll."

Izuku looked away, frowning. The outer wall than encircled the campus was some distance away. To the left huge gym buildings stood tall, each unique and designed for different types of training and quirks. The main building stood large behind them. The walls mostly consisted of glass windows that gleamed in the sunlight.

"Midoriya."

Izuku flinched when Aizawa gently touched his shoulder. He hated talking about his birth quirk. Especially as the full moon loomed nearer. He worked so hard to shove those memories away, to trend they weren't real. Taking about it touched on that terror and pain, let it bleed into his awareness, a hungry blood-soaked darkness waiting to pull him under. Sweat broke out along his hair line and over his upper lip, but he forced himself to square his shoulders and look up at his teacher.

Voice calm, Aizawa asked, "Explain to me why you chose Gran Torino, please."

"Sir Nighteye's agency isn't far from here," Izuku dutifully explained. "He could potentially help me at anytime. Gran Torino lives farther away and he's old. I don't know if I'll have another chance to work with him, and he was All Might's teacher. I could learn a lot from him." Izuku looked away and shifted his weight nervously. "And I'm not sure Sir Nighteye can even help me, really. I practice meditation every night and I'm pretty good a visualization already. I practice yoga a few times a week. I have things that help me stay centered and calm before my quirk activates and bleeds through a bit during the visions." He looked up at his teacher, eyes filled with unwanted tears. "What else can be done? I agreed to getting help with it mostly to make All Might and Kacchan feel better. I know my quirk is hard on them, too, but quirks can't be altered only honed. I don't think seeing the visions in third person is possible the way Kacchan hopes. That's not the nature of quirk."

Aizawa said nothing for several minutes and Izuku took the time to calm his heart beat and breathe.

"You might be right," his teacher finally said. "Not much is known about psychic quirks. That information is highly guarded and trying to dig up anything might bring unwanted attention to both you and Shinso." His eyes narrowed. "But I don't think giving up is the answer, either. You need to be openminded. I am familiar with Nighteye. He would not have extended an invitation to a first year unless he had reason to believe he could make a difference. He does nothing without purpose."

Izuku stared, wide-eyed.

Aizawa sighed. "That being said, your reasoning is sound. I am sure I can arrange something where Sir Nighteye tutors you during the week or weekend whereas Gran Torino is only an option during the internship."

Izuku smiled. Impulsively, he flung his arms around Aizawa's waist, hugging him. Blushing, ready to fling himself off and babble apologies, Izuku was surprised to feel Aizawa's arms come around him, returning the hug without hesitation.

As they broke apart, Aizawa ruffled his wavy hair. "Go on. You're already late for math."

Still blushing, Izuku tossed a wave and ran smiling into the school.

**Chapter end.**

**A/N:** Hi! So this was a filler chapter with some cute moments, but it mostly sets the stage and gives some background on what their school life is like. I'm currently working on a Halloween episode. Hopefully it will be spooky scary! :D


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Hi, guys! I did my best to make a spooky chapter for you. My recommendation: Play a scary soundtrack while you read! Have fun! :P

…

**Orange Eyes**

Saturday Izuku woke up in Kacchan's arms. Smiling, he snuggled into his boyfriend's warmth. The weight of Kacchan's arm over his shoulders, heavy with sleep, held Izuku in a perfect moment of safety and comfort. Kacchan hummed, turning onto his side, arm tightening and holding Izuku close.

Red eyes blinked open, a smile touched his lips. "Morning," he said, voice gruff and slow with sleep.

Izuku nuzzled his nose against Kacchan's cheek. "Morning," he said happily. Lifting his head, he grinned down at Kacchan. "Come on! We're going to the movies."

Kacchan groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. "Not for hours," he grumbled, turning to face the other way.

Izuku, too excited to sleep, made his way to the bathroom.

After a quick shower and brushing his teeth, he practically skipped to the kitchen. His mother was there, frying some eggs. She gave him a wide smile. "Good morning," she greeted.

"Morning!" He poured a glass of orange juice. "What are you making?"

"Eggs and toast. There's some fruit salad in the fridge." She watched him fondly as he happily retrieved the promised treat. "You're in a good mood."

Grinning, he answered, "There's a new movie out and we decided to go as a class. We're going to the matinee."

Kacchan shuffled into the room. His hair was disheveled and spiker than normal. He yawned as sat at the table. Izuku gave him a hug from behind and poured him a glass of juice. Inko giggled. Kacchan wasn't a morning person. In fact, he reminded both Izuku and his mother of a grumpy cat.

…

"Come on!" Izuku cried, pulling Kacchan by the wrist.

It was almost a half past ten. He wore his favorite red sneakers, blue jeans, and a bright yellow shirt with a graphic of All Might on it. Kacchan was much more laidback. He wore a dark orange tank top with faded, pale blue jeans that had ripped knees, and his red sneakers.

"I'm coming. Geez. The theater is like five fucking minutes away," he grumbled.

Izuku grinned. "I don't want to keep anyone waiting, and it sucks when you miss the trailers!" He let go of Kacchan's hand and practically danced ahead of him. He talked a mile a minute, citing all the trivia he knew about the movie - the background of the actors, the stories about production, and the reviews. The most significant of which was the movie had utilized new technology, blending computer graphics seamlessly in with reality. "And they said there's a cameo of a popular hero, but we don't know which yet. I'm betting it's Uwabami or Mount Lady. Did you know Yaoyorozu chose Uwabami for her internship?"

Izuku was distracted as they turned the corner. Shinso, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Tsu, and Ashido were already standing outside the theater. Ashido waved when she caught sight of them. His arm whipped around in the air like a puppy's tail as he waved back at Ashido excitedly.

"Hey, guys! Sorry we're late."

"You're not late," Tsu corrected, blinking her large eyes. "We still have half-an-hour." She was bent forward in her customary slouch, her dark green hair tied into a large bow down by her knees to keep it out of her face.

"Our first outing as a class! This is so exciting!" Ashido gushed, flinging her arms around Izuku's shoulders. Her pink skin looked soft in the morning light and her short, lighter pink hair blew across her eyes in the breeze. Where most people had white in their eyes, hers were black, like All Might's, but her irises were a beautiful gold instead of the neon blue of Izuku's hero. "This movie is going to go down in history!" she said, releasing Izuku and throwing a fist into the air.

"Totally!" Izuku high-fived her with a grin.

"The higher your expectations, the more likely you'll be disappointed," Todoroki opinioned, calm as ever.

Shinso and Yaoyorozu nodded, agreeing with him.

"Don't bother trying to reason with those idiots." Izuku turned to see Kacchan had finally caught up. The blond crossed his arms with a smirk. "They're a lost cause."

Grinning, Izuku was about to retaliate when Mineta, Ojiro, Sato, Shoji, Sero, Kaminari, and the invisible Hagakure all arrived together. They'd met up at the station and walked together. Mineta, Kaminari, and Sero lifted backpacks high in the air, showing the pretzels, chips, and nuts they'd packed for snacks. Ashido was thrilled and congratulated them on thinking ahead. She practically tackled Ojiro and the blond's thick tail waved behind him like a happy cat's.

Kirishima arrived with Uraraka, and he also had come bearing treats. He had twenty bags of candy that he'd put together and he began passing them around. The boys hit him on the back in gratitude, making the redhead laugh.

Izuku took his with a look of confusion. "Twenty? Who's not coming?"

Uraraka's expression fell. "Iida. He said he'd met us another day."

Izuku understood of course, but he couldn't help feeling a twinge of worry.

Aoyama, Koda, Jiro, and Tokoyami were the last to arrive. Once they were all gathered, they only had five minutes before the movie started. Izuku felt a little bad for the usher who stared at their large group in surprise. They were rowdy - pushing, shoving, laughing, and talking loudly. They had the theater to themselves and took up a rough square in the center. Right before the movie started, other people started to trickle in. Izuku and Yaoyorozu tried to settle everyone down, but they didn't get quiet until the lights dimmed and the trailers began.

Izuku turned to smile at Kacchan. The screen lit up, casting light over the audience's faces. Something caught Izuku's eye and he looked over Kacchan's shoulder. He froze as he caught sight of a face from his nightmares.

Pumpkin orange eyes - fleshy lips - a long, oval face - stringy blond hair falling over his face like straw. Izuku's heart slammed against his ribs. He began to breathe fast. Without moving his head an inch, the man's orange eyes snapped over and looked Izuku dead in the eye. Izuku flinched, ducking down and turning to face the front.

"Deku?" Kacchan's voice came low and close.

Izuku, shaking, slowly turned and looked over the edge of his seat. The man wasn't there! Izuku sat bolt upright in alarm. He looked around the theater in panic, eyes flashing from face to face, but it grew dark, the shadows deep. He almost screamed when Kacchan grabbed his forearm.

"Izu," he hissed.

"Midoriya," Kirishima whispered loudly from behind him. "You okay, man?" The redhead grabbed the back of Izuku's seat and leaned forward worriedly.

Izuku shot to his feet. "Got to pee," he said hurriedly and practically crawled over Kacchan and Todoroki.

He hurried down the aisle, scanning people's faces as he moved. Trembling, he looked around the corner into the narrow hallway that led to the theater doors. It was dimly lit. Thin yellow lights running along the floor were the only source of light. The tall man with orange eyes wasn't there. Breathing fast, heart thundering, Izuku made his way down the hallway. A hand came down on Izuku's shoulder and he whirled with a scream that was quickly cut off by a palm slapping over half his face.

"Deku! What the fuck?" Kacchan growled, glaring hotly.

Izuku yanked away and flung the doors to the theater open. He looked around the wide hallway frantically, but it was deserted. Where was he!? Still in the theater?

"Izuku," Kacchan spun him around and forced him still. "What the fuck is happening?" he demanded, voice low.

Shinso, Todoroki, Kirishima, and Uraraka were bunched at the theater door behind Kacchan, watching with wide and worried eyes. Izuku felt sweat roll down his temple. He did his best to paste on a smile.

"I feel a little sick, actually. I don't want to ruin the movie. Go back. I'll be fine."

"You look awful," Uraraka said softly, stepping forward. "You shouldn't have come to the movies if you're sick. Want me to walk you home? I don't mind."

"No!" Izuku said loudly and laughed nervously. "No, I'm fine. Really. I'm just going to go to the bathroom and wash my face. I'll be back in a minute." He didn't wait for her response. He yanked his arm from Kacchan's grasp and rushed to the bathroom.

Izuku hung over the sink, the water rushing into the white porcelain bowl. He looked at himself in the mirror. His face was nearly bone white, his freckles stark on his cheeks. Dark circles lay under his eyes. Sweat dampened his forehead, his wavy hair sticking to his clammy skin.

Kacchan's reflection appeared behind his own. He watched Izuku with unblinking red eyes and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Izuku dropped his gaze, unable to hold it. His hands shook when he pushed them under the water and brought them to his face, splashing it. Taking a deep breath, he turned the water off and faced his boyfriend.

"Sorry. I thought I saw something in the theater," he said softly, forcing his heart to slow.

"What?" Kacchan asked, unmoving. His arms remained crossed and it was clear they weren't leaving the bathroom until Izuku told him everything.

Izuku swallowed. He crossed his own arms to hide his shaking hands. "Two years ago…" His breathing picked up as fear squeezed his chest tight. Biting his lip, he forced himself to continue. "The killer who… crushed… that woman."

At least he thought the woman had been crushed. It had started in his hands and feet. Felt like every bone was being broken, compressed. The pain had been excruciating. He'd screamed his throat bloody, the mind-shredding feeling spreading up his arms and legs. He'd gone mad with it, felt his body convulsing from the pain. Bloody foam had flown from his lips with his screams. It had seemed to go on for an eternity. All the while, large orange eyes floated above him with a wide, gaping smile. The man's whispering laugh frequently echoed in Izuku's nightmares to this day.

"Izuku!"

Izuku gasped and realized he was crouched on the bathroom floor, moaning and rocking. Kacchan was holding him, chaffing his arms roughly trying to bring him back. Grasping Kacchan's shirt in sweaty fists, he pressed himself against Kacchan as hard as he could.

"I saw him. He was there. He saw me," Izuku whispered hoarsely. "He was there." Confused, tears streaking his face, he looked up into Kacchan's eyes. "Wasn't he?"

"Fuck." Kacchan pried Izuku's hands from his shirt and practically dragged him into the farthest stall. He pushed Izuku inside. "Shut the door. Don't move."

"Where are you going?" Izuku demanded, alarmed.

"I'm going to look around." His eyes flashed, protective anger simmering in their depths. "Stay. Here. And calm down. Even if that sick fuck is here, you're not the helpless woman the fucker killed. You're a hero. Get it together."

Izuku stared as Kacchan slammed the stall door shut. He felt rattled from the flashback, shaky with lingering fear, but Kacchan's angry words stung him enough to make him sit straight. He summoned One For All and power surged through his body. Green tendrils of light snaked over his body before fading away. Izuku clenched his trembling fists and got to his feet. His chest still felt too tight, but like hell he was going to hide away while Kacchan looked around by himself! What if he was taken?

Struck numb by this horrible thought, Izuku practically ran from the bathroom. He ignored the shouted questions called out to him by employees as he ran up and down the hallways. Every second that he couldn't find Kacchan ratcheted up his panic. He burst into the theater with their movie and knocked Todoroki clean off his feet. The teen slammed into the wall hard enough to wind him as he slid down to the floor, falling on his butt. Eyes wide, Izuku crouched before him.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry! Have you seen Kacchan? I'm looking for him," he babbled, uselessly patting at Todoroki's shoulder. He looked down the narrow hallway into the dark theater. The sound of explosions suddenly erupted inside. He jerked to his feet, eyes wide, only to realize it was the movie not Kacchan.

"You have your quirk activated?" Todoroki asked, surprised, as he pushed himself back up onto his feet. "Bakugo's in the theater. He told me to watch you." His blue and grey eyes stared at him in suspicion. "What's going on, Midoriya?"

Izuku's legs nearly went to jelly. "Kacchan's in there now? You saw him?"

"Yes," Todoroki said again. His head tilted as his expression softened with worry. "You okay?"

"Sir."

Izuku turned to see an angry man in uniform.

"I'm going to have to ask you to remain in your theater or please leave. You are disturbing other customers. And I'd like to remind you that quirk use in public without a permit is a criminal offense."

"We apologize for the disturbance," Todoroki said, stepping forward. "I assure you that my friend did not use his quirk. I'm sorry if it seemed that way." He gave a short bow. "We'll stay in the theater from now on, Manager." He turned and took Izuku by the arm. "Come on. We'll miss the best part."

Izuku allowed himself to be pulled into the narrow hallway, the door swinging shut behind him. He released his hold on One For All. The movie was dark and quiet. As they stepped into where the seats were, the screen lit up white and a high-pitched scream tore through the theater. Izuku jumped and Todoroki put a hand on his lower back. It was just the actress on the screen.

Izuku looked around until he spotted Kacchan coming toward them. Kacchan shook his head, glancing at Izuku meaningfully. He hadn't found the guy.

"You think you can watch the rest of the movie?"

Izuku held his boyfriend's eyes, a flush of embarrassment on his cheeks. Maybe it had all been in his head? A trick of the light. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Todoroki didn't look convinced, but he didn't say anything and the three of them returned to their seats. Kirishima leaned forward to ask if he was okay. Izuku smiled and quietly gave him a nod and a thumbs-up. Uraraka looked just as worried and he gave her a little wave. He sighed in relief when she seemed to accept that and turned her attention back to the movie. Shinso's eyes were harder to ignore. There was a knowing light in them that Izuku couldn't escape.

…

Katsuki was on high alert as they filed out of the movie theater. Izuku had calmed down, he was talking with the extras in the class, but Katsuki could see the invisible tension strumming through every smile. He hung back, scanning the people on the street. Only Kirishima, Shinso, Todoroki and Uraraka knew something was up. Katsuki kept his eyes on them. He didn't want them alerting the other brainless losers. Izuku would run around frantic trying to quell their worry, and the guilt for upsetting them would add to his anxiety.

As they made their way to a pizza joint for lunch, Katsuki's mind flipped through all the information he had. The Crusher, he remembered that entry. Izuku had been shaken by that vision more than normal. This was before One For All and the moon. He'd been in the bath and had hit his head pretty hard as he fell. It was a wonder he hadn't drowned. He'd shown up at Katsuki's place the next morning with a bump on his forehead gone black and blue, fear in his eyes shining clear through to the depths of his soul.

It had been near dawn. A woman had been jogging, music blaring in her ears. There'd been no warning. Just the pump of her legs, the cool air on her face, and music when something had grabbed her. It'd dragged her into a park, under some trees. Then the pain had started. The attack hadn't been someone who'd snapped and killed a lover or co-worker. It hadn't been a fit of rage or madness. It'd been the work of a serial killer, a true villain. Fuck, Katsuki hated those!

They hadn't had enough details to find her and stop her death, and when the police had found her body, there hadn't been enough evidence to identify the killer. As time had gone by and no new deaths happened, the Crusher had been forgotten, but Izuku, who'd been brutally murdered by this fucking monster, would never forget. Neither would Katsuki.

Still scanning the street outside the restaurant window, Katsuki felt the weight of someone's eyes. Todoroki was watching him. He glared, frustrated, and flung down the crust of his pizza. "I'm going to take a piss," he said and stood.

Izuku gasped. Katsuki's head whipped around. Following Izu's line of sight, he saw the bottom corner of a brown trench coat disappear around the corner across the street. Katsuki nearly leapt the table. He hit the door so hard he heard the bell go flying, crashing somewhere. A woman's screamed.

Katsuki didn't slow. He ran across the street at full speed. Cars blared their horns, two swerved just barely missing him. Drivers cussed him out before speeding off. Then he was around the corner, breathing hard, hands slicked with sweat and ready to blow. He didn't give a shit about the fucking no-quirk law! Not with this motherfucker.

The street was empty. A cream wall stood shoulder high on either side of the street. Beyond the walls, homes were placed side-by-side. This was a residential block. There were no side streets for a good mile, so there was no way the guy had gotten to the end of the street. None of the gates to the homes stood open, either. The fucker had to've jumped the wall!

Katsuki listened intently, waiting for a homeowner to cry out at an intruder, but there was nothing. A lone dog barked in the distance and the sound of traffic, then the sound of running footsteps came up behind him. He turned to find Izuku and Todoroki.

Katsuki glared at them, pissed off that he hadn't caught the fucker. "We're leaving," he said and jerked his head at Izuku. "Come on."

"I'm coming with you." Todoroki grabbed his shoulder, ignoring the scorching hot glare Katsuki sent his way. "I don't know what this is about, but I can help."

Katsuki opened his mouth to send him packing, but the determined look in the other teen's eye made him change his mind. Yanking his shoulder free, he spat, annoyed, "Fine. Let's go."

"I'll pay for us. Wait here." Todoroki ran back across the street.

Izuku's phone buzzed with incoming texts. Katsuki watched as Izuku quietly answered them. His thumbs moved nimbly over the screen. Katsuki was sure Izu's messages were full of emojis and reassurances, but Izuku's expression was pale and drawn. It worried Katsuki. He remembered the time with the Alleyway Child-Killer. How Izuku had broken down.

Without looking up, Izuku said softly, "I don't know if I'm seeing things or if he was really there."

Katsuki's temper flared. He grabbed Izuku's chin and forced his face up. "Have you ever fucking hallucinated before?" As shame washed over Izuku's expression, Katsuki shook him lightly. "Flashbacks and panic attacks don't count, Deku. They aren't the same and you fucking know it."

"The full moon is a week away. Maybe I'm just freaking out." Izuku yanked away with surprising force. Anger crept into his voice. His green eyes narrowed into an uncharacteristic glare. "I'm scared, okay? Its hard. Knowing I'm going to die. Knowing there's nothing I can do about it. Knowing I _shouldn't_ do anything because what if I actually did manage to stop it and people died because of me?"

Katsuki clenched his fists, frustration eating at him like acid. "Not because of you, Izuku. People get hurt. That's fucking life. It has _nothing_ to do with you. It's a miracle there's a chance someone will fucking swoop in and save them."

Izuku turned away, arms crossed defiantly, head lowered.

Katsuki glared hotly at his back.

They stood in awkward silence until Todoroki returned. Braindead was with him. Katsuki turned his fierce glare on the stoic teen. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Shinso didn't answer him. Instead, he went to stand by Izuku's side, making his intentions clear. Katsuki's glare intensified.

"Where are we going?" Todoroki asked carefully, expression wary.

Katsuki reigned in his temper. He held it tight inside him, letting it smolder and burn. "We're going to Aizawa's place," he growled and spun on his heel, stomping away.

Izuku's apartment was out of the question. They couldn't bring something this dangerous to Inko's doorstep, and the school was too well defended. No way would this bastard try and get in there. That left Aizawa's place.

"Are you going to tell him what's going on?" Todoroki asked after a minute, following along. Izuku and Shinso walked together a few feet behind them.

"Not yet." Katsuki shook his head. "We can handle it for now."

"What _is_ going on?" Todoroki met Katsuki's eyes evenly. "I'm going to need to know if I'm going to help."

Katsuki scowled, knowing he was right. "Two years ago there was a brutal murder in a park. We think we know who the killer is, but there wasn't enough evidence. There's nothing Aizawa could do if we told him now. All we have is our suspicions."

"If we told the police, all they would do is scare the guy off," Izuku added, voice low and intense. "We have to stop this guy."

Katsuki knew he was thinking about Detective Tsukauchi. The detective had studied Izuku's notebook. He knew about all the killers, even the ones they hadn't been able to stop in the past. The police had been able to catch a few of them, but not this guy.

Todoroki's voice was quiet as he looked back at Izuku. "Why is he following you now?"

"I saw him. In the theater. Just for a minute. I recognized him, and he must have seen that," Izuku's voice firmed and his head came up. His eyes glinted with new-found determination. "Now he's following me, and we have to catch him or at least figure out who he is. If we do, I'm sure there will be something linking him to the murder that the police can use. This guy… I don't think he would have stopped at just one death."

"Aizawa's specialty is stealth and capture…" Shinso suggested carefully.

"No. Kacchan is right. We can handle this ourselves," Izuku said firmly, eyes hard. "Aizawa is good, but one wrong move and this guy will disappear again. Besides, Aizawa's working on finalizing our internships. That's important, too. We'll fill him in when he gets home, if we haven't already caught the guy ourselves."

Izuku sped up his pace until he came even with Katsuki. Green met red and Katsuki grinned. Izuku was back. Anticipation burned in his gut. They were going to fucking end this guy once and for all!

…

The four of them spent three and a half tense hours waiting in Aizawa's small, old house. They kept the tv off so they could hear and made frequent passes in front of the windows, scanning the outside. They kept talk at a minimum. It wasn't until they heard Aizawa's car that they relaxed.

Izuku looked around at his friends bashfully. He ruffled his hair. "Sorry," he said softly, once more worried that it had all been in his head.

Aizawa stepped into the room and paused, scanning the four teenagers before him. Continuing his movement forward, he set his keys in a bowl by the door and sighed. Moving into the living room, he sat on the couch. "Alright. What's going on?" he asked calmly, fatigue lacing his voice like always.

Izuku stepped forward and stood almost at attention. "We went to a movie today and I thought I saw someone in the theater. Someone who killed a woman two years ago. I looked away for a minute and when I looked back, he was gone. We couldn't find him when we searched the building. After the movie, I thought I saw him again across the street from where we were eating, but when Kacchan ran after him there was no one there." Lifting his chin, he admitted, "It's possible it was all in my head."

"I saw a guy in a fucking trench coat dart around the corner," Kacchan snapped, glaring hotly.

Aizawa lifted his hand. "You were possibly being pursued by a killer, split up from the rest of the class, and returned here to wait."

Despite Aizawa's mild tone, Izuku was aware of Todoroki shifting uncomfortably, of Shinso's expression going perfectly still and blank, of Kacchan looking away with a scowl, his arms crossed defensively. Izuku swallowed and faced his teacher. "Yes. Even with my eyewitness account, Detective Tsukauchi couldn't figure out the killer's identity. Contacting the police wouldn't have helped and it might have scared this guy off again. If we let him get away, then he could kill more people. I thought about contacting you, but I knew you were busy with the internships…"

Aizawa abruptly stood, his eyes flashing red as his quirk activated. His hair lifted in the air as his scarf writhed ominously around his neck and shoulders. "No," he said with terrible finality. "Do not say you didn't tell me because I was too busy. That's a lie, and it's beneath both of us. You didn't tell me because you didn't trust me. You didn't tell me because you were afraid I would take away your control and because you have a problem trusting people. Adults in particular. Do not pretend otherwise."

Izuku stared wide-eyed, his heart pounding.

Aizawa's eyes returned to black and his hair fell down around his face and shoulders. His scarf went still. "Have you communicated with your classmates since you split up?"

The gravity of that question made Izuku's stomach plummet. Had the killer attacked one of them? To get at Izuku? No! He couldn't have! Izuku would have seen it in his visions. Nonetheless a terrible fear gripped his throat, making it hard to breathe. He scrambled to his phone and began texting rapidly. The room behind him was dead silent. No one moved or spoke as they waited for Izuku's answer. He looked up, feeling shaky.

"They all made it home," he said.

Aizawa's dark eyes bored into Izuku. "You got lucky, Midoriya."

Sick with the idea of what could have happened, Izuku stepped backward and sat heavily on the couch.

"I agreed with him that we shouldn't tell anyone. It was my idea to come here," Kacchan said, voice low and intense.

Izuku wished he wouldn't try to share the blame. There was no point in ruining Kacchan's relationship with their teacher. It wouldn't erase Aizawa's disappointment in Izuku, only spread it.

Aizawa stared at Kacchan for a long second. "I know."

The regret in his tone made Kacchan flinch.

Aizawa turned his attention to Izuku once more. He crouched, arms folded comfortably on his knees, so that he would be at eye level. "You chose not to trust me, but I'm asking you to trust me now." Eyes dark and fathomless stared into him. "Let me help you."

Izuku began to talk. Slowly at first, but then the words came faster. He was pulled down into that night again. Felt again the peace that came with running. Saw the sky begin to brighten. Up-beat music filled his ears… It all changed so quickly… The sudden pain twisted reality into something horrible and grotesque… something truly hellish.

Izuku blinked. Tears wet his cheeks. He had Aizawa on one side of him, Kacchan on the other. They were holding him between them. Izuku's fingers were red from wringing them in his distress. Todoroki watched him, eyes wide with horror. Shinso stared out the window, avoiding his gaze.

"… Sorry…" Izuku looked around, a little foggy on where he was. "Sorry."

Kacchan grabbed Izuku's hair in a firm grip. "Shut up, Deku."

Izuku nodded, mostly to feel the tug on his hair when he did. It reminded him of where he was, of _who_ he was. He obediently fell silent.

"There's someone out there."

The room froze, every breath held as Shinso spoke those words.

Aizawa leapt to his feet. "I'm going to sneak out a back window," he said quickly, low and urgent. "I'm going to ask you to stay here. Not because I'm doubting your abilities, but because the more people who go outside, the more likely he'll notice. Can you wait here?"

The four of them nodded and Aizawa slipped silently down the hallway.

"I don't see him," Shinso reported, still standing by the window. "He disappeared."

"Fuck," Kacchan growled, low and frustrated.

Izuku stirred at the sound. "We have to help."

"No."

It was Todoroki who spoke. He was standing next to the window, peering out from between the edge of the wall and the curtain, trying to be invisible to those outside.

"You heard Aizawa. It was a bad plan from the start. How were we going to combat his quirk? We don't know anything about this guy. It was risky trying to take him on alone. We were letting him dictate the field of battle. Aizawa has been a pro-hero for many years. He knows what he's doing. We should trust him. Besides, he knows our abilities really well. He will tell us if he needs our assistance."

Izuku looked to Kacchan. Both of them were frowning. They had seen people _die _because they hadn't been quick enough, hadn't been smart enough. The responsibility of these people rested on their shoulders. It was a horrible, helpless feeling leaving the success or failure up to someone else.

There was a click. The sound was small. Innocent. They looked to the dark kitchen and slowly realized the sound came from inside. Izuku's heart instantly slammed against his chest. Kacchan was up and moving, Todoroki right behind him. Izuku chased after.

The taller teens came to a stop in the center of the dark kitchen, hands up ready to defend themselves. Izuku flicked on the light. The room was empty. Pushing past Kacchan and Todoroki, he went to the window. There was a thin scratch down the glass. He reached forward and touched it. It was smooth; the scratch was on the outside. The light turned off and Izuku spun to see Shinso standing next to the light switch.

"With the lights on, people can see inside really well and we're blind to the outside," he explained.

Izuku nodded and they ran to the living room to turn that light off, too. Kacchan went around turning on small night-lights that Aizawa had in every room. They cast a faint glow along the floor so that they wouldn't be completely blind or trip over anything.

Standing in the living room, staring at each other with wide eyes, Todoroki was the first to speak. The white half of his hair seemed to glow in the low light. It was even brighter than Kacchan's ash blond. "Either Aizawa hasn't found this guy and he's still creeping around. Or he did and something happened to him."

"Aizawa can cancel quirks…" Izuku protested. He couldn't imagine Aizawa being taken out so quickly or so silently.

"His quirk only works if he can see the target. This guys been pretty invisible so far," Todoroki said lowly. He looked to Kacchan. "What do you think?"

Kacchan's expression was tight with concentration. "If we go look for Aizawa, we'll either find him dead and possibly fall into the villain's trap, or we'll find him alive and mess up something Aizawa's set up. Either way, there's no tactical advantage to looking for him."

"We secure the house," Izuku concluded. "Defend it. Todoroki, can you ice the windows? Make it thick so that it will hold for an hour or two?"

"That will blind us," Shinso pointed out cautiously. "We'll be trapped in here."

"If we really want out, I'll fucking make it happen," Kacchan reassured him. He lifted his palm and it popped. "Or Izuku could kick a hole through the wall." He looked around at them. "We're not helpless. Don't forget that."

There were a round of nods. Todoroki went off to ice the windows with Shinso to watch his back. Kacchan stayed to help Izuku move furniture. With One For All, it wasn't hard to move the couch in front of the front door or to block the back door with a heavy dresser from Aizawa's bedroom.

They all met up again in the living room. Izuku opened his mouth to ask if they'd seen anything while they were at the windows when there was a sharp CRACK! They all jumped at the sound. The ice! The ice on all of the windows cracked at the same time.

"The attic," Kacchan hissed and ran into the main hallway.

There was a panel in the ceiling connected to a string that hung down. Todoroki and Shinso were about the same height, but Todoroki needed his hands free in case of an attack, so Shinso reached up and grabbed the string. Wooden stairs practically tumbled down on their heads. The ladder hit the floor with a bang as loud as a gunshot.

Kacchan cursed, covering his nose as he coughed, dust filling the air.

Izuku stared up into the pitch-black square. He grabbed the ladder.

"Shit! Deku!" Kacchan hissed. He grabbed his shoulder. "I should go first."

"I should," Todoroki argued. He made a flickering flame appear in his palm. It cast light, but unlike the flashlight on his cellphone, it was also a second away from being a weapon.

Izuku climbed the stairs behind the teen, his heart racing in his chest. Kacchan and Shinso followed and they pulled up the ladder just as they heard ice crashing to the floor. The small flame Todoroki held in the palm of his hand didn't cast much light. The vague outline of boxes were just barely visible before pitch black swallowed everything up. A cold shiver of premonition stole over Izuku as he stared into the dark.

…

Katsuki scowled, palms slick. "Why the fuck are we running?" he hissed furiously. "We can take this asshole!"

"You don't know that," Todoroki snapped back in a harsh whisper. "Even if we could, he'd probably kill one of us first."

"So what's the fucking plan?" Katsuki demanded, glaring hotly. "Fucking sit here until the bastard catches us and scream like helpless fucking babies?"

"No," Todoroki said coldly. "We…"

He didn't get to finish as the floor cracked ominously. Katsuki flung himself backward. Boxes went tumbling with a crash as his body hit them. Something sharp jabbed into his side; something heavy hit his shoulder. Darkness snapped down all around him. He couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. Dust practically choked him and he had to gasp and gag.

"Little seer…" Soft and crooning, the voice slithered out of the darkness. "Where did you go?"

Katsuki carefully pushed himself into a crouch, trying to be as quiet as possible. He felt around, but all he hit was boxes and strange items he couldn't identify. He'd been separated from the others when the floor had cracked. Shit!

"Little seer…" the voice sing-songed. "We were wondering why… Why this city was so dangerous to hunt in… All those killers swept away before they could even kill… We suspected… We guessed…" A whispery laugh. "I saw you this time, little seer… Come out and plaaaaay…"

"Fuck you!" Katsuki growled, furious. He leapt back toward the hatch, toward that voice. His hands cracked and popped like loud firecrackers going off in a chain, casting violently flickering light that shoved back the darkness.

There! Hunched over, too tall and skinny, blond straw-like hair hanging in front of his face. Two large pumpkin eyes staring at him wide and unblinking, a slash of a smile breaking his face. The killer reached toward him. Katsuki threw himself to the side just as ice speared through the room, encasing the killer from the chest down. Izuku flew out of the darkness and kicked the asshole in the head. The man's head whipped around and flopped limply forward, knocked out cold.

Katsuki grinned in vicious triumph, the space illuminated by Todoroki's fire. "Take that, you sick son of a bitch."

"Shinso?"

Katsuki turned to see Izuku looking terrified into the shadowed depths of the attic. "Braindead!" he called. "It's over! You can come out!"

The sound of cracking ice had him spinning back around just in time to get ice shards in his face. One shard was sharp enough to cut his cheek. Katsuki ducked, flinging his arms over his face. Chunks of ice slammed into him, hitting with bruising strength. "The hell?" he snarled and got to his feet. The ice encasing the fucker had shattered; the bastard was gone.

"Midoriya!"

Katsuki whipped his head around, panic slamming into his heart. Izuku wasn't next to them. "Izuku!" he screamed and dove into the darkness. Todoroki was right behind him, bringing the light with him. Katsuki kicked boxes out of his way. Things crunched and broke, but he didn't care.

"IZUKU, ANSWER ME!"

They tore through the attic in blind panic. Shinso was gone, too. Both of them gone without a fucking trace. Rage like never before swelled in Katsuki's soul. All the anger that had come before seemed like minor annoyances in comparison. His palms began to sizzle as he realized that that fucking insane piece of shit had Izu.

"_**IZUKU!**_" Katsuki roared, eyes burning with fury.

…

Gasping, coughing dirt from his mouth, Izuku rolled over onto his stomach and lifted his head, still hacking. Dark, but the soft glow of lamplight let him see and cast tall shadows around him. His hands were bound tightly behind his back. A breeze. Outside. Trees? Footsteps on dirt and leaves and twigs. Izuku rolled onto his other side, craning his head up. The killer with large orange eyes crouched less than three feet away. His mouth split into a wide grin.

"Hello, little seer."

Izuku glared at him. "What do you want?" he rasped, mouth dry. "Where are we?"

The killer tilted his head at an abrupt angle. "Don't you know?" he asked and began to giggle.

There was a creaking sound above him. Izuku rolled onto his back and looked up. He gasped. Aizawa and Shinso hung upside down above his head by their ankles in the branches of a tree. Their arms hung slack, dropping down. They turned slowly and Izuku saw that their faces were red from extra blood.

"Noooo," Izuku groaned, low and agonized.

A hand clamped down on his head from behind, the long, skeletal fingers pressing in to his forehead. The stingy hair and large eyes filled his vision upside down as the killer leaned over him. "They aren't dead, little seer. 'Cause then you would have seen it. Am I right? We can't have you knowing where we are."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Izuku screamed, tears streaking his dirty face.

The killer released him and disappeared again behind him, laughing. Izuku rolled so he could keep the madman in his sights, but the killer walked into the pitch darkness outside the lantern light.

"We just want to plaaaaay."

Izuku gasped, heart slamming against his ribs. The voice came from behind him and he whipped his head around. The killer was crouched on his other side, grinning. Izuku grit his teeth as sweat rolled down his temples. "What game do you want to play?" he asked tightly.

The killer flung his head back and cackled for long minutes. Every second of that laugh put Izuku more on edge until he was on the verge of screaming just to drown it out. Falling silent, the killer looked down at Izuku, grinning, eyes glowing with excitement. "Hide and Seek!" he cried with almost child-like delight. "Let's play Hide and Seek. It's my favorite!"

Izuku cried out as he was shoved onto his stomach. His hands were cut free. By the time he pushed up and lifted his head, the killer was gone once more. The lantern left behind revealed a small ten foot wide circle and nothing else past that. Whispery words hissed out of the darkness, seemingly from all around Izuku.

"_You're it. Count to ten_."

Izuku climbed shakily to his feet, breathing fast. His heart raced in his chest. _Think, _he scolded himself. _Think, Izuku. _"One," he said out loud, voice a frightened whisper. He went to his hanging teacher. Izuku was only tall enough to grasp Aizawa's elbows, the man's arms dangling down past his head. His long hair brushed Izuku's forearms. Izuku squinted to see if the man was breathing. He was. "Two." Then whispering, he hissed, "_Sensei_." He shook the man's arms, but Aizawa hung limp and unconscious.

"**No cheating!**"

The sharp command was loud, as if right in Izuku's ear. He spun with a cry, but nothing was there.

"**No cheating!**" the killer barked again.

Izuku spun, trying to find the source of that voice, but he was alone. Swallowing, hands shaking, he moved obediently from his teacher and friend. If Aizawa was alive, then Shinso had to be, too. At least, that's what Izuku forced himself to believe.

On clumsy legs, he went to the lantern and picked it up. He braced himself for another reprimand, but none came. Swallowing, taking one last look at Aizawa and Shinso, he turned and walked toward the darkness. After only ten steps, he looked back and could no longer see the tree or his hanging teacher and friend. They were gone, swallowed up by night.

As he moved forward, more trees loomed out of the deep shadows, dark and menacing. They had no leaves, the limbs sharp and claw-like. They looked dead and made eerie creaking sounds, but there was no wind. It made Izuku shudder, breath quick and light as his heart galloped in fear.

_God, Kacchan will kill me if I don't get it together, _he told himself, eyes flickering wildly around, searching for movement. The killer knew he was psychic. There was a chance he didn't know about One For All or what Izuku could do with his second quirk. If he could somehow catch the killer off guard…

A sharp snap had Izuku spinning, lantern swinging around in arc. The killer was right in his face, grinning. Izuku stumbled back, a cry stuck in his throat, heart hammering and sweat drenching his body.

"Found you!" the killer cackled gleefully. He was over a foot taller, towering over him. He folded at the waist to put his face close to Izuku's. Horrible orange, owl-like eyes filled his vision. Voice dropping to a lower register, an evil hiss, the killer whispered, "_You're not counting_."

Izuku screamed and swung with the lantern. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact, but his blow encountered nothing and the momentum of his swing had him spinning around and falling to his knees, panting. He held the lantern up high, trembling and shaking. There was nothing there.

Anger licked to life inside him. He pulled himself up into a crouch and took a deep breath. Kacchan was right. This guy was fucking with him. He took another steadying breath. Izuku calmed his heart and _thought_. This was just a man. A man with a quirk. A quirk with rules. It had limits. Izuku had to stop and _THINK!_

"_Little seer… Play with meeeeee…"_ the killer called, voice coming from every direction, whispering from the darkness eerily. _"Let's plaaaaay… Hide and Seeeeeeek… You have to count to teeeeeen…"_

Izuku slammed his hands over his ears and screamed! He rocked back and forth, completely terrified. Just on the edge of his peripheral vision, he saw the long-limbed monster form and race toward him, claw-like hand outstretched, face split by a wide grin… and Izuku sprang away, One For All rushing through him as he let his power burn fast and hard.

Catching his body with his hands, Izuku kicked up with all the strength of his quirk-powered legs. The toe of his sneakered right foot caught the killer right under the chin. It whipped the killer's head back violently, lifted him completely off the ground. He flew up and back. Izuku grabbed the lantern and ran at the man, not letting him out of his sight. He was on the monster only a second after he crumpled to the ground. Izuku brought his fist back. Hand glowing, green lighting flickering over his body, he slammed his fist down into the monster's face, holding nothing back…

And he sat up with a gasp, covered in sweat, shaking and shivering in shock. Street lights burned around him, cutting through the gloom of the night. He was in a park. Aizawa and Shinso were lying next to him. They groaned and opened their eyes. A moan of pain snapped Izuku's attention to the side. The killer was clutching his mirror image to his chest. He was crying like a distressed child.

Izuku jumped to his feet just as the sound of squealing tires came screaming down the street. Headlights suddenly flooded the scene with brutal light. The car slammed to a halt, the front door opened. Izuku held up a hand to block the light and saw Kacchan come flying from the driver's seat, leaving the door wide open and the car still running. The soft, repetitive ding of the car bell could be heard as Kacchan flew past Izuku, sprinting straight toward the killers.

Izuku chased after him. "Kacchan! Wait!"

"Leave us ALONE!" the killer screamed, orange eyes blazing with insanity.

The ground rumbled and roots whipped out of the soil at their feet, making them stumble. Izuku just managed to tackle Kacchan as half a dozen roots whipped through the space he'd been standing in. Suddenly, the roots fell limp as Aizawa stood, eyes glowing red.

"NOOOO!" the killer screamed, terrified. He was on his feet, still clutching his twin brother's limp body to his chest.

The huge tree next to them began to fall, its disturbed roots no longer holding it in place. Ice speared through the night, bracing the oak, saving Izuku and Kacchan from being crushed, but it also blocked Aizawa's vision because the roots whipped into life again. In a split second, they enveloped Izuku and he was being brutally yanked downward into the dark earth.

Heavy dirt pressed in on all sides, a suffocating weight. Izuku tried to hold his breath, but he reflexively gasped. His lungs spasmed. He choked and convulsed, unable to move or see or breathe, buried alive! He tried to move his arms, to claw his way free, but he was pinned, the dirt was crushing him!

…

Katsuki watched as Izuku, wrapped in roots, dropped as if the ground had suddenly turned to water. Gone in an instant. Katsuki staggered, feeling gutted. Whipping his head around, murder in his eyes, he shoved his palm toward the grinning, wide-eyed killer. Yelling in raw fury, he screamed, "DIE!", and a tremendous explosion hit the air and detonated with a boom that knocked Katsuki off his feet.

Pushing to hands and knees, he dove for the spot where Izuku had disappeared. He wasn't going to lose him again! Shinso and Todoroki were at his side in an instant. The three of them dug frantically. Cold dirt pulled at their nails, the ground hard and unyielding. Aizawa appeared after a moment and helped them dig. Minutes ticked by in agony until, twelve inches down, they uncovered Izuku's pale, white fingers. They were limp, unmoving.

"_Izuku_," Katsuki gasped, breathless from effort. His heart hammered in his chest. Each squeeze an agony. He was suddenly terrified they were excavating Izuku's corpse. His hands felt cold. Katsuki began to shake, his breathing ragged and wild as he clawed at the dirt like he was possessed.

Slowly, too fucking slowly, Izuku's hands were dug free… Then his forearms… Katsuki grabbed Izuku's wrists in both hands and began to pull, his whole body straining as Todoroki, Shinso, and Aizawa still dug at the dirt. Katsuki gave a rough, raw scream, pulling with everything he had and then some.

Slowly, too fucking slowly, Izuku's head broke clear. Shinso and Todoroki each grabbed hold of one of Izuku's arms, Aizawa had Izuku by his shoulders, and all four of them pulled. As Izuku came free, they all tumbled down.

Katsuki scrambled to Izuku's side, terror and grief raging inside him. Aizawa was already there. He tilted Izuku's head up and checked to see if he was breathing. The look on his face told Katsuki all he needed to know.

"Fuck that!" he growled and shouldered Aizawa aside. He wasn't going to lose him!

Katsuki pressed his mouth to Izuku's, tasting dirt. Tears stealing his face, he squeezed Izuku's nose and blew as hard as he could into his boyfriend's mouth. Izuku's body was still and cold under him. Something dark and empty began to spread through Katsuki's chest.

"NO!" Slamming his fist down on Izuku's chest, Katsuki leaned down and blew as hard as he could. Izuku's chest rose and bloodshot green eyes sprang open. He spluttered, coughing up dirt. Gaspoing, choking on a sob, Katsuki helped Izu sit and braced him, laughing tearfully as he held Izuku to his chest. "Fuck you, you stupid idiot. Fuck you."

Izuku, still coughing, tilted his head back to look at him. Lips trembling as they pulled into a small smile, he said, voice a rasp, "Love… you, too… Kacchan…" He looked around and saw Shinso, Todoroki, and Aizawa kneeling next to him. "Killer…?"

"They're dead," Aizawa answered matter-of-factly, voice even.

Katsuki was very aware of Todoroki and Shinso's wide eyes on him. He looked away, dropping his forehead onto Izuku's head. The teen's hair was full of dirt, but Katsuki didn't fucking care because Izuku was in his arms, alive and fucking breathing.

"I killed one of them."

Shocked, Katsuki whipped his head back to look into Izuku's face. Green eyes met and held his own, not looking away. Izuku said it again, voice even with not even the hint of a tremor.

"I killed him, and I knew what I was doing when I did it."

Katsuki stared back at his boyfriend. He didn't know what he fucking felt, didn't have a word for it, but it was dark and painful and also desperately grateful. Tears burned his eyes as he said, "I knew exactly how strong that blast would be. I knew it would kill him at that range."

The sound of sirens cut through the air, coming closer. Katsuki was pulled away from Izuku. He resisted at first, heart slamming against this ribs, but Izuku was being pulled up, too. It was Aizawa. He looked grim as he got them on their feet and yanked them forward. The grass was smoldering. The trees burned and smoked, the flames small but relentless, crackling.

Just past where the ground was chewed up and blackened, two bodies lay broken. The corpses were both burnt badly and were still smoking, their clothes still on fire in places. Patches of skin were black, cracked, and oozing. One's face was burnt away. The other only had half his face damaged while the other half was normal except for one unseeing, orange eye.

"I need to be sure you understand," Aizawa said, voice low. "I need you to understand how final this is. There is no coming back from taking a life. As heroes, it is your job to bring criminals to the police alive for judgment." His voice lowered even further. "But there are times when that is not possible. There are times when we have to kill in order to protect ourselves and others. You need to understand that this is never the end we seek. You need to understand why." He grabbed each of them by the back of the neck and recited quietly, "Violence ending in death creates a void where hatred and loss are born and more death comes. When you kill, a part of you is bound to that moment forever and the consequences of that ripple through your future unending. A hero's goal is to break the chain of violence, not to create another link in the unending chain."

Katsuki stared down at the devastation his quirk had wrought, but the tears he'd had as he looked into Izuku's eyes were gone. He stared down at the corpses they'd made and felt nothing. Izuku clung to him, and Katsuki looked over to him worriedly. Izuku's face was ghost white, smeared with dirt and sweat, but his eyes were clear, his chin up even as his lips trembled and his hands shook as he leaned into Katsuki's side. Aizawa wrapped one arms around each of them, and turning them away from the destroyed bodies of the two killers, he led them back to where Todoroki and Shinso stood by the broken tree.

Red, strobing light fell onto the scene as the police and ambulance arrived. Katsuki clung to Izuku as much as Izuku clung to him, but they were eventually pulled apart. Izuku was wrapped up in a silver blanket and put into back of an ambulance. At Katsuki's urging, Aizawa climbed in with him. Katsuki didn't want Izuku to be unguarded.

Katsuki, Shinso, and Todoroki were led by a blank-faced officer to a police car. The man opened the back door and gestured them in. They sat in tense silence until the driver's side door opened and a cop sat down, shutting the door as he turned on the car. Todoroki tightly grabbed hold of Katsuki's wrist, nervous, but it was Detective Tsukauchi who turned to look back at them. Katsuki relaxed. The detective's eyes and tone were kind as he said, "I know you must be exhausted after your ordeal, boys. I promise we'll make this quick."

Sighing, Katsuki closed his eyes and let his head fall against the window."You can trust him," he said softly. In response, Todoroki's grip relaxed, but he didn't let go. Katsuki made no move to pull away. Louder, eyes still closed, he asked the detective, "How fucked are we?"

"After I interview you, you'll be allowed to go home. Forensics will document the scene. A prosecutor will review the evidence and decide if there is a case for excessive and willful force. If so, you could be put on trial. If you're found guilty after the trial, you could be sentenced anywhere from one to ten years of imprisonment."

Todoroki's grip tightened painfully again and Katsuki lifted his head. They came to a red light and Tsukauchi turned to face him.

"It is likely that the prosecutor will not find sufficient evidence to make a case against you. Especially in light of your testimony that you were frightened and fighting for your lives. It also works in your favor that you're minors, so the deaths of the two subjects will likely be ruled as self-defense." Solemn eyes stared into Katsuki. "However, I would caution you against excessive violence in the future as repeated claims of 'self-defense' are looked on with heavy suspicion."

Holding the detective's gaze, Katsuki nodded. "I understand."

Tsukauchi nodded and turned back to face the front as the light turned green.

Katsuki let his head drop back down to rest against the glass, ready to have this nightmare of a night over with.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** Happy Halloween everyone! No matter your age, I hope you get dressed up and go out trick or treating! ;p


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** _*does happy dance* _I'm so glad I you guys liked the scary chapter and that it actually was scary! Horror is so HARD! lol

This chapter is going to surprise you guys! Lots of angst ahead and some unresolved issues blow up real fast! Can't wait to hear about your reactions! _*grins*_

…

**Truths Come Home to Roost**

By the time Aizawa arrived at the police station, the sky had lightened, the sunrise less than an hour away. He'd ridden with Midoriya in the ambulance and had sat with him while the doctors checked him over, but as soon as Ms. Midoriya had arrived, he'd called a taxi to drive him to the police station. He'd left Katsuki almost two hours ago, and he hadn't been happy leaving him unattended in police custody, regardless of Detective Tsukauchi assurances.

Aizawa immediately spotted Shinso sitting slumped in the lobby. The teen straightened as he caught sight of Aizawa and got tiredly to his feet. The boy's thick, fluffy purple hair now drooped down around his face, falling to his shoulders. The dark circles under his eyes were as pronounced as ever and he had his hands shoved deeply into his pockets.

"Endeavor took Todoroki half-an-hour ago. Todoroki didn't want to leave without Bakugo, but Endeavor insisted. Bakugo still hasn't come out," the teen reported, voice as dull as his eyes.

Aizawa reached out to pat the boy's shoulder. "I'll find out what's taking so long," he promised and walked past him to the reception desk.

The young policeman behind the counter looked up at him as he approached and Aizawa quietly asked for Detective Tsukauchi. He only had to wait four minutes before the detective came striding out. Aizawa straightened, coming alert. One look at the detective's face and he knew something was wrong.

"Come with me," Tsukauchi said, voice pitched low.

Aizawa followed him, his heart beating faster, adrenaline rising, but he wasn't panicked. He was focused, ready. Tsukauchi brought him past the cubicles of officers toward the interview rooms. They went down the narrow hallway and the detective opened one of the doors, stepping inside. Aizawa followed, shutting the door behind him.

"…violent since he was young."

Aizawa stood still as he looked through the one-sided glass window at the person on the other side. His expression remained blank, his posture didn't change, but Tsukauchi stood tense, a frown resting deep on his face.

"She arrived an hour ago," the detective said quietly.

"Can you give me an example of the violence you're speaking of, Ms. Bakugo?"

Mitsuki had her hand curled into a tight fist. It sat before her on the table. Her body was angled, so that her other arm was out of view in her lap. Her eyes were dark, her face filled with tension as she stared intently at the officer interviewing her.

"When he was four, he bullied the other kids. I did my best, but one day I got a call from the school. Katsuki was bullying another kid when another boy tried to stop him. Katsuki lost his temper and burned the boy's shoulder bad enough to leave third degree burns."

"It's been more of the same." Tsukauchi turned to Aizawa, arms crossed. "She said she was too frightened of her son to take him home. I'm going to be honest. It's not looking good for Bakugo. If his mother testifies against his character, the prosecutor will have a case." Voice dropping even lower, he said, "The force of the explosion Bakugo created against the Ishikura brothers was devastating… The condition of their bodies afterward…"

"Where's Katsuki?" Aizawa asked calmly.

Tsukauchi looked at him in surprise, but he left the room without a word and led Aizawa past the door where Ms. Bakugo was giving her statement and into the room directly next door. Katsuki lifted his head from his folded arms. His eyes were bloodshot. He was dirty and exhausted, but he was alert, the quick intelligence of his mind evident in his bright eyes.

"Deku?" he asked, before Aizawa could even come fully into the room.

"Still at the hospital, but he'll be fine. His mother is with him," Aizawa answered and took the seat opposite his student. Katsuki straightened, sensing there was trouble. "It's procedure to contact the parents of minors when police are involved. Your mother arrived an hour ago."

Katsuki pushed away from the table, unconsciously seeking distance.

Aizawa didn't sugar coat it. "She's vilifying you. If we do nothing, the prosecutor may have a case for murder. I need your help to discredit her testimony."

The teen's face went blank. He lowered his head, his hands fisted in his lap. Then he looked up and met Aizawa's eyes. He knew what Aizawa was asking and he refused to flinch away. Aizawa's chest went tight with pride for this incredibly strong boy. Katsuki took a deep breath and then he began to speak. His voice was low, his tone flat.

"I believe my mother suffers from PTSD. She was attacked as a teenager. Her family was murdered and she almost died with them. Her attacker had a fire quirk and she thinks he was the one to impregnate her. Masaru was her boyfriend at the time and they decided to keep me and put his name on the birth certificate. When my quirk manifested, she became hostile and angry. She saw me as her attacker."

Aizawa kept his face neutral even as his heart broke and rage stirred in the pit of his stomach. It was so much worse than he'd suspected.

"She put the thermostat at sixty-eight degrees fahrenheit and for two years didn't let me wear any clothes at home because she was afraid I would sweat and catch something on fire. Whenever my quirk manifested, she'd have me stand against the wall. She'd take her belt and she'd beat me with it until I couldn't stand. If the wall had even the slightest fucking scorch mark from my quirk going off while she beat me, she would whip me until I was unconscious. It always took so damn long to pass out and I'd be fucking bedridden for two days after that, the bruises were so bad."

"How old were you when your quirk manifested?" Aizawa asked carefully.

Katsuki gave a humorless smile. "Four."

"How often did your quirk manifest?"

"At first?" He shrugged tense shoulders. "Three times a week." His eyes were dark as he added, "I learned to control it pretty fast, but my back nearly always bore welts no matter how hard I fucking tried."

"Did the belt ever break the skin?"

Katsuki shifted in the chair, his expression growing dark as he glared over at the wall, avoiding Aizawa's eyes. "Two or three times a year. I still have scars."

"Were you ever treated for your injuries?"

"I was a pretty healthy kid, but when I was eleven…" His voice trailed off and Katsuki shifted again, coughing to clear his throat.

Aizawa hated how difficult this was. Hated that the boy's freedom had to come at the price of his privacy. It wasn't fair, but Aizawa had long ago learned that life was not fair. "Do you need to take a break? Would you like some water?"

Katsuki denied the offer, allowing himself no comfort. "I snuck out of the house. To meet my elementary school friends. We were graduating and wanted to meet up to celebrate because a lot of us were going to different middle schools. When I got home…" The teen growled and punched his thigh. "When I got home, my mother was waiting for me… I'd never seen her so fucking mad…"

Katsuki was sweating and roughly wiped it away from his eyes with a shaking hand. "She attacked me. She began hitting and kicking me, accusing me of going out to rob and attack people. She kicked me so fucking hard my ribs broke and punctured my lung. Deku came to check on me and walked in on it. He got some of it on film and called an ambulance. I was taken to the hospital. They said I would have died if the ambulance came any later. I think he still has that video."

Aizawa felt cold at the mention of how close Katsuki had come to being killed by his own mother. He couldn't speak to ask another question, not without revealing how upset he was.

"Why didn't you report it?" Tsukauchi asked quietly from where he stood by the door.

Katsuki's bloodshot eyes lifted to the detective in a fierce glare. "She's my mother."

"So you went home with her?" Tsukauchi asked.

"No." Katsuki looked away, down at the table. "Masaru… He kicked her out until she got counseling. After a few months, he felt it would be safe to try again. She hasn't beat me since, but she still hates me. She's called me a villain since I was fucking four. She told me I'd never be a hero. That my hands were only good for one thing." He looked up into Aizawa's guarded eyes. "And I know it looks like she's right. After what happened tonight, but she's not." His voice lifted, became more urgent. The next words were for himself as much as for him and the detective. "I can protect people. I was trying to protect Izuku and you and Braindead. I'm still learning. I know I've got a long way to go, but I'm not a fucking villain! I don't want to hurt people. I'm not out to kill anyone!"

"I know," Aizawa told him firmly. He reached across to grip Katsuki's hand. "I know you aren't."

Katsuki looked away, eyes wet. "Yeah… well… A little more than a month ago, they kicked me out," he growled hatefully. He looked up at Aizawa and Tsukauchi bleakly. "She wants me dead. She'll do whatever she fucking can to hurt me and I have proof. When I got hurt at USJ, there was a chance the surgery would kill me. She agreed right away without asking questions. Deku overheard the nurses talking about it, and it bothered them how quickly she agreed, but it's because my mother _wanted_ the surgery to fucking kill me."

"Your mother mentioned you being a bully and burning a boy in pre-school," Aizawa suddenly spoke up. "Is it true?"

Katsuki flushed. "I wasn't a bully, but I had a temper. I didn't like when people accused me of things that weren't true. Probably because of my mother calling me a villain so much. One of my friends accused me of cheating on a test because I got a perfect score. I got pissed at him. Deku stood in my way and it made me feel even angrier because he made me feel like I _was_ being a fucking bully. I didn't mean to burn him, but my quirk went off." He shifted, clearly upset by this.

"The child you burned was Midoriya?" Tsukauchi asked, surprised. "You're so close."

"Not back then," Katsuki answered with glower. "He was so soft and weak and his quirk hadn't manifested, but he was always trying to help even when he clearly couldn't. He pissed me off a lot back then. We didn't become friends until a few years after that when that substitute teacher attacked our class when we were seven." Voice dropping to a whisper, he added, "Everything was different after that."

There was silence as Katsuki's horrific story settled. After a minute, Tsukauchi cleared his throat and asked gently, "What triggered your parents to kick you out?"

Katsuki scowled.

Aizawa looked up at the detective blankly. "Is that relevant?"

Detective Tsukauchi nodded. "I need a full understanding of this case if you want to ensure Bakugo's freedom."

"I told them I had had a fucking boyfriend," Katsuki suddenly announced, defiant and angry. "It was the last fucking straw for them. Said it proved I was like mom's attacker. _Sexually deviant."_

Tsukauchi stood with an expression of an epiphany. So much made sense now. "Midoriya."

"I don't want him involved in this," Katsuki growled protectively, glaring up at the detective.

"I will do my best, but we may not have that luxury," Tsukauchi told him softly. "Is that where you've been staying since you were kicked out?"

Katsuki crossed his arms and scowled, and Aizawa felt a pang as he realized the teen was trying to protect him. Katsuki didn't know if it was okay he'd been staying with him or not, but Aizawa never left room for others to attack him. Principal Nezu knew about Katsuki's situation and had already okayed the teen to live with him.

"He's staying with me," Aizawa informed the detective calmly. "That's why they retreated to my house when they caught sight of their stalker."

Tsukauchi looked relieved at this. He nodded his head. "I'm going to need the copy of that video, but you can go home. Get some rest. I'll be in touch with the prosecutor's decision."

Aizawa nodded and pushed to his feet. He felt more exhausted than ever, his chest tight with empathy for the teen across from him. "Let's go, Katsuki."

Katsuki nodded, relief visible on his face as he stood. He swayed but glared when Aizawa reached out to steady him. Aizawa smiled at him and led the way back out into the lobby. He collected Shinso and guided the two boys to his car. The teens didn't speak the entire drive back to the house. The police were just leaving, cameras in their hands from documenting the scene. Aizawa sighed. Every window was broken and the floor was still damp from all the melted ice. The stairs to the attic were down. He could only imagine the mess up there.

"How'd he do it?" Katsuki asked, voice a rasp. "How'd he take you guys from here to the park?"

"I'm not sure," Aizawa confessed. Answers would have to wait until later. Right now he had two boys to take care of. "Katsuki, you'll take my bed. Shinso, you can sleep in Katsuki's room for now." He cast a questioning look at the blond. "Is that okay?"

Katsuki shrugged, too exhausted to argue.

"Take a shower. I'll board up the bedroom windows. If either of you are hungry, please get something from the kitchen."

Aizawa didn't wait for a response. He climbing up to the attic and stared around at the tossed aside boxes, some clearly deformed from a body hitting them, their contents likely broken. Sighing, he went to the corner and found some plywood. He activated his quirk and grabbed them with his scarf, carrying them downstairs.

There were only two windows in the master bedroom, so it didn't take long to board them up. He was done by the time Katsuki entered wearing his sleep clothes, his hair wet from the shower. The teen's eyes were already half-closed and Aizawa guided him to the bed. The teen was unconscious before his head hit the pillow, and Aizawa took advantage of the fact to pull the blankets up over the boy's leanly muscled form, tucking him in. Then he went looking for Shinso. He found the boy sitting on the edge of Katsuki's bed. He looked up, face pale and expressionless.

"I don't need a bed."

Aizawa considered this information. "You don't think you can sleep?"

The teen shrugged.

"Go have a shower. I'll make us some food," he ordered.

The teen obeyed without argument, so different from Katsuki. Aizawa had been lucky the blond was as tired as he was or he'd have insisted on helping clean the house and would have gotten pissed about being "babied". Aizawa boarded up the single window in Katsuki's room and went to mop up and dry the floors. He'd finished the kitchen by the time Shinso had reappeared.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked.

Shinso shrugged. "I'll eat anything."

Aizawa said nothing to that and cooked some scrambled eggs with buttered toast. He gave Shinso warm milk while he took hot coffee for himself. Once they were done eating, he set Shinso to the task of cleaning the dishes and told him to try and get at least a few hours of sleep. Again, the teen obeyed. While the boy cleaned up, Aizawa stepped outside to make a few phone calls. He was going to need some help.

…

Dark pressed in all around him. Izuku clawed and clawed, dirt pouring down his throat and nose. He was choking to death! His arms growing weak… He sat upright, gasping for breath. His mother was there, rubbing his back and saying something calming. Tears streaked his face and he rubbed them away ruthlessly. The heart monitor beeped like crazy, but as he took deep breaths, it began to slow into a more reasonable rhythm.

"What time is it?" he asked hoarsely. "When can I leave?"

"Soon," his mother soothed, pushing back his sweaty hair form his forehead. "I was just coming to wake you up. Detective Tsukauchi is here to speak to you. He says it's important."

Izuku nodded. He raised the hospital bed with a button, so he could sit upright. His mother opened the door and the detective walked in.

"Midoriya," he said with gentle affection. "How are you?"

The detective's square face was as friendly and open as always. He didn't have his hat on, his short black hair only two inches long, barely falling over the top of his forehead. He wore a trench coat over a white button-down with a solid red tie. Izuku looked at the clock. It was only just turning six in the morning. Izuku had slept less than three hours, but he had a feeling that that was more sleep than the detective had gotten.

"I'm okay," Izuku answered softly. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm afraid not." Tsukauchi ran his hand over his head, ruffling his hair. Expression becoming serious, he said, "I need the video you took of Bakugo and his mother."

Izuku felt his stomach drop. "What happened?" he asked in a whisper.

Fear and rage burned in Izuku as he listened to the detective explain how Kacchan could be tried for murder due to Mitsuki's testimony. Inko was horrified, her face flushed with anger.

"What can we do?" she demanded, expression fierce.

"Mom, can you hand me my phone, please?" Izuku asked, voice carefully neutral even as his eyes blazed.

Inko did as she was asked and agreed to give a statement attesting to Kacchan's good character. While she wrote down her statement, Izuku signed into his online data account and forwarded the damning three minute video to Tsukauchi's phone. He also gave a thorough description of the nurse he'd overheard saying she was uncomfortable with Mitsuki's reaction. He even sketched her face in the corner of the detective's notepad to make sure he found her.

"He wasn't a bully," Izuku said firmly, handing the notepad back. "He bossed people around and made rude comments when he felt they were deserved, but he didn't target anyone in particular and set out to hurt them. He only picked on me so much because I put myself against him again and again. Bullies crave power. Kacchan didn't need to hurt others to feel powerful, but he did fight with older kids. To prove he was strong and to stop them from picking on others. All of his teachers will speak well of him."

"Did he burn you when you were in preschool?" Tsukauchi asked carefully.

"Not on purpose!" Izuku snapped, angry. "He was four! No one has perfect control of their quirk at four! They can't use that to hurt him, not if I refuse to testify, right?"

Tsukauchi held up his hand for peace. "I just want to have as much data as possible. We want the prosecutor to rule that there is no case, that way it doesn't go as far as a trial, but if there is a trial, they can call you to the stand and ask you anything they like."

"This is outrageous!" Inko hissed. "That woman is sick! She has been for years!"

"And Masaru?" Izuku asked tightly, his hands fisted into the hospital blanket. "Is he just going along with this?"

"I haven't gotten his statement yet," Tsukauchi admitted. "This video will be crucial and I wanted to secure that first."

Izuku was so mad he could hardly speak. It wasn't fair! But he forced himself to calm down. Aizawa and All Might and his mom and Tsukauchi… None of them would let Kacchan get arrested. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. "Let me know what else I can do," he finally said.

Detective Tsukauchi nodded and left them to gather more supportive evidence.

"I can't believe her," Inko hissed, arms crossed and still red in the face. "What a terrible woman!"

"We aren't going to let anything bad happen to Kacchan," Izuku told her, determined to make it true.

"What was on the video?" she asked, green eyes dark with suspicion.

Izuku shook his head. "You don't want to see, and I don't think Kacchan would want you to, either."

Inko glared at Izuku's phone as if it had personally offended her before she huffed, relenting.

"Mom, can you get me discharged, please?" Izuku begged, flashing his most powerful puppy-dog eyes. "I need to go see Kacchan. He shouldn't be alone right now."

Inko's eyes widened and she flung her arms around her son. "Of course, sweetie!" She hugged him tightly. "Don't worry about a thing. I'm going to take care of everything."

…

Two hours later, Izuku made his way up to Aizawa-sensei's house and knocked on the door. His mom hadn't been happy about him leaving her supervision, but she'd understood and agreed that he should be with Kacchan.

It was Shinso who opened the door. The teen was as blank-faced and stoic as always, his hair falling down around his face in choppy layers, still slightly damp from a shower. Izuku greeted him with a tired smile.

"Morning."

Shinso's answer was to hold the door wider open. Izuku stepped inside. The house was a mess even though it was clear that some effort into cleaning had already been made. The windows were boarded up with wooden sheets, so the lights were on even though the morning sun was shining brightly outside.

"Where's Aizawa?"

Shinso shrugged. "He left."

"And Kacchan?" Izuku asked, frowning.

"Sleeping."

Izuku felt his shoulders relax. "That's good." Shinso stared at him and Izuku realized that something was on the other teen's mind. Expression concerned, he asked, "What is it?"

"Come with me," Shinso said quietly.

Izuku followed him toward Kacchan's bedroom, anxiety spiking in his gut. Was something wrong? But the door swung open to reveal an empty bed. Izuku deflated with relief. Kacchan must be in Aizawa's room. Curiously, he sat on the edge of the bed, Shinso sitting next to him. They both turned so that one leg was folded before them so they could face each other.

"What's wrong, Shinso?" Izuku asked quietly. "You can talk to me."

Shinso stared at him intently, lavender eyes unblinking. "When you told me you had visions about people who die in the future, I thought you simply watched. You…" He hesitated, his voice softening. "You're projected into the body of the person who dies?"

Izuku unconsciously wrapped his arms around his torso. He was too exhausted and on edge to talk about this, but there was an intensity to Shinso that made him worried. "Yes," he whispered.

Shinso said nothing for a minute, frowning. "Sounds like a combination of empathy and precognition." He looked away toward the boarded up window. "Midoriya…"

"Izuku," Izuku interrupted. Shinso looked at him in confusion. Izuku gave him a wane smile, still chilled by their conversation. "I'd like you to call me Izuku."

Shinso stared at him and then tentatively said, "Izuku."

Izuku smiled, finding it cute how hesitant the other teen was.

"Izuku," Shinso said again, expression growing more determined than ever. He reached forward and grabbed Izuku's wrist. "Those with empathy at the institute… Many of them didn't fair too well." His tone of voice made it clear that that was an understatement. "They had to be medicated to preserve their sanity. By the time the subjects reached twenty, many of them tried to commit suicide. Some even succeeded."

Izuku dropped his eyes and bit his lip. He wanted to say he'd never do that, but the full moon was a week away and dread sat heavy in his chest. His hands began to shake and Shinso's grip tightened.

"The doctors experimented with many things to see if anything would help keep the subject optimal. They eventually discovered that with the right suggestion my quirk is able to help the mind form a buffer between the subject's mind and their quirk input."

Izuku lifted his head, meeting Shinso's unblinking lavender eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I'm able to 'tell' your mind to put some distance between you and what you experience when your quirk is active," Shinso said with quiet intensity. "It doesn't stop it completely, but you'll feel a little removed." He let go of Izuku's wrist, frowning with concentration. "I basically force your brain to realize that your quirk is separate from your mind. I've done this for three empaths. All of them reported the implanted idea helped and were able to function without as much medication, but they experienced it in different ways. One experienced a dissociation as if their quirk were a separate person inside them. They began to hear a voice telling them the information instead of feeling it themselves. Another said it muffled things so that they still felt it, but in a lesser degree. They described it as muffling the input into shades of grey. The third said nothing was different except that they now knew what was their feelings and what was someone else's when before it was indistinguishable."

"That's so interesting," Izuku muttered, honestly fascinated. His anxiety about his quirk had disappeared the more Shinso had talked. Izuku still found quirks fascinating. "I've always thought that psychology plays a big roll with quirks. Of course, you can't just make your quirk something it isn't by thinking differently, but the application of quirks is a lot more flexible than many people realize. It's all about creativity of thought. Quirks can be used in so many different ways beyond the obvious. Your brainwashing must open the mind to those possibilities, allowing the person to view their quirk in a new way."

Shinso shrugged. "I don't know much about the science behind everything. They didn't really share their data with me, but I do know that the way you talked about your vision…" He frowned, eyes dark with concern. "It wasn't good. You looked like you were having a flashback." His voice softened still further when Izuku pulled his arms close to his chest again. "That's a clear sign of trauma."

Izuku felt tears fill his eyes. It was hard with Kacchan and his mom and All Might, because he wanted to protect them. He knew it upset them terribly when he was hurt, so it was hard to tell them when he was struggling. Shinso was different. He saw Izuku's quirk as a quirk, and suddenly he needed to talk about it, to tell someone.

Izuku reached forward and grabbed Shinso's hand, holding it tightly. "It's hard… telling Kacchan or anyone about it… They get so upset…" He ducked his head, his breath coming fast. "In the visions… I kind of know it's a vision, but… then I'm attacked, but I don't have access to my quirk or my ability to fight. Someone is trying to kill me… I'm more afraid than I can describe. Even if I could use One For All, I wouldn't be able to. Then the pain." Izuku shuddered. "But none of that… none of that compares to the moment… the moment I die."

Izuku was squeezing Shinso's hand hard enough to cause the other boy pain, but the teen didn't even blink. He simply held back just as tightly. "It's like the snap of a bone, but so much deeper than bone. It's cold and dark, but darker than we have a word for. As if light never existed in the first place. There is no body or world or life… Deaf, blind, nothing… but more than all of that, a shock of cold _blackness_… It hurts more than anything. More than being stabbed or having stomach acid burn you from the inside. More than your skin burning. More than suffocation. More than being kicked again and again until your organs rupture and lungs collapse."

He shuddered, knowing how it felt all of that felt in a way no other person could know because if you knew then you were dead. "And then… and then… then I'm snapped out of that gaping _blackness_ just as back into color and sound and touch. I can feel my lungs and my heart. I can _feel _my bodyagain, only to be attacked again, and I'm so scared and it hurts so much…"

Izuku was gone in his head, unaware of the room or Shinso. His words bled together as one long stream of pain and trauma. "It happens again and again and I can't stop it, don't even think about stopping it, because I can't think of anything and everything hurts and someone's hurting me, they always hurt me so much, and I know it will always end in that terrible, cold darkness and I die again and again and no one can save me…"

Arms went around him and Izuku blinked back tears, realizing he was flushed and crying. That he'd begun to rock back and forth. Slumping into Shinso's hold, he let his head rest on the teen's shoulder.

"I - I think you're right… I don't know if I can do this much longer, but…" Izuku swallowed thickly. "But what can I do? The only thing that helps me, that gets me through this is the fact that I can stop it. I can save them so they never have to go through that. If I don't have that, I think I really will go mad."

Shinso's arms tightened. His voice was low and hushed. "What are you saying? You stop it?"

Izuku nodded his head tiredly, pressing his forehead harder against Shinso's shoulder. "I used to have to try to have to focus during the vision so I could get clues about where they die. I failed so many times," he confessed, voice heavy with shame and guilt. "But we saved some. We were there when the killer struck. Kacchan and I fought them off. We made sure the victims got help. Now… It's different. Better and worse… My quirk's evolved. I only have visions on the full moon instead of randomly, but… but they all come at once… But it's okay. It's okay because I have more information now. I know where they'll be. I know when and where. We save _all_ of them now. We make it so it never happens. I die for them so they don't have to, so I have to be strong. I have to keep going because _I have to stop it!_"

"Shhh," Shinso soothed, holding Izuku closer. "Shhh. Take a deep breath. That's it. Breathe with me."

Izuku shuddered and shook in his friend's arms, but slowly his heart rate dropped and his sobs fell silent. After a few minutes, he pulled away from Shinso's hold and wiped at his face. He realized the other teen was staring at him in awe and blushed.

"Do you know how incredible…" Shinso began, voice hushed.

Izuku cut him off, embarrassed. "I didn't know it was weird. I didn't know about the Curse of the Oracle."

Shinso went pale as a ghost and grabbed Izuku roughly by the shoulders. "Who told you about that!" he demanded harshly, eyes wide.

Izuku stared at him, heart beating fast with adrenaline. "Sir Nighteye. All Might brought him. To see if he could help me handle the moon better."

Shinso's grip relaxed, but he still looked alarmed. "Mirai Sasaki."

Izuku nodded, fear replaced with concern. "Is that bad?"

Shinso shook his head and dropped his hands from Izuku's shoulders. He ran his hands through his hair shakily. "He… He was at the institute, but once he mastered his Foresight, he broke free. He told the Institute he was done. That they had enough data. He walked out and attached himself to the world's greatest hero, making it impossible for them to take him back." His expression became more intense. "But you still need to be careful, Izuku. Once the Institute has you, it never _really_ lets you go. Sasaki must be giving them something of enough value that they allow him to continue operating independently. You can't trust him completely."

Izuku's heart beat hard in his chest as he asked the question that had been haunting him since the Sports Festival. "What's it like? At the Institute?"

Shinso looked away from Izuku toward the boarded up window. "I don't know," he eventually said. "It was normal."

Izuku knew he was pushing into painful territory, but he had to know. "Why'd you leave if it was normal?"

Shinso looked down at the hands that rested in his lap. "It was like UA, I guess, but also like a hospital. A big building. Lots of long hallways. Doctors and nurses everywhere. I had a small room, but it locked on the outside. I could only enter or leave when the doctors chose. I took classes with other psychic quirk holders, but… They weren't designed to educate me. They were testing our quirk limits and experimenting with ways to make them stronger or more versatile."

Izuku reached out, heart bleeding for the bleak existence that Shinso was describing, and put a hand on the other boy's arm.

"I ate when they brought me food. I slept when they didn't need me. I… I didn't mind it so much, but… It just began to feel… tight, small. It felt like the walls were closing in. The only person I had consistent contact with was my handler, and I was just a job to him. I was one of five quirk users he was assigned to manage. I knew that. He didn't keep it a secret, but… He was the only one to really talk to me. He'd ask about my thoughts and opinions. He'd tell me stories sometimes when I'd been too weak or sick from tests to get out of bed. When he told me he was retiring, that a new handler was being assigned to my case, I…" Shinso's voice broke, pained and also sounding confused by that pain. "It felt bad. I didn't want to be there anymore."

Izuku scooted closer and wrapped an arm around Shinso's back, pulling him into a half-hug. "How old were you when you were… enrolled?"

"I was five when my quirk manifested," Shinso responded, voice empty and monotone. "I don't remember my parents. They have a holder with an amnesia quirk. They wipe your memory so that you're a clean slate and the data isn't contaminated."

Izuku felt fear sizzle down his spine. Imagine Kacchan or his mother being wiped from his memory! "Why would they do that?" he asked in a horrified whisper.

"Psychic quirks are the key to the future," Shinso recited. "We are pivotal to the progress of mankind. The Institute protects us from people who would use us. The Institute protects the world from psychic quirks used for evil. The Institute is the only thing pure and uncorrupt in this world. The Institute stands only for the pure pursuit of knowledge."

Izuku held Shinso tighter.

"Why are you hugging me?" Shinso asked confused.

Izuku's chest tightened. "Why did you hug me earlier?" he asked quietly.

Shinso didn't answer, either because he understood the comparison or because he didn't actually know the answer to that. Izuku wondered how many times Shinso had been hugged in his life. Wondered if he even knew what human warmth and affection even was. The thought broke his heart and he was more determined than ever to help his friend.

Eventually, Izuku released him and sat back, smiling with tears in his eyes. "I'm glad you left. I'm glad you're here. You're a good friend, Shinso."

"Hitoshi."

Izuku blinked. "What?"

"I'd like you to call me Hitoshi," Shinso repeated and added a soft, "Izuku."

Izuku smiled wide, green eye sparkling with delight. "Okay."

Shinso smiled back, but grew serious once more. "I'd like to use my quirk on you. To put a buffer between you and your quirk." Grave lavender eyes held his own. "However, in order for it to work, you'd have to trust me and want me to help."

Izuku swallowed. He refused to look away. He lifted his chin and channeled Kacchan's courage. He remembered landing on the killer's chest and punching him as hard as he could. He was having flashbacks every time he talked about his quirk lately and he had completely fallen apart at the theater. Izuku was unraveling. If he didn't get help soon… Izuku looked into Shinso's eyes and nodded.

"Yes. I trust you and I want your help."

The smile that overtook Shinso's face melted Izuku's heart and he knew he'd made the right decision. "Thank you, Izuku."

"You're — " Izuku's mind went blank, his body relaxed as he stared at the teen across from him.

"**You are not your quirk… Visions will not consume your mind… You are not your quirk… Visions will not consume your mind… You are not your quirk… Visions will not consume your mind… You are not your quirk… Visions will not consume your mind… You are not your quirk… Visions will not consume your mind… You are not your quirk… VISIONS WILL NOT CONSUME YOUR MIND… YOU ARE NOT YOUR QUIRK… VISIONS WILL NOT CONSUME YOUR MIND… YOU ARE NOT YOUR QUIRK… VISIONS WILL NOT CONSUME YOUR MIND… YOU ARE NOT YOUR QUIRK… VISIONS WILL NOT CONSUME YOUR MIND… YOU ARE NOT YOUR QUIRK…"**

Shinso's voice reverberated louder and louder until Izuku was physically vibrating. A loud bang cracked across his awareness, and he blinked his eyes, cheeks wet with tears. In a fog **\- you are not your quirk visions will not consume your mind -** he turned his head and saw Kacchan in the doorway. He looked _murderous_. His palms cracked and popped ominously.

"Kachaaaan," he slurred, head feeling dizzy. "Wha's wrong…?"

…

Katsuki woke up and stretched with a yawn. Looking at the clock, he saw it was six pm. He'd slept for nearly twelve hours! He felt stiff and sore, his body heavy. Growling, he rolled out of bed and did some careful, slow stretches before stomping to the bathroom. The house was quiet. Scowling, he made his way to the kitchen and found it empty. He was drinking a glass of water at the sink when he heard something.

Frowning, he made his way back down the hallway. The noise made the hair on his arms stand on end in alarm. It was a moan, growing louder with every heartbeat that passed. Katsuki slammed the door to his room open and saw Izuku sitting on the edge of the bed. Braindead sat in front of him, holding Izuku's face in his hands. The teen was fucking smirking as he stared into Izuku's eyes. Izuku's cheeks were wet with tears as he turned to look at Katsuki.

His eyes were faded and dull. Slowly, too slowly, color bled back into them. As soon as Katsuki heard his weak, slurring voice, he completely lost it. He launched himself across the room and slammed into Braindead, pinning the traitor to the mattress! One hand was locked around the asshole's slender throat, the other popped and cracked two inches from the bastard's fucking face.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?" Katsuki roared, seconds away from burning off the asshole's eyebrows so that they never fucking grew back again.

There was a thump and Katsuki whipped his head around and saw that Izuku had fainted, falling off the edge of the bed and crumpling bonelessly on the floor. Katsuki looked down at the blank-faced bastard under him and felt red rage crawl over his vision.

"You're going to DIE!" he screamed and ignited his quirk, but nothing fucking happened. Snarling, he curled his hand into a fist and punched.

"Katsuki!"

He was yanked off the fucking bastard and dragged across the floor before being yanked violently to his feet next to Aizawa who stood in the doorway. "LET ME GO! HE DID SOMETHING TO IZUKU!"

Glowing red eyes burned into him. "Stand. Down," his teacher barked so harshly that Katsuki subsided, glaring murder.

Keeping Katsuki by the door wrapped in his animated scarf, Aizawa walked forward and knelt next to the crumpled Izuku. "Are you alright, Shinso?" he asked neutrally, turning his attention to the fucking asshole sitting up on the bed.

The bastard's cheek was red and swelling. Katsuki bared his teeth in a grin, eyes promising more pain to come. "Yes," the asshole answered calmly.

"Good." Not moving from the floor, crouched protectively over Izuku, Aizawa asked, "What happened here?"

Katsuki gritted his teeth in rage as he listened to the bastard's monotone as he explained the effect his brainwashing had on those with empathetic quirks.

"I know the signs. I've seen them before. Izuku's been doing the best he can to hide the damage from everyone, but his sanity won't hold much longer. He agreed and asked me to brainwash him."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW, FREAK?" Katsuki screamed, hands crackling, unable to listen to anymore. He was furious at the suggestion Izuku had been hiding things from him, that Izuku couldn't tell him how bad it was! Furious that this bastard thought he was the only one who could help! Furious as HELL that the asshole had the gall to call Izuku by first name!

Aizawa sighed and pulled a limp Izuku into his arms. He stood and the fucking braindead bastard quickly abandoned the bed. Aizawa laid Izuku down gently. He released Katsuki, and Katsuki instantly moved to put himself between the other two and Izuku, snarling.

Aizawa sighed and turned to the asshole standing awkwardly at his side. "Shinso, can you give us a minute?"

The purple-haired bastard lowered his head in a nod and slipped from the room, shutting the door behind him. Aizawa turned to Katsuki, eyes dark and disapproving. Katsuki bared his teeth in a threatening snarl.

"You don't fucking know that he's just asleep," he growled lowly. "You didn't see his expression when I walked in on them! You didn't hear the sound Izuku was fucking making, the way his eyes were fucking empty, the way he slurred. He fucking passed out for fuck's sake!" Kastuki flung his arm violently out, gesturing to his unconscious boyfriend. "You have no fucking idea what…"

"Enough," Aizawa snapped coldly.

Katsuki would have exploded, but his teacher sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face with his hands roughly. Katsuki's rage banked as a wave of worry washed over him. Aizawa wasn't looking so good.

"Enough, Katsuki." Aizawa looked up, exhausted. "Shinso overstepped. If his story is true, so did Midoriya. They never should have tried this without supervision and the approval of those with more experience with quirks than they have. In the case that Shinso's story is false and he did something else to Midoriya, we need to keep him close. He may be needed to undo whatever it is he's done."

"You just let him fucking go!" Katsuki snapped, voice sharp with accusation.

"All Might is in the living room," Aizawa answered flatly, staring Katsuki down. "He's not going anywhere, and I do not appreciate the constant implication that I don't know what I'm doing, Katsuki."

Katsuki looked away, knowing Aizawa was right. Had their roles been reversed, Katsuki would have blown up the ungrateful asshole who always questioned him while he was working his ass off trying to help instead of being patient the way Aizawa always was.

Aizawa sighed. When he spoke again, his voice had softened. "Right now I can't do anything about this new crisis. We'll have to wait for Midoriya to wake and talk to us. In the meantime, I need to speak to you about your case."

Katsuki shifted on his feet uncomfortably, but he lifted his chin in defiance as he faced Aizawa once more. "What about it?"

Aizawa met his gaze and kept his tone matter-of-fact. "It's possible you'll be tried for murder. Until the situation is resolved, I don't recommend you engaging in any violent acts that could be used against you in a court of law." His voice sharpened. "Not if you don't want to live in a five by eight foot cell for a decade."

Katsuki scowled and dropped his gaze.

Aizawa sighed again, slumping. "I understand you've been through a traumatic experience, but five weeks ago when I interviewed you after your first day, you assured me that you controlled your anger not the other way around. I need you to exercise that control, Katsuki, and prove your claim now more than ever."

Katsuki felt a wash of shame that darkened his cheeks. He couldn't hold his teacher's eyes and instead looked down at Izuku's pale, slack face. He sat on the bed so he no longer towered over his teacher and rested a hand in the messy, green curls, grounding himself. For a long minute, he simply listened to the soft sound of Izuku breathing.

"Okay." He looked up and met his teacher's eyes once more. "I'm good now," he said roughly, the closest he could come to admitting he'd been wrong.

Aizawa gave him a nod. "I am fairly confident Detective Tsukauchi will gather enough evidence for the prosecutor to rule against a trial, however we cannot allow this to happen again," he said, more serious than he'd ever been. "I have spoken to Mr. Bakugo and he's agreed to testify honestly regarding the violent relationship between you and your mother. He has also signed away his parental rights to me and promised to try and convince Mrs. Bakugo to do the same. Once she does, I will be your sole guardian in the court of law. In the meantime, once the paperwork has cleared, I will share custody with Mrs. Bakugo, which will allow me to counter anything she tries in the future."

Katsuki blinked, overwhelmed by the enormity of what Aizawa was telling him.

Aizawa's voice became more urgent as he saw the storm of rage brewing in Katsuki's face. "I know you would prefer to be emancipated, but that would take significantly longer and would be difficult for you to win if either of your legal guardians resisted. I didn't feel you had that kind of time." He stared imploringly into Katsuki's glaring eyes. "I truly regret not being able to involve you in this process or these decisions, but I had to move quickly. I didn't want to give Mr. Bakugo enough time to change his mind…" Aizawa paused, clearly holding back.

Katsuki's glare became scorching. "Just fucking say it," he spat, his hand tightening in Izuku's hair.

Aizawa took a deep breath. He reached out to touch Katsuki, but he made the right choice in aborting the gesture. Katsuki would not have appreciated being touched right then.

"From what you told us at the station… I have a feeling you already suspected…"

"Just. Fucking. Say it," Katsuki growled, biting off each word as Aizawa still hesitated, expression unsure.

Aizawa's shoulders straightened. He made his expression and voice as neutral as possible. "I asked Detective Tsukauchi to do a DNA check on the criminal who attacked your mother. Shigemori Konda is not a match. You are Masaru Bakugo's biological son. Your mother was mistaken on who impregnated her."

Katsuki sucked in a breath, feeling like Aizawa had socked him in the gut. Arms wrapped around him. He tensed to throw them off, but the smell of Izuku washed over him and the tickle of soft hair brushed against his cheek.

"I love you," Izuku said simply. There was no tears in his voice, no pity, no judgement at all. It was a simple, honest statement from the person he loved more than anything in the whole fucking world.

"Get out," he spat at his teacher, keeping his face averted to hide the tears in his eyes.

Aizawa obediently rose and silently left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Katsuki turned and hugged Izuku fiercely. Izuku hugged him back. They were both breathing hard and fast. Tears wetted each other's shoulders, but neither of them made a sound, simply holding as tight as they could.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Katsuki rasped, voice raw.

"I trust him," Izuku answered and then admitted in a shamed whisper. "And I need help. I can't go on like this… I keep shoving everything down, but… It's unraveling… _I'm_ unraveling."

Katsuki's arms clamped even tighter around his boyfriend. Fuck.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Izuku asked softly, forehead still pressed to Katsuki's shoulder.

Katsuki's hands fisted the back of Izuku's shirt. "At first, I believed the old hag… I didn't want you to know I came from a rapist and a killer… I couldn't fucking stand it!"

Izuku pulled away violently and grabbed either side of Katsuki's face. Fierce, beautiful green eyes glared at him hotly. "I don't care if you come from the fucking devil himself!" he cursed hotly. Katsuki's eyes widened in surprise. "You are _you_! And I love who you are! _Nothing_ will change that!"

Katsuki's lips quirked into a smile, tears glittering in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He leaned forward and captured Izuku's mouth in a kiss. Izuku kissed him back, taking control and making it clear how he felt. Katsuki surrendered to Izuku's heat and let his mouth be claimed.

When they broke apart, their foreheads rested together and they were both breathing deeper than normal. Katsuki reached up to stroke Izuku's flushed cheek and stared into deep green. "Why didn't you tell me how bad it was getting?" he asked.

"There was nothing we could do and I didn't want you to worry. You worry enough," Izuku answered honestly. "Besides… You know how bad it's getting."

Katsuki pulled away and sat up, staring at Izuku accusingly, a familiar anger reigniting in the depths of his soul. "I almost killed that Braindead idiot! You need to fucking tell me what you're going to do before you fucking do it! We're supposed to be in this together, Deku!"

Izuku lowered his head. "I know. I rushed ahead. I'm sorry."

Katsuki slugged him in his shoulder as punishment and huffed. "Idiot."

Izuku peered up through his bangs as he rubbed where Katsuki had hit him. "When did your mom tell you Masaru wasn't your dad?"

Katsuki looked away, scowling. He crossed his arms defensively across his chest. "Months ago."

"It was when you called me and hung up, isn't it? While I was training with All Might before UA."

Katsuki gave a sharp nod.

Izuku didn't say anything for a long minute while he digested that answer. "When did you figure out she was wrong?"

"When they kicked me out," Katsuki admitted. "I used the computer here to do research on the fucking animal who attacked my mom. I'd always been afraid to use my own devices or the ones at school. I didn't want anyone to fucking see the search history and figure stuff out, but…"

"Aizawa's computer felt safe," Izuku said softly.

Katsuki couldn't bring himself to acknowledge that, no matter that it was fucking true. Not after the shit Aizawa had pulled behind his fucking back. "The fucker's like Todoroki. His quirk is some kind of hydrocarbon gas release, but his only comes from his wrists. It didn't make sense. Why is my quirk oriented around my hands when mom's comes from her whole body and this fucker's quirk came from his wrists? And where did the nitro in my nitroglycerin come from?"

"Masaru's quirk affects his hands," Izuku said, understanding Katsuki's line of reasoning. "His palms can secrete acidic sweat. If he rubs his hands together he can create explosions, but unlike you, he cannot forcibly secrete it, and it comes out like normal sweat, but Mitsuki can control how much glycerin she sweats. Glycerin and control from Mitsuki plus Maseru's combustive quirk centered around his hands would explain your own."

Katsuki nodded once, sharply.

"Kacchan…" Izuku hugged him. "I wish you would have told me," he said fiercely. "I hate that you were carrying this all alone! I thought we were in this together?" he demanded, turning Katsuki's words back on him.

Katsuki's fist clenched and leapt to his feet. "I know!" he snapped, furious. "I just couldn't fucking talk about it! I didn't even want to fucking think about it! And now my shit's fucking spilled everywhere and Aizawa has his nose in everything, and he's fucking trying to be my fucking guardian! And you almost fucking DIED! You were taken and I didn't know where the fuck you went! I fucking guessed he took you back to that fucking park where he killed that woman, but I could've been wrong! And I fucking KILLED THAT ASSHOLE AND I'M NOT SORRY I DID!"

He spun and punched the wall as hard as he could. Pain lanced up his arm. The wood under his knuckles cracked and broke inward. Panting with rage, he glared down at the wide-eyed Izuku. He felt acidic guilt claw at him. Not for purposefully murdering that sick fuck, but because he _didn't_ feel guilty. He said again and again that he wasn't a villain, but the truth was… He wasn't a hero, either, no matter what Izuku fucking claimed. Izuku wanted the fucking truth? Well, here it fucking was!

"Me, either."

"What?" Katsuki growled, fist clenched, blood dripping silently to the floor. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"It means what it means," Izuku snapped, eyes narrowing.

Katsuki was completely thrown off by Izuku's sudden attitude. "Did you hear what I fucking said? I killed that bastard on purpose! I aimed my hand at him and secreted enough nitroglycerin to blow a chunk out of the park! On _purpose_."

"I heard you," Izuku repeated, voice tight and sharp. He met Katsuki's glare with his own. "And I said I'm not sorry, either."

Katsuki's mouth hung open.

Izuku smiled bitterly. Something dark shifted in his eyes. "I told you, Kacchan. I killed one of them first. It must have been his quirk; it was like an alternate reality and he had complete control. It was something out of a nightmare. He was hunting me. Tormenting me. He said he wasn't going to kill me, but he would have eventually. I could see it in his eyes how much he wanted to kill me, how much he _enjoyed_ my fear. He'd killed people and he'd hurt Aizawa and Hitoshi, but… That's not why I did it. I did it because I wasn't going to let him hurt me again."

Katsuki stood rooted to the spot. Holy fucking shit. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing despite the harsh truth ringing in Izuku's voice. Izuku - soft, compassionate Izu - had killed someone on purpose? Unaware of Katsuki's shock, Izuku kept talking.

"I faked a breakdown, and when he came for me, I used One For All to kick him. I kicked him in the head so hard he went flying. He was unconscious when he landed. The world was fading around me. I knew I was free, but… But I couldn't let him hurt me anymore. I had to be sure… So I… I punched him as hard as I could."

The darkness in Izuku's eyes was undeniable as he gave Katsuki a grim smile. Katsuki felt chilled to the bone seeing that expression on Izuku's usually soft face.

"I held nothing back, Kacchan," he confessed roughly. "All of my strength," he said slowly, making sure Katsuki understood. "His head _shattered_ under my fist. I killed him even though I knew it was dangerous. I didn't know what would happen to me or Aizawa or Hitoshi since we were still under the effects of his quirk, but I killed him anyway because _I had to be sure he couldn't hurt me again_. I didn't care if it killed us, too."

Tears filled Izuku's eyes and spilled over. He looked away, head hung, hands clenched in the sheets of the bed as Katsuki stared down at him. "You killed one of them," he said roughly. "Because you didn't know what their quirks could do or how they worked. You did it to save me… I killed him to save myself. I killed him even though I knew there was a chance it could hurt me and Aizawa and Hitoshi. And I'm still not sorry. I'm just… not."

Katsuki's mind whirled. He sat frozen as Izuku stood, his face still averted from Katsuki's eyes, and began to walk to the door, but before he could reach for the doorknob, Katsuki spun Izuku around. Izuku looked so fucking lost. Tears rolled down his face, but it was darkness that sat behind those crystalline eyes not sadness.

Katsuki yanked him hard against his chest and held him tightly. "I hear you, Izu. I don't know what to fucking say, but I hear you." He held him tighter when Izuku tried to pull away. "Stop," he snapped, voice hard, anger stirring. "I'm not letting you go, so stop pulling away."

"But…"

Katsuki held him tight enough to make it hard for Izuku to draw a full breath. Izuku immediately went still and soft in his arms, submitting to the hold. "I don't know what to say," he said again, voice rough. "But I'm not letting you go. I don't want to. We're still in this together, Izu, you hear me? So don't fucking try to get away from me. I'm not letting you walk out on me."

It took a minute, but Izuku slowly lifted his arms and held Katsuki back. "Okay," he said softly, breathlessly. "Together," he said and Katsuki could hear the gratitude in his voice.

Katsuki didn't know what the hell to do, didn't know how to help Izuku, but he knew one thing. They were _together_, and he wasn't going to let anything, not even this, fucking separate them.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **Well!? Did you expect that? What'd you think?


	29. Chapter 29

**A/n: **Hi guys! This is a REALLY long chapter. Be forewarned. TONS of stuff happens. *giggles madly* I cannot WAIT to hear about your reactions! Here we go!

…

**Family and Strategy**

Aizawa entered the living room, shoulders hunched and feeling exhausted. Shinso was sitting on the couch and All Might was standing near the doorway in his hero form, the massive bulk of him making the room feel too small.

"We need to discuss the suggestion you implanted in Midoriya's mind," Aizawa said as firmly as he could in the face of his exhaustion as he came to stand in front of the stoic teenager. "It was very reckless to do such a thing without consulting an adult first. I understand you feel you have experience in this area, but three people does not make a trend."

All Might came off the wall, his expression folded into an uncharacteristic frown, which made it all the more intimidating. "What suggestion?" he demanded, voice a deep, booming bass.

Aizawa tiredly explained what he knew as succinctly and clearly as possible. Shinso listened with impassive eyes, but All Might grew agitated. The large blond stood at attention and his blue eyes seemed to glow.

"Shota. We need to speak. Privately." The hero turned sharply on his heel, marching away, not even bothering to check if Aizawa followed.

Aizawa sighed and looked down at Shinso. "Please stay here. I'll only be a minute."

The teen inclined his head, lavender eyes as unreadable as ever.

Aizawa sighed, shoved his hands into his pockets, and went to see what the new problem was. All Might had deflated and looked wrecked. Sweat soaked his face and hair, his hands shook, but his eyes were as laser focused as ever. Aizawa shut his bedroom door behind him.

"What I'm about to reveal to you is highly classified, but as you are clearly entangled in Midoriya's well-being, it has become imperative that you understand the full picture," the broken hero told him, voice low and urgent.

Aizawa listened without interrupting, leaning back against the door.

"My quirk is called One For All. It is a stockpile quirk, and unlike most quirks, I am able to pass it on to another of my choice. I was quirkless at birth until the seventh holder of One For All passed it on to me when I was in middle school. I met Midoriya a year ago and was touched by his selflessness, his passion to be a hero, and his bravery. After I chose him as my successor, I trained him hard to prepare his body, and on the day of the entrance exam, I gave him One For All, which is also why my own use of it has weakened."

Aizawa stared at him in silence, blinking slowly. He understood the words All Might was speaking, but he was having trouble wrapping his mind around the idea that someone could be _given_ a quirk. Like it was a fucking cookie! There was so much wrong with what he was hearing, it blew his mind. On top of that list was the realization that Midoriya had only had his strength quirk for TWO MONTHS! No wonder the kid was having so much trouble! Righteous anger seethed under his skin, and why he should have been told. He would have approached Izuku's quirk exercises differently if he'd known how new to him it was.

All Might continued, completely unaware of Aizawa's anger. "The strength stored in my quirk obviously augments Midoriya's physical body, but it also augmented his birth quirk. This is the reason his visions evolved and became focused on the full moon instead of coming randomly and why they now give him more concrete information about the location and time of the murders."

He began to pace, one long-fingered hand sinking into his wild yellow hair. "I agree that young Midoriya's mental health is affected by the violence of these visions. I will of course support anything that can help relieve this burden, but I am alarmed by young Shinso's word choice. Midoriya essentially has two quirks, and he's been having trouble channeling One For All through his body. 'You are not your quirk' could potentially make it even harder for him to use." Intense blue eyes pierced him. "One For All has been successfully and secretly passed down through nine generations. It is the key to stoping a great evil that I cannot speak of here. Under no circumstance can we risk damaging it."

Aizawa tried to think around the onslaught of information and his reactions to it. He had a million questions, but first he had to address the problem at hand. "Unless you plan on having Midoriya give - " (that sounded so wrong) " - One For All to someone else, his mental state is just as likely to compromise the quirk as Shinso's brainwashing."

All Might stood hunched, long, thin arms wrapped around his damaged torso.

"Who else knows about your quirk?" Aizawa asked, needing to know who he could tap as resources.

"Nezu, Midoriya, Bakugo, Tsukauchi, my former sidekick and teacher. You," he answered, voice low.

Aizawa blinked. Okay. So a very, very small circle of people. "Once you gave it to Midoriya…"

"I slowly started losing access to it. Yes," All Might answered impatiently. "Eventually, I will no longer be able to transform at all. My wound has effected my ability to wield it, of course, but passing it on guaranteed my eventual return to being quirkless."

Aizawa thought for another long minute in which All Might stared at him with anxiety written across his features. "We need to talk to Shinso," he decided. "He is the only expert on his quirk and its effects."

Aizawa raised his hand to forestall the protest he could see All Might was about to make. "I will not tell him about this… quirk passing ability or… One For All…" He sighed, still disturbed at the idea. "It is obvious that Midoriya has two very different quirk manifestations - visions of the future and super strength. I assumed his quirk was an augmenting type that boosted his mental abilities as much as it boosted his physical body. We will continue to use that as the explanation. It is more believable, in any case," he muttered, glaring at his colleague. "We will explain your worries that the wording of the suggestion might negatively impact the physical output of Midoriya's quirk and see what he says."

All Might did not look reassured, but he gave a nod of permission. "You will have to speak to him alone. I will not be able to return to my hero state until I rest for a few hours," he said gravely.

Aizawa had expected that and was almost glad. As invaluable as All Might had been in dealing with Masaru Bakugo, Aizawa preferred to deal with the students alone. "Wait here. Sleep if you want. I'll have Midoriya bring you food and water in a little while. When he does, I would suggest that you speak to him about the consequences of trying to alter his quirk while he is in possession of two."

Aizawa didn't wait for the older hero to respond before quietly slipping out of the room and shutting the door securely behind him. Returning to the living room, he saw that Shinso hadn't moved from his position on the couch. Aizawa took the seat next to him, not wanting to intimidate the teen by standing over him.

"The three empaths you used your quirk on, did any of them have physical manifestations of their quirk?" he asked without preamble.

Shinso thought about it. "Besides behavior, no."

His voice was lower than Midoriya's or Katsuki's. Paired with the unemotional way he spoke, it made him seem older and more mature than his fifteen years, but there was also a naivety about him that fit a much younger child. Like his delight at common foods and his complete lack of understanding when it came to human interaction. Unfortunately, Aizawa did not have the luxury of being mindful of the teen's abusive upbringing. He decided he'd get more out of the teen if he spoke his language: dry and clinical.

"Assuming your suggestion is successful in mitigating the negative effects of Midoriya's visions, I am concerned that the wording you chose will have the opposite effect on the physical expression of his quirk. I believe you experienced his enhanced strength firsthand?"

Shinso grabbed his arm instinctively. He hadn't suffered the break himself, but he had clearly felt the pain of it as if he had. That made things easier.

"Without perfect control, Midoriya's body breaks under the force of his strength. Do you feel the phrase 'you are not your quirk' could make controlling that extreme physical power more difficult?"

A flicker of unease and uncertainty came to life in the teen's eyes. "I did not consider that," he admitted, frowning.

Aizawa was tempted to scream at the kid as Katsuki had done. It had been a terrible idea from the start! Why the two idiots thought trying something like this without more consideration than a few minutes time was beyond him!

Taking a careful breath in, he made sure to keep his voice level as he said, "I am asking you to think about it now. You are aware that any more breaks could permanently damage Midoriya's body, yes? Anything that will make his control over his physical power more tenuous puts his life at risk." Aizawa gave him a hard stare. "Have you ever used your quirk to alter the control of someone with a physical enhancement type quirk before?"

"Yes," Shinso answered without hesitation, voice subdued and eyes averted. "My quirk has been applied in various ways to many quirk types. Regarding physical enhancements, I was able to 'tell' the user to use their ability at max capacity and could make them 'forget' any negative feedback that resulted so that they could keep going. I could also enforce a 'cap' on a quirk's physical output that they would normally be able to surpass."

Aizawa was an intelligent man and he could all too clearly imagine human beings being made to 'forget' their limits and pushing past them until they were broken. He could also imagine the pain and frustration of being prevented from reaching the full potential of their quirk. He hid the disquiet from his face, however, not wanting Shinso to think it was aimed toward him. The teen had been a tool, nothing more, and truly held no blame for how his quirk had been used against others.

"Were these suggestions permanent?"

"With a lot of work, those with caps could be made to break through the suggestion," Shinso reported obediently. "Those who had their output maximized and the sensation of negative side-effects muted usually broke before the suggestion was overcome."

Aizawa suppressed a shudder and tried really hard not to imagine what Shinso had been forced to bear witness to. "Did you use specific wording for each quirk or a generic phrase?" he asked instead, trying to stay focused.

"Trial and error revealed a combination of the two was most effective. A generic phrase allowed the subject to understand the order in a way that more effectively achieved the result due to their deeper understanding of their quirk. Paired with a specific phrase that explicitly stated the result desired, the targeted outcome was achieved over ninety percent of the time."

"Were there ever cases where the generic statement was understood in a way different from the explicitly stated order?" Aizawa asked, dreading the answer.

Lavender eyes shifted to meet his own. "Twice," he answered, but the clipped way the word was delivered made it clear he did not want to discuss the details.

He was tempted to push for a more detailed answer, but as morbidly curious as he was regarding Shinso's experiences at the Institute, the more immediate concern was Midoriya. "Do you think that is possible here considering Midoriya's two quirk aspects?" he asked instead.

Shinso thought about it for several minutes. The silence didn't bother Aizawa. He took the time to breathe deeply and close his eyes, resting. When the teen spoke, he sounded assertive. Aizawa opened his eyes to see Shinso staring back at him confidently.

"It is possible, however we still have time to alter the wording of the suggestion. It takes an average of seventeen hours for a suggestion to take hold. Some people are more susceptible to brainwashing and others more resistant. I could feel Midoriya's receptivity. He was not overly susceptible."

"How many hours have you put into it already?" Aizawa asked, stomach heavy with anxiety.

"I am not sure, but he arrived here just after eight in the morning and we talked for a while. What time did you arrive?"

"Just after six pm," Aizawa answered, feeling dread sit heavy in his gut. "So you've put in nine hours give or take."

Shinso nodded his head yes in an affirmative gesture. "Yes. If we change only one half of the phrase, it should transition smoothly."

"What did you hope to gain by saying 'you are not your quirk'?" he asked pensively.

"Most empaths cannot separate their own identity or feelings from those around them. Izuku experiences the murders as if he is the one being killed. He cannot tell the difference between them and him, and so he suffers the mental trauma of being attacked and killed when he is released. Such trauma reinforced over and over again would break any human mind. I was hoping he would understand that suggestion to mean he needs to create a separation in the way he intuitively feels is best."

Aizawa nodded. He understood Shinso's logic, but it still had been a terrible risk to mess with something so serious. "If this goes wrong and your brainwashing does more damage than helps, are you able to undo it?"

Shinso looked troubled by this question. "Yes and no," he admitted reluctantly. "I can undo the effect on his quirk, but it would require me to make him 'forget' ever knowing me. It would reset his understanding of his quirk to how it was before we met, but he would also lose all the memories in between. It's possible such a suggestion wouldn't hold. Especially if Izuku fights me on it, which I suspect he would. I would have to apply the suggestion multiple times and it could possibly damage his mental state further."

Aizawa's hands clenched. Jesus Christ. Why did kids insist on playing with fire?! Shinso sat still, not fidgeting or revealing any type of impatience as Aizawa considered their options for several long minutes. That stillness was unnatural in a kid Shinso's age and made him remember the environment that had molded the teen. His anger dissipated and he sighed tiredly.

"Can you think of an alternate wording that could help?" he finally asked.

Shinso had already been thinking about it because he answered immediately. "Your quirk is not who you are," he suggested, looking to Aizawa for his opinion. "Adding who into the statement makes it more clearly about identity and not about quirk usage. It shouldn't effect the physical manifestation of his quirk."

Aizawa nodded. "What will happen if you stop here and don't continue the brainwashing?"

"There might be some small effects of the suggestion, but they won't stick," Shinso revealed. "He'll also become more resistant to suggestions implanted by my quirk."

Aizawa didn't think that was a bad deal. In fact, it might even be good… Shinso suddenly reached forward to grab Aizawa's hand in his own. It was much colder than Aizawa's own.

"I understand you feel I have acted impetuously," the boy said, voice low and intense. "And you haven't known me for more than two weeks, but I assure you I've put thought into this. I haven't cared about anyone in a really long time, but I do care about Izuku. I honestly believe he will not come out of the next full moon without serious mental health issues. He's barely holding himself together as it is. What do you think will happen when he is murdered a dozen times over in just seven days? You saw him last night. He practically unraveled as he had a flashback about a killer he'd had a vision about _years_ ago." Insistent, expression tight with distress, he asked, "What other options do we have? Because Izuku is running out of time."

Aizawa felt chilled at that ominous pronouncement. He gently pulled his hand away and stood. "I will consult with All Might. Stay here," he said as neutrally as he could.

…

Katsuki stepped quietly out of his bedroom, shutting the door with a soft click behind him. Izuku had fallen asleep, completely exhausted, and he didn't want to wake him. Katsuki would have stayed and slept with him, but he'd slept all day and was buzzing with restless energy. The low sound of voices reached his ears and he made his way toward Aizawa's bedroom. He hesitated, but the sound of Izuku's name had him pushing the door open.

Aizawa sat on the bed next to a skeletal All Might. All Might had his phone in his hand set on speaker. They both looked over at Katsuki with disapproving eyes. Katsuki ignored that, stepped in, and shut the door behind him, listening.

"…_interview the boy myself, but not over the phone. It is impossible to weigh all these variables without speaking to him."_

"We're under a time constraint," Aizawa said, still staring at Katsuki.

"_I can be at your house in the morning. Toshinori, text me the address."_

"I will," All Might pledged. "Thank you, Mirai. I am in your debt."

There was a '_tch_' sound and the call ended.

"What's going on?" Katsuki asked, voice even, arms-crossed. He looked back and forth between the two heroes.

All Might and Aizawa exchanged a look, but before Katsuki could completely lose it, Aizawa explained All Might's fear regarding the brainwashing interfering with One For All and also what he'd learned about Braindead's quirk. Katsuki's mind worked fast, absorbing and applying the new information to what he already knew. He gave a nod.

"The fucker is right. Izuku's not going to make it through another moon without being seriously traumatized if we don't do something," he admitted, voice low. He shot the two heroes in front of him a glare. "_Is_ Braindead the only option we have? That was Sir Nighteye on the phone, wasn't it?"

"Yes, young Bakugo," All Might answered, flashing a confident smile. "He has a few ideas, which is why he asked for Midoriya's internship, but he did not give us any details. He says he now needs to speak to young Shinso before he can come to a conclusion. Believe me, his intellect is the most prodigious in the world. Even greater than Nezu's. He will be able to weigh all the factors and calculate the odds to come up with the most optimal solution. Never fear! Young Midoriya is in good hands!"

Katsuki wasn't totally sold on this guy, but he'd see. In any case, there was nothing to do about it right now. Nighteye wouldn't be coming around until morning. He turned his attention to Aizawa. His teacher sat stiff, aware that the calm in his voice was false and could shatter at any moment.

"I'm going out," Katsuki said evenly. "I'll be back before morning."

"You should remain here and rest. You've been through a…" All Might began, concern lacing his voice.

Katsuki shot him a glare. "I'm going out," he said again. "Don't do shit with Deku until I get back," he ordered and looked to Aizawa, waiting to see if he'd argue or some shit. Instead his teacher simply watched him.

Katsuki spun on his heel and left. He didn't bother to say anything to the braindead fucker as he passed the living room. He barely even paused before he was out the front door and swinging it shut behind him. Then he began to run.

So much shit was going on. It was hard to take it all in, but he could hardly think around the truth Aizawa had so carefully given him. Katsuki had to get this fucking over with so he could focus on other things. Focus on Izuku who needed him right now more than ever. It was poor fucking timing both of their worlds imploding at the same fucking time, but Katsuki wasn't going to sit around fucking crying about how unfair it all was. He was going to man up and get his shit together, so he could deal with all the other shit going on in his life right now.

Running at a good clip, lungs working hard, his legs pumping, he made it to his old neighborhood in an hour. He didn't give a shit that he was sweaty and had a headache from dehydration. He marched right up to the door and pounded his fist against the wood in a rapid staccato. By the time the locks were disengaged and the door swung open, his breathing was even.

Masaru stared at him, face slack with surprise.

"Did you know you're my biological father before you signed away your rights?" Katsuki asked, scowling but keeping a tight hold on his self-control. He needed answers, and if this turned into a screaming match, he wouldn't get them.

"Katsuki…"

Fucking tears actually rose in the man's eyes. He looked tired. His brown hair was oily and a scruffy beard was beginning to grow in along his jaw and over his upper lip. Katsuki crossed his arms, unmoved, and waited impatiently for the answer to his rather simple question.

"I am so sorry," Masaru said, hoarse as if he were choking back sobs.

"Just answer the fucking question," he snapped, glaring at the man hotly.

"T-They told me. All Might and Eraserhead. When they came earlier today. They brought me the t-test results. Katsuki, I'm sorry."

Katsuki felt something tight uncoil a little from around his chest even as hurt stabbed through him. He'd known as soon as he'd seen All Might in Aizawa's bedroom that Aizawa had summoned him to help persuade Masaru to give up his rights. Because who can say no to the number one hero? I mean, why else had All Might been there? He hadn't known Izuku was there, so he hadn't been there for him. If Aizawa had kept the blood test results hidden on top of involving All Might to get his way - even for Katsuki's own good - he didn't know if he could have forgiven him. Still, he was on thin fucking ice as it was for doing this shit without even fucking talking to him first.

"Why the fuck are you sorry?" Katsuki snarled, temper fraying as he tried to shove down the hurt. So, Masaru had known he was his real father when he'd signed Aizawa's papers. "That fucking blood test doesn't change a fucking thing."

"Katsuki… _son_…" Masaru stepped forward, hand reaching for him.

Katsuki's temper snapped at hearing that word from this man's mouth for the first time in his entire life. "The fuck are you thinking, old man?" he screamed, arms dropping loose to his sides, palms growing slick with explosive sweat. "You think now that I'm your son, I'm different? I'm still the same fucking kid you kicked out and let that old hag beat on since I was four! The one you called wrong for being with Izu! I mean, mom was raped and had to listen to her family burn to death in the next room while it happened! What was your fucking excuse? Oh, yea… I wasn't _yours_!"

Tears rolled down Masaru's cheeks. It was the first time Katsuki had seen the man cry, but despite the tears Masaru straightened his shoulders and met Katsuki's furious eyes. "You're right. I looked away for too many years. I was afraid to face how bad things were and I didn't think I had a voice when it came to you. That I didn't have a right. I was weak, Katsuki. I'm still weak, but I'm not looking away anymore. I know it comes too late, but I want to do something _right_ for you. That's why I signed those papers. Your teachers clearly care about you and will put you first." He looked away, the street light behind Katsuki caught on his glasses, hiding his red-rimmed eyes from view. "And they're strong enough to protect you."

Katsuki growled, throat tight with pain and rage at these useless words. No matter what he was telling himself by signing those papers Masaru was still fucking running away. The fucking _coward_. "Where's the old hag, anyway?" he growled. He looked behind his dad into the house, but no one came storming down the hall.

"I kicked her out," Masaru said roughly. "I couldn't see her after what I heard she did at the police station."

"Is that before or after my teachers paid you a visit?" Katsuki asked coldly.

"After," Masaru answered softly, hugging himself.

Katsuki laughed bitterly for a second before shaking his head. Masaru only fucking cared once he learned Katsuki was his by blood. Only then. "Is she going to sign the fucking papers, too, or not?"

"I don't know. I told her she should. That she should let you go so you can be happy and move on with your life."

Katsuki abruptly spun on his heel, turning his back to the man behind him. Tears rolled down his face. "Well. Thanks for that," he said so neutrally it wasn't clear to either of them if he was being sarcastic or not. "So long, old man," he growled and took a step away from the old house.

"Katsuki!"

He paused, but he didn't turn around.

"I may have signed the papers, but I'm still your… father," he said after a second of hesitation. "If you need anything, please let me know. Maybe… Maybe after all this settles, we can see each other again. Go out for lunch or something…"

Katsuki walked away, keeping his head ducked and his hands shoved into his pockets. What a fucking shit show. He wasn't surprised when his feet carried him to the old park. It looked so much smaller than he remembered. Climbing on top of the fake plastic cave, he tried to get his breathing under control and silence the sobs choking him. Angrily, he punched the cave underneath him and flung himself flat, his legs hanging over the edge. He tossed an arm over his leaking eyes.

"Goddammit," he hissed and tried to breathe. Unable to take the silence, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. His first instinct was to call Izu, but the teen was finally sleeping. After hesitating for a minute, he opened a text conversation and began to type.

Katsuki

_My father just signed away his parental rights_

_Still waiting to hear if my mother will do the same _

He let his hand drop, regretting sending the stupid message as soon as he'd hit send. He was tempted to throw the phone into the street and hope a car hit it, but before he could follow through on the impulse, there was a quiet vibration letting him know he'd gotten a response.

Half N'half

_Did you blow him up?_

Katsuki barked out a surprised laugh, cheeks wet with tears. He typed, _I really fucking wanted to._

Half N'half

_Feel free to come over here and blow up mine._

Katsuki felt a sudden wash of solidarity with the other teen. He'd only ever felt that with Izuku. - _Maybe I will. Think he'll survive the internship?_

Half N'half

_Not a chance _

_If he doesn't die from you blowing him up _

_he'll croak from a heart attack at hearing your excessive profanity._

_x_

Katsuki

_My profanity isn't fucking excessive!_

_x_

Half N'half

_It's just right, Goldilocks._

Katsuki scowled, but he couldn't hide the fact that his lips curled up in amusement. - _You're fucking sassy over text, you know that? You don't sound like this in person._

Half N'half

_I grew up isolated. Home schooled until UA_

_A lot of people around make me uncomfortable_

… _And I might be trying to make you laugh_

_x_

Katsuki

_It worked_

_Thanks_

_x_

Half N'half

_No problem_

_I saw the news _

_You think it's going to work out with the police?_

Katsuki scowled. Well, fuck._ \- I didn't catch it. What're the useless bitches saying?_

Half N'half

_That charges are pending regarding the civilian _

_who used his quirk to end the lives of the serial killers in the park_

Katsuki sighed. He stared up at the stars and wondered if he should answer. Then he decided it didn't fucking matter anymore. - _Mom's an abusive bitch and wants me dead, but decided jail will do. That's why Aizawa pushed the old man into signing his parental rights over to him. So he could try and stop her from landing me in prison for murder._

Half N'half

_Want to come over to my place?_

_Dad's not here_

Katsuki liked the other teen, but he wasn't ready for that. Besides, he needed to be around for Izuku in the morning. He didn't know what time this Nighteye asshole would be around and he didn't want to miss it.

Katsuki

_Another time_

_x_

Half N'half

_You're welcome to come anytime_

_You don't have to ask_

Katsuki felt his shoulders relax. - _yeah thanks._

…

Izuku woke feeling groggy. He sat up in bed, confused for a second on where he was. He didn't recognize the room. The window was boarded up. Why? … Memory returned as his thoughts sharpened. Aizawa's! He was in Kacchan's room. He reached for the digital clock on the nightstand: 5:12 am. He'd slept all night! Flinging the blanket off, he realized he was still in the clothes from yesterday, a faded green t-shirt and jeans. Running a hand through his messy hair, he shuffled his way to the living room only to come to an abrupt halt.

Hitoshi, his mother, and Kacchan were sitting on the couch. Hitoshi looked as blank as ever, except his cheek and eye were swollen, a bruise darkening the skin. Kacchan was scowling, his arms-crossed defensively, which wasn't too unusual, but the cold anger on his mother's face signaled something was really wrong.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" he asked tentatively, shuffling past the doorway. "Hitoshi, are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine," the teen said evenly, but he didn't meet Izuku's eyes.

Izuku would have pressed for an answer on what happened, but his mother distracted him, pulling him into a hug.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" she asked, tension strumming through her voice. 'I'm your mother. Of course I'm going to be here when we discuss things that will impact your future."

Izuku pulled away and looked to Kacchan for answers, feeling completely confused.

"I brought her," the blond stated defiantly, his chin lifted.

Izuku had no idea what was going on and told them so. Hitoshi dutifully explained the situation regarding the brainwashing and the effects it could potentially have on the physical manifestation of his quirk. Izuku felt his stomach sink. All Might must be so disappointed in him! He'd put One For All at risk without even talking to him first. A stronger bolt of alarm shot through him as another thought followed the first. Daisuke! What if this broke his connection to Daisuke? He'd _never_ forgive himself if it did.

"Woah. Breathe, Deku."

Strong hands grabbed him by the arms and pulled him forward before pushing him down onto the couch. Izuku stared wide-eyed into warm crimson eyes as Kacchan knelt in front of him.

"We've got a lot of geniuses in this room. We're going to figure this shit out and make sure that idiot over there only makes things better not worse," Kacchan assured him, voice gruff.

His mother, who was sitting next to him, put an arm around his shoulders. "We're all here for you and we're going to make sure you get the help you need," she reaffirmed. "But, Izuku, how am I to know you need help if you don't tell me? I understand you're doing what you think is best, but this not telling me stuff has to stop. Do you understand? I'm your mother, Izuku. We're family! You're not supposed to make such important decisions on your own." Her eyes tone sharpened as Aizawa entered the room carrying a tray. "And neither are your teachers."

"I assure you we would not have made any decisions before consulting with you," Aizawa answered, voice carefully neutral. "We are still in the the information gathering stage. Once we had all the data necessary to move forward, we would have presented it to you and your son." He set the tray down on the coffee table, face blank, eyes lined with dark circles, clearly exhausted. Four steaming mugs sat on it. "We called in a specialist and he should be here shortly." He looked Inko in the eye, still kneeling from setting the drinks on the table. "I give you my word, Ms. Midoriya, that your son's safety and wellbeing is my first priority. Before even my duties to the school or my own safety. Shinso's intervention was not planned or encouraged, and we are doing the best we can to work this out."

Inko hufffed and held Izuku tighter.

Izuku's eyes widened. "Mom, Aizawa-sensei is right," he said gently. "He wasn't even here when I asked Hitoshi-kun to use his quirk on me. I… I thought it could help."

"Oh, honey," Inko held him tighter. He could hear tears in her voice. "You have to stop hiding things from me! Please!"

Izuku's heart clenched and he couldn't help the instinctive urge to play dumb. "Hide what?"

Inko pulled away to look at her son with fierce, teary eyes. "Katsuki and Eraserhead have explained everything. I know you might not make it through the next moon without having a breakdown."

Izuku flushed. He looked around at everyone in the room, hurt burning through his chest. "I'm not… I'm not going to have a mental breakdown, if that's what you're thinking," he protested. His fists clenched when he saw the doubt on the faces around him and he shot to his feet. He hated worrying them. It made him feel like such a failure! His voice rose an octave as he tried to convince them. "I'm struggling to handle the visions right now, but no matter what I'll figure it out and keep going. I'd never let this keep me from achieving my dream."

"This isn't about you being a hero!" Inko insisted, tears still in her eyes, but her voice and expression strident and strong. "This is about you keeping so many secrets! How can you expect me not to worry when I'm always the last to know what's going on with you! I'm your mother! I need to know what's happening. At. All. Times. Your teachers are partly to blame for this, but it's your responsibility to tell me things, Izuku. You didn't tell me about that man following you and didn't contact me when you knew something was wrong at the theater. You kept me in the dark about your training and about…"

"MOM!" Izuku cried, alarmed. He looked nervously at Aizawa and Hitoshi. They both looked back at him blankly. "Mom, we can't talk about that here."

"That's the problem!" Inko cried desperately. "You always keep so many secrets! What am I supposed to do, Izuku? I'm your mother!" She burst into tears, hands covering her face, repeating, "I'm your mother…"

The hurt in her voice and expression felt like a sword through his gut. This was his mother. She'd loved him and supported him all by herself. She'd worked long hours to put a roof over their heads and food on their table. She stood by him when he'd told her about falling in love with Kacchan and took Kacchan in, loving him like a second son. She supported Izuku's dream of being a hero even though she wished with all her heart he'd do something less dangerous. She'd forgiven him and All Might for training behind her back and for One For All. She was hugs and birthdays and kisses. She was a cool towel on his forehead when he was sick and living room forts filled with laughter. More importantly, she taught him what it meant to love someone "no matter what".

She was his mom.

Izuku rushed to her side, guilt burning him inside out, and wrapped his arms around her. "Mom… I'm sorry. Please. Don't cry, Mom…"

"You almost died!" she cried loudly, holding him close. "And I'm always left in the dark!"

Aizawa left the room on silent feet. Kacchan shifted awkwardly as if he wanted to follow, but Izuku shot him a look. He was a part of the family, too; he wasn't going anywhere! Kacchan grimaced, but he sank back down onto the couch. Hitoshi, however, made his escape, following Aizawa to the kitchen.

"Mom, calm down." Izuku pleaded and pushed a warm cup of tea into her hands. "I'm fine, Mom, I promise," he told her softly, smiling. "Please don't get so upset. It's not good for you."

Inko took a deep breath and visibly got control of herself. "I'm sorry," she said softly and met Izuku's eyes. "I know this is why you don't want to tell me things. I'm trying to be strong, Izuku, really I am, but it's so hard. I believe in you, but I'm scared for you, too. It's not easy being a parent and loving someone as much as a mother loves her child."

Kacchan shifted awkwardly and both Izuku and Inko's eyes went wide.

One of Inko's hands flew to cover her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

Kacchan shook his head, his expression closed off and refusing to meet their eyes.

The avoidance worried Izuku greatly, it was so unlike Kacchan, but he had to focus on his mom for now. "I'll work on being more open with you," he promised, placing his hands over hers around the warm mug. Tears shimmered in his eyes as he smiled. "I know I need to stop trying to protect you, but it's hard. I love you so, so much."

Inko smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks. She set her tea down and hugged him tight for a long second before pulling back and wiping at her face. "I'll try and be more reliable. You can count on me, sweetie." Cupping his face in her hands, she kissed his brow before looking into his eyes imploringly. "Promise me, Izuku. We're going to be more open with each other from now on. No more secrets."

Izuku nodded. "Promise," he whispered, hugging her close.

"Good." Releasing him, she glanced to the doorway. She wiped at her face again, trying to recover her balance. "Do you think your teacher will mind if I cook some breakfast?"

Izuku gave her a rueful smile. "Right now, I think they'll let you do whatever you want."

Inko gave a soft huff of a laugh. "Well, then." She got up and Kacchan stood to let her pass. She pulled him into a hug. "I love you, too, Katsuki." She cupped his face just as she had Izuku's and kissed his forehead. Pride and gratitude shimmered in her expressive green eyes that were so much like Izuku's. "Thank you for checking on me and letting me know what's going on. I've got the two best boys in the whole world."

Kacchan blushed and looked away.

Suddenly upbeat, Inko made her way smiling into the kitchen, saying, "Let's see what I have to work with."

As soon as she was out of the room, Izuku slid over and pulled Kacchan down to sit next to him. Izuku elbowed him gently. "Why'd you bring her?" he asked in a whisper.

Kacchan scowled, rubbing his side. "I went to see Masaru last night.," he answered, tone defensive. "And I was thirsty from the run. Your place was nearby and I thought I'd better check in on your mom." He glared at Izuku mutinously. "What the fuck was I supposed to do when she started asking questions about where the fuck you were and stuff? She was fucking worried. You hadn't returned her calls because you were sleeping and you almost died the other night. So I told her what's going on. She demanded to come, so we slept a few hours and caught the first train out this way."

Izuku hardly paid attention to Kacchan's explanation. As soon as he heard that Kacchan had gone to speak to his father, his heart had begun to beat faster. A surge of protectiveness made his mouth taste like metal. "What did he say?" he asked as neutrally as possible.

Kacchan shook his head, once, sharply. "I don't want to fucking talk about it. Not now."

Izuku didn't like that. He wanted to know what happened, but he backed off. This wasn't the time or place for a sensitive conversation. Reaching forward, he covered Kacchan's fisted hand with his own, complying with a simple, "Okay."

Kacchan visibly relaxed at that. "Thanks," he said softly.

Izuku squeezed his boyfriend's hand. "It's going to be okay, Kacchan," he promised, looking deep into the blond's red eyes. "I'm going to be okay. We have each other, after all."

Kacchan flushed and turned his hand over so that their fingers interlocked. "Damn right," he muttered, looking away.

Izuku smiled and leaned against his boyfriend's side.

…

Sir Nighteye arrived with All Might in his hero form an hour after they had all eaten. The hero hardly acknowledged anyone else in the room except for Hitoshi and asked to speak to him alone. Aizawa offered them his bedroom and the two disappeared down the hall. Left alone with Aizawa, Kacchan, and All Might, Izuku stared up at his hero with a guilty expression before bowing his head, his voice hushed with shame.

"All Might… I - "

All Might crossed the room and put one of his large hands on Izuku's shoulder. "I am concerned that you still do not seek out guidance when you are in trouble, young Midoriya," he said gently. "There were a lot of unknown variables in using young Shinso's quirk and you did not stop to consider them." He reached forward to tilt Izuku's chin up. "That's not like you. You usually analyze everything. Tell me honestly, Midoriya. How bad is it?"

Izuku flushed. His heart beat hard in his throat and he was hyperaware of his mother coming to stand in the doorway with a drying towel in her hands. He closed his eyes. "It's always bad before the moon, but most of the time I don't think about it and I'm okay."

All Might released him and Izuku opened his eyes to see the hero studying him. "Izuku," he said, and the use of his first name caught Izuku's full attention; All Might so rarely used it. "If you were unaffected by your experiences, I would be greatly concerned. There is no shame in struggling with this. I know it is hard to admit or even acknowledge, especially as you've used denial as your main coping technique, but it's clear you're hurting."

Inko came to stand at All Might's side. "You don't have to hide it from us," she implored, her eyes wide and pleading.

Izuku's fists clenched. Shame washed through him. Shame for not being strong enough, for making them worry. Acid churned in his stomach. Arms wrapped around him from behind. They were strong and held him tightly. Izuku felt his heart slow and he leaned back against Kacchan's chest. "I'm sorry," he said softly, giving in. "It's true the f-flashbacks have gotten worse," he admitted miserably.

Inko and All Might smiled at him so widely, it made Izuku feel sick because he didn't deserve the pride shining in their eyes.

"I've contacted a therapist who works regularly with pro-heroes," All Might announced. "I give you my word she'll keep your meetings completely confidential." Neon blue eyes stared down at him expectantly. "Would you be willing to speak to her on Wednesday?"

"Of course he can," Inko said brightly. "Right, honey?"

_Four days before the moon_, Izuku's brain immediately supplied. Anxiety and dread spiked through his center, but he hid it behind a smile. "Okay," he agreed, knowing it would make everyone happy. "T-Thank you for the help."

Inside he was cringing. Talking about the visions, about any of it, always made him feel shaky and weak. He _hated_ it. And so close to the actual moon, he'd need more distance than ever. He couldn't think of anything he wanted to do _less_ than talk to this person. His stomach rolled and he pulled free from Kacchan's hold.

"Excuse me," he said as lightly as he could, his mouth pulled into a wide smile. "I've got to use the restroom."

As soon as he was out of the room, Izuku bolted for the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and dove for the toilet. He blindly flailed his hand around and hit the flush lever just as he threw up. It felt like his whole body was being turned inside out.

Closing his eyes, he tried to will his stomach to still. His hands shook violently. Sweat drenched his face and the back of his neck. Gritting his teeth, he took deep breaths in through his nose and slowly let it out through his mouth. When his stomach stopped convulsing, he flushed one more time and got to his feet.

His face was as white as a sheet and he quickly looked away. He washed his hands and scrubbed his face. He even put toothpaste on his finger and scrubbed at his mouth. Izuku took another deep breath and let it out. His face was still pale so he slapped his cheeks lightly twice before opening the door.

…

Katsuki pushed off from the wall across from the bathroom and pushed Izuku back inside, shutting the door behind him. "Better?" he asked, eyes scanning Izuku's face. It was damp from where his boyfriend had splashed it, but he was still too pale.

"I'm fine," Izuku answered automatically and his lips pulled up into a wavering smile.

Katsuki glared at him and pinned the boy against the sink, putting one hand on the counter on either side of Izuku's body. "You can't fucking lie to me," he said, keeping his voice pitched low. "You don't have to be a fucking martyr, Izu. You can tell All Might no."

Izuku's emerald eyes widened in horror at that idea.

Katsuki scowled. "He needs you to work with him, Deku," he snapped with a little more bite to his tone than he'd meant to have. "How'd he feel if he knew you were working against him?"

"I'm not!" Izuku immediately protested.

"His goal is to help you get stronger, right?" Katsuki asked bluntly. "If you know talking about shit before the moon will have the opposite effect and you don't say anything, what the hell else are you doing except working against him?"

Teared shimmered in Izuku's emerald eyes. "I… But…" He grabbed Katsuki's shirt in his hands and pressed his forehead to Katsuki's chest. "If I don't do it, he'll think I'm being difficult, and he went to so much t-trouble."

"It won't fucking matter how much trouble he went to if you ruin it anyway," Katsuki growled. "Just ask him to push the fucking meeting back to next week when you can actually talk about this shit without falling apart."

"We have our internships next week," Izuku reminded him, voice soft.

Katsuki leaned forward, pressing against Izu's body. "Then the week after that then," he growled, annoyed.

Izuku said nothing for a long minute, but then his hands loosened on Katsuki's shirt and he lifted his head. "You're right, Kacchan. I'll ask him to postpone the meeting."

Katsuki smirked triumphantly. Every time Izuku gave in to him, it mad him feel a rush of warmth. Izuku was the most stubborn person he knew. For him to capitulate so easily showed Katsuki more than anything just how much the teen trusted him. "I'm always fucking right," he boasted, practically purring.

Izuku nodded and lifted up on his toes a little to kiss him, his arms coming around Katsuki's neck. Katsuki gasped in surprise and Izuku took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside. He licked along the roof of Katsuki's mouth, making him shiver and groan. Instinctively, he held Izuku closer. Izuku slowly broke the kiss, his lips lingering on Katsuki's teasingly.

"Thank you, Kacchan," Izu's said in a sweet, soft voice. "I wouldn't be sane without you here with me. You make everything seem so clear and obvious." He stared up into Katsuki's eyes with a searching look. "We haven't really gotten to talk. Are you worried about the prosecutor?"

Katsuki's gut tightened at the reminder. "Not really," he lied with a glare. He didn't want to fucking talk about it!

Izuku lifted a hand to gently cup Katsuki's face. "Good. Because I know for a fact the prosecutor won't press charges."

"How the hell do you know that?" Katsuki demanded with suspicious eyes.

"Because I'm not going to let them arrest you, Kacchan," Izuku said with such steely conviction Katsuki found himself believing him completely. "None of us will." Staring into Katsuki's eyes, he ran gentle fingertips over Katsuki's blushing cheek. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

Katsuki's blinked tears from his eyes and pulled Izuku close, hugging him tightly. "You stupid idiot," he muttered into the messy waves of Izuku's hair.

A knock came on the door. "Izuku? Honey?" It was Inko.

"Coming!" Izuku answered as Katsuki pulled away.

Izuku was blushing like mad when they stepped out of the bathroom, but Inko was too distracted to notice her son's mortification. They followed her back into the living room. That creep Nighteye and Braindead had returned from their secret talk. The teen sat on the couch while the alleged super genius leaned against the wall by the doorframe. All Might stood awkwardly near the center of the room while Aizawa sat in a chair by the boarded-up window.

Scowling, Katsuki stomped over to the arm of the couch and sat on it, giving the last two places on the cushions to Inko and Izuku. The two sat down, Izuku sitting next to him and Inko taking the center, which was fine with Katsuki because that put her between Izuku and the braindead idiot. However, he didn't like how Inko was watching Nighteye. There was a strangely confused look in her eyes. Something was up.

Katsuki turned his own attention to the man. Nighteye was tall and and slender, wearing an all white suit with a red tie, but his shoulders were broad, making Katsuki suspect the man was stronger than he looked. His hair was combed to the side with yellow streaks cutting through the green. It was slicked down in a common hairstyle for businessmen, and adding to the businessman look, he wore thin, angular, metal-framed glasses. Currently, his held his head was tilted slightly to the side, his chin lowered, which made him look cocky as hell and made Katsuki want to punch his face in.

"We have four viable options at the moment," the pro-hero spoke, voice deep. Each word was spoken with perfect enunciation. "The first is to fly Midoriya to a remote location. His quirk has spatial limits. Therefore, when the strain on his mind becomes too great, he can remove himself to an area where no murders can occur and thus give himself time to recover."

Katsuki felt Izuku tense and put a hand on his shoulder. As much as he knew Izuku would resist such an action, it wasn't a bad idea, and Katsuki hated the fact that he hadn't thought of it.

Nighteye lifted a long-fingered hand in a wait gesture. "I understand this means allowing murders to occur unchecked, but conceding one month is a sound strategy. It is preferable to allowing Midoriya's sanity to deteriorate, which could potentially sacrifice all the future months he could have helped prevent deaths."

The room was silent as they took this in, even Izuku.

"Second," Nighteye continued. "We could experiment with pharmaceuticals. Drugs have been proven to help with quirk management. Some drugs even deaden the emotional centers of the brain and could potentially allow Midoriya to experience his visions in a purely intellectual way. However, such a path will take time to perfect as we test out which drugs are most effective and produce the least amount of side-effects."

Katsuki instinctively didn't like this option, but if it helped Izuku, he wouldn't say anything about it. However, when he glanced at Izuku and Inko's faces, he knew they weren't impressed with it, either.

"Third. We can continue with Shinso's quirk. He has the ability to train Izuku's mind to process his visions in a less damaging way. Unlike with pharmaceuticals, the results will be faster and without physical side-effects. However, unlike with drugs, we cannot be guaranteed it will have the exact effect we desire, and while it will certainly help, it will not completely block the trauma Midoriya experiences during his visions."

"I know I can help," Braindead said with complete confidence, looking to Izuku.

Katsuki hated the way Izuku smiled at the other teen, but kept his hands and thoughts to himself.

"Finally," Nighteye cut in. "we could abandon the idea of prevention and focus solely on treating the trauma through intensive therapy and coping strategies. All Might has informed me that Midoriya already employs some therapeutic devices, but we could hone those and introduce new ones."

The hero lowered his chin still further and stared at Izuku, making the hair on Katsuki's neck stand on end. If he were an animal, he would have growled in warning. Instead, he tensed and his palms grew slick.

"Personally," Nighteye continued, voice low and intense, speaking directly to Izuku as if no one else was in the room. "I suggest a combination of all four. Allow Shinso to complete the brainwashing, begin therapy with a psychiatrist, and a week before the full moon start taking a small dose of either Haloperidol or Prozium. I would also retreat to an isolated location every two to three months to allow yourself to recover."

At seeing Izuku's unhappy and anxious look, the hero's tone sharpened. "I implore you to remember that you have a responsibility to more than just the people in your visions. And if you do not stop your sanity from eroding, it would be best for the world for you to pass on the burden of being a hero to someone more capable."

Katsuki's expression twisted in rage even as All Might snapped a sharp, "Mirai!"

Inko gasped. She stared across at Nighteye with enormous green eyes. Climbing to her feet, her hands shook and her whole body trembled.

"It had to be said," Nighteye stated, cold and unemotional.

Katsuki got to his feet as Inko stumbled past him and made her way toward the fucking asshole. "Inko…" he said, worriedly.

"Ms. Midoriya," All Might echoed.

"M-Mirai…" She reached a shaking hand forward. "Mirai…"

Nighteye stared at her, a frown creasing his face.

With a hiccuping sob, Inko whispered, "Little brother…"

All Might had reached Inko's side and put a hand on her shoulder. His eyes were now wide as saucers. Nighteye's face went completely blank. Izuku snapped out of his daze at being told to give up One For All and stared with open mouth. Shinso watched, curiosity shading his expression while Aizawa slumped even deeper in his chair. And Katsuki… Katsuki's mind raced.

"_You can never tell anyone!" _Inko's strident, frightened voice whispered in his memory. _"They took my little brother and we never saw him again." _

Katsuki analyzed Nighteye's features more closely. The green hair was nearly a perfect match, except for the yellow streaks, but his features were more sharp and angular compared to Inko and Izuku's round eyes and cheeks. The color was wrong, too. The asshole's eyes were yellow not green. They were large, but narrow and thin. Still, there was something about his features that was reminiscent of Inko when she was younger and thinner. Holy fucking shit!

"It's me," Inko said, voice limp and wobbily. "It's Inko…" Tears drenched her face as a large, bright smile lit up her face. "It's been so long… I never forgot you, Rai-chan. Never."

Nighteye pushed off the wall. He gave a polite bow. "Forgive me, madam. I do not remember you. I am sorry for your loss, but I am not the person you remember."

"When we're taken to the Institute, our memories are erased so that we can begin with a clean slate," Shinso clarified, his tone casual.

The small items in the room - the tea cups and the lamp on the side table - began to rattle and jump in their places.

"Mom?" Izuku shook off his shock and hurried to his mom's side. "Hey, it's okay. Calm down."

"No!" Inko cried, face crumbling in distress. "Rai-chan! I'm your sister! Remember me or not, I am your sister!"

All Might held her back as she tried to get past him to Nighteye.

"I'll be in touch," Nighteye said, voice clipped. He gave another bow to All Might and slipped from the room.

"Mirai!" Inko called after him. "No! Please, wait!"

The four mugs shot across the room aiming right for Inko. All Might and Izuku shielded her. They impacted their backs with dull thuds and fell to the floor, spilling tea and shattering.

"Mom, stop!" Izuku begged. "Let him go. I'm sure it was a shock to him, too. He needs to think about it. Come on, Mom."

Inko stopped fighting and covered her face with her hands, crying quietly. Izuku wrapped his arms around her and held her, soothing her with reassuring words and his soft voice. He guided her from the room, presumably to the kitchen or bathroom.

"Aizawa, I'll be back," All Might suddenly announced, snapping out of his shock. Turning, he strode out of the room and out the front door, clearly intending to chase after his friend.

Katsuki was left with Aizawa and Braindead. He caught Aizawa watching him and scowled. What? Did he expect Katsuki to get involved in all that? Hell no! He crossed his arms and looked away with a glare. Well, at least now it made more sense why Izuku had been born with his shitty ass quirk. Sir Nighteye, quirk Foresight, only person to ever serve as sidekick to All Might, pro-hero… and Izuku's uncle.

Katsuki wished Inko hadn't recognized the man. Because Nighteye was right. Inko's little brother was gone. He was gone the moment he was taken. Katsuki knew better than anyone that sharing DNA wasn't a guarantee of anything - not love or belonging or any soft shit like that. Nighteye wasn't going to instantly transform into their best friend. Their connection was decades in the past. Knowing about it now was only going to confuse the matter and make everything more fucking messy than it already was.

"I've wondered what family I come from," Braindead admitted, breaking the silence. He looked thoughtful, but not overly emotional about it. "But in the end, I decided it was better not to know. Values, traditions, mannerisms - I'd have nothing in common with them. We'd be strangers. No different from any other random person on the street."

"Well, fuck," Katsuki scowled, crossing his arms. They were supposed to be figuring out how to help Izuku, but instead they were dealing with this new revelation.

"What do you think about his recommendations?" Aizawa asked, eyes on Katsuki.

"I think that drug crap is shit. It would blunt the trauma, but it would also alter Deku's personality and mess with his body. Therapy is fine, but it will have to fucking wait until after the full moon because Deku's too vulnerable right now to start that shit. I'm all for taking him to a fucking mountaintop or a cabin in the woods, but we'll have to really convince him that it's okay and he'll still feel guilty about it." Katsuki pinned Braindead with a hot glare. "As for this shithead, I don't like the idea of him manipulating Deku's mind, but the shitty nerd seems to trust him for some unknown reason."

"I did not mean to hurt him at the festival…" the idiot had the gall to say.

"I don't give a _fuck_ if you meant to or not," Katsuki growled low and intense. His hands crackled ominously. "You fucking messed with things you don't know anything about and broke Izuku's goddamn arm! Then without checking with anyone you took it in your own damn hands to fuck around with his brain and quirk when it wasn't your fucking place! After you fucking saw for yourself that you didn't have a good understanding of his fucking quirk!" Voice dropping to a menacing growl, he glared murder. "You're a fucking asshole who's reckless and arrogant, and Deku's favor won't save you if you mess up and hurt him again. Accident or not. Got it?"

Lavender eyes watched him calmly and that pissed Katsuki off even further, but Aizawa was silently watching and Katsuki remembered his teacher's demand that he control his temper. Fury burned through him, but he didn't blast the fucker off the couch or punch his face in so that his right side matched his swollen and bruised left. Instead, with a fierce glare and a showing of his teeth, Katsuki pushed himself off the couch and stomped out of the room, smoke rising from his tightly clenched fists.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** OMG! CAN YOU BELIVE IT?!


	30. Chapter 30

**A/n: ****Warning**: This got a LOT more angsty than I anticipated. Not sure how I should tag it. Some depressive thinking? and insanity?

…

**Spiraling**

After the meltdown over Nighteye, it had taken a good hour to get Inko calmed down. Then they'd all made their way to the school where they met with Principal Nezu. It was the first time Katsuki had met the principal in person. He was small, coming up to about mid-chest on Katsuki, had white fur, and looked like a bear-mouse creature. He had a light, high voice and was ridiculously cute and cheerful, but… There had been a shrewd intelligence in his dark eyes and in some of his comments.

Aizawa had explained the situation and relayed Sir Nighteye's suggestions. Nezu had asked Izuku and Inko some questions, poured them all another cup of tea, asked some questions of Braindead, and decided that the altered phrase 'Your quirk is not who you are' would be safe enough. Next thing everyone knew, Izuku had agreed to continue the brainwashing and Inko had agreed to stay overnight with Izuku in the infirmary under Recovery Girl's supervision.

There wasn't anything Katsuki could do at that point, so he and Aizawa returned to class. Lunch was just finishing, so they were just in time for Heroics. Katsuki eyed his teacher. "You look more like crap than usual," he said bluntly.

"I'll keep that in mind," Aizawa drawled, dark circles ringing his tired eyes.

Katsuki was grateful they'd entered the gym together because he could see the burning questions in everyone's eyes and didn't feel like dealing with it. Aizawa called the class to order and no one had time to say something stupid and get blown up.

"Today we will be sparring in threes," Aizawa announced. "This is not a partnered exercise where it is two against one. All three should fight to win over the other two. You have sixty seconds to group up. Go."

"Red! IcyHot! On me!" Katsuki barked and marched away from the rest of the class. He was going to need room.

Todoroki moved to join him immediately. Kirishima shared a look and a shrug with his friends before heading over.

"Hey, man. Where were you this morning?" the redhead asked with a look of concern on his face. "There's all that stuff in the news about the killers in the park, and you guys were acting so funny. Did that have anything to do with you?"

"Yes," Katsuki bit out. "Now shut the fuck up and focus before I kick your ass so hard you'll be sleeping in the infirmary with Deku tonight."

Kirishima's eyes went wide. "Midoriya's in the infirmary?"

Katsuki growled, his hands clenching into fists.

"Bakugo, I'm adding a fourth to your group," Aizawa called over. "We're two short. Ojiro, join Bakugo's group!"

Katsuki grinned widely and rolled his shoulders. "Sounds fun." He glared at the four teens who looked back at him warily. "I suggest you losers forget the assignment and work together to take me down. If you don't, this will be over too fucking quickly."

"Alright! Begin!" Aizawa shouted and blew a whistle.

Katsuki went for Todoroki first. The bastard put up an ice wall as Katsuki had known he would. Katsuki jumped at it, flipping to land feet first completely parallel to the ground. Pushing off and spinning as he did, he performed a miniature Howitzer Impact aimed right at Kirishima's hardened chest. The explosion blew Ojiro and Kirishima backward and shattered Todoroki's ice.

Katsuki didn't let up for a minute. Spinning and launching himself at Todoroki, who was off balance just enough that he couldn't get an ice wall up in time. With Katsuki in his face already, he instinctively swung with his left, flame erupting along his arm, burning away the sleeve of his uniform. Katsuki reflexively aimed an explosion downward, which pushed him upward, out of reach of Todoroki's arm, and over the teen's head.

Just as Katsuki had suggested, the three other boys teamed up against him, and they weren't holding back. Ojiro was an advanced martial artist and his huge, muscular tail gave him excellent maneuverability while also packing a powerful punch when it landed. Todoroki's dual-natured quirk was out of this world. It was near impossible to get past the ice and fire to actually hit the teen. Kirishima was clumbsy, slow, and reckless, his only strategy to charge in headfirst and punch, but he was neigh indestructible. Whatever Katsuki dished out, he'd just get up again and keep coming. But as strong as they were as opponents, they still had trouble matching Katsuki's ferocity and combat skill.

Katsuki was fast, powerful, and smart with near superhuman reflexes. He was also ruthless. He did not hesitate, even when his opponent made mistakes or was unprepared. He hit hard and fought dirty. Still, with the others working together, Katsuki was hard pressed to defeat him. After twenty minutes of non-stop battle, he was bruised, bleeding, and his arms were screaming from the number of explosions he'd set off.

Of course, the others didn't look much better. They were sweaty, disheveled, and panting for air. Burns blistered their skin in a half-dozen places. They were fighting desperately, but they had fallen into a rhythm that Katsuki couldn't match on his own. He was slowly being driven into a corner, but instead of screaming in rage, Katsuki began to laugh, blood coating his chin from a split lip.

"That all you got, you extras?" he yelled in challenge.

He leapt into the air, placing his hands on the charging Kirishima's rock-hard shoulders to push himself up and over. He put his shoulder to the redhead's back and used him as a shield as ice speared the air around them. Breaking the thinner ice at his back with a large explosion, Katsuki flew out of the smoke, almost colliding with Ojiro. The blond looked battered as hell, a battle scream tearing from his throat.

Katsuki twisted midair and swung his legs around the teen's chest, just barely avoiding being smacked out of the air by Ojiro's thick tail. He angled his hands and blasted downward, unlocking his legs at the last second. They hit the ground hard, Ojiro's body absorbing most of the impact.

A wave of fire roared out at him and Katsuki propelled himself backward, hitting the wall of the gym hard. He slammed his hands down and the wall exploded just as the fire rushed over him, evaporating his sweat in an instant. Before it could do real damage, Katsuki dropped under the burning flames and tumbled to the grass outside, his tank-top and hair smoking.

Leaping to his feet, Katsuki rushed into the smoke without hesitation. It took Todoroki a few moments to switch between elements. As he was still lifting his ice-hand, Katsuki was already there and delivered a nasty right hook straight into his face. Before Katsuki could follow it up with a second punch to knock him out, Kirishima tackled him from the side.

Screaming madly, the redhead wrapped his arms and legs around Katsuki as they went down and held on tight. Kastuki blasted his back again and again - rapid-fire micro blasts that were scorching hot and packed a punch. The stone of Kirishima's skin began to crack and fissure, but before the explosions could do real damage. Ojiro was there. His massive tail came around and slammed against Katsuki's face. Katsuki's ears rang, his head went light and dizzy. Dazed, he went limp.

"Holy shit."

"… terrifying…"

"Took all three of them…"

"So manly, yo!"

"Bakugo, you okay?"

"Shut up… you extras…" he mumbled, vision swimming and disoriented. He tried to push up, to get on his feet, and failed. His hands popped, but it was a bluff. He wasn't about to let one of the gawkers get hurt and he couldn't exactly aim at the moment.

"The three of you go to the infirmary." That was Aizawa. "Good fight."

Katsuki grinned drunkenly, so pleased with himself that he actually let Kirishima haul him to his feet. He would have fallen again, the room tilting sideways, but Todoroki caught him and pulled his arm over his shoulder.

"I almost had you," Katsuki insisted, squinting his eyes to try and make things come into focus.

"Yeah," Todoroki said on a sigh. "I have a lot more training to do."

"Depend on your quirk too fucking much," Katsuki told him, head lulling to the side.

"You're really badass, man!" Kirishima said in awe. "We almost couldn't take you!"

"I'm the fucking best!" Katsuki agreed. "Just ask Izu!"

"About that…" Kirishima lowered his voice and walked closer. "What happened after the movie, man?"

Katsuki growled, head throbbing, as flashes from that terrifying night sparked behind his eyes. Todoroki answered for him and Katsuki patted his shoulder in thanks.

"Midoriya witnessed a murder a few years ago, but he didn't see enough for the police to identify the killer. He thought he saw the man again in the theater, but he wasn't sure. We took him to Aizawa's house to figure out what to do, but the man followed us. We fought him, but Midoriya, Aizawa, and Shinso got captured. Bakugo guessed the killer had taken them back to the scene of the first murder. We rushed over there and found the others in bad shape."

"Buried Izu alive," Katsuki hissed, rage making his vision bleed red and a spike of pain to spear through his head. His legs buckled and a second shoulder quickly bolstered him up on the other side.

"Bakugo let off an explosion that resulted in the killer's death," Todoroki finished, voice low. "We got Midoriya out of the dirt and Bakugo resuscitated him."

"And they wanted to arrest him? That's nuts!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"If this killer took out Aizawa as well, then I agree. This doesn't sound like a case where Bakugo could have held back and didn't," Ojiro offered from somewhere over to the side.

Katsuki snorted. "Always fucking holding back, you loser. You're not dead, right?"

"Is that why Midoriya's in the infirmary?" Kirishima asked, ignoring Katsuki's rude comment.

"There were complications," Todoroki agreed, even though he had no idea why Izuku was there.

"Man, that's crazy!" Kirishima heft Katsuki a little higher on his shoulder. "You should have told us. We would have helped you."

Katsuki pulled away from Kirshima's hold, suddenly irritated by all the voices around him saying stupid ass things. "Don't need your fucking help! I'm number one!" He glared when this only made Kirishima laugh.

"How hard did you hit him, Ojiro?"

"Hard," came a regretful answer. "He's got a concussion."

Before Katsuki could put up a real fight, they were passing through the infirmary doors. There were actually some kids on the beds for once. They were blurry, but he was pretty sure he did't recognize them. Todoroki and Kirishima helped him over to an empty bed and dropped him on it. He groaned and curled into a ball. His stomach did a queazy turn and he bit his already split lip to settle it down.

"What have we here?" came Recovery Girl's disapproving voice.

"We were training," Todoroki answered simply.

"Things got a little out of hand?" Kirishima offered, tone more of a question than a statement. Katsuki could envision the bashful smile and the way the idiot would ruffle his ridiculously red hair.

"I hit him a little too hard with my tail," Ojiro confessed.

Recovery Girl sighed and pressed at Katsuki, trying to get him to lay flat. "Let's have a look, shall we."

Katsuki growled, but he was too queasy to resist. She checked his eyes and touched his head. It hurt and he slapped her hands away. In return, she kissed his cheek. A surge of blood rushed to his head and then he went limp, utterly exhausted. His eyes closed, but the voices didn't leave.

"That should do him. Now your turn, my dears."

"Is Midoriya here?" Kirishima asked.

"Not yet," the healer answered, tone softened.

God, Izuku could even melt the shriveled heart of the old bat!

"Will he be alright?" Todoroki asked.

"It was only a light concussion. He'll sleep it off in an hour or so. Not to worry."

And Katsuki did.

When he woke, Todoroki was sitting in a chair by his bed, reading a book. Katsuki watched him quietly for a minute. "Got nothing better to do, IcyHot?" he asked, voice a rasp. He sat up and felt at his head. There was no sore spot that he could find.

Todoroki shut his book softly and set it in his lap. His expression was blank as he asked, "How do you feel?"

"I'm good." He eyed the teen. "What's up with you?"

There was silence as Todoroki considered whether to tell him or not. Katsuki wasn't going to beg him. If he was going to speak up, he would have to do it on his own. Katsuki threw the thin blanket off his legs and got to his feet. He felt pretty steady. He spotted his shoes tucked under the bed and bent down to grab them.

"There might be trouble with some of the other classes."

Katsuki looked up into one grey eye, one blue. The blank look had disappeared and had been replaced by a look of frustration. Katsuki stood and put one hand on his hip, the other held to the inside lips of his shoes. He didn't like the way Todoroki's hand had fisted.

"Hey." He kicked the teen's shoe with his socked foot. "The fuck's that look for? I don't care what those extras think of me. They're not going to hurt my fucking feelings. They want to come at me…" He gave a vicious grin and flexed his hand, making it pop. "I'll fucking take them all on and still come out on top."

Todoroki didn't say anything and Katsuki shrugged and finished pulling on his shoes. He stood and stretched. "I'm going to get some food." He strode toward the door. He didn't care one way or another if the half n'half bastard followed, but when he walked through the doors to the cafeteria he saw that Todoroki had.

Katsuki ordered, got his food, and picked a seat against a wall so he could keep his eye on the room. Todoroki sat across from him. They weren't even half finished when the teen finally spat out what was bothering him.

"You're really not worried about what the other students are saying about you?"

Katsuki snorted. "Hell no. In fact…" His eyes brightened. "They might actually give me a workout if they come at me."

Todoroki stared at him, confused. "I don't understand. Aren't you concerned about having a working relationship with them? We might have to fight together as pros one day."

Katsuki tilted his head. "I don't have to like the extras to work with them, and if they're professionals, they better leave all this bullshit at the door the same way I will." His eyes grew sharp as he considered the teen across from him. "You know, if you're worried about your reputation, you don't have to talk to me."

Todoroki's eyes widened. "I'm not concerned for myself."

Katsuki shot him a hot glare. "Then stop fucking worrying. I can take care of myself, IcyHot." He pointed his fork at the other teen, dead serious. "Got it?"

Todoroki nodded. He hesitated, but then he dared to say in a near whisper, "So Midoriya can see into the future?"

Katsuki chewed, watching the other teen closely. It was clear Todoroki was aware he was pushing into forbidden territory, but he seemed genuinely concerned. Plus, he hadn't completely freaked out when Braindead had used his quirk on him.

"Specifically, every full moon he sees every murder that will happen in the next month."

Todoroki looked horrified. "Every murder in the world?"

"Fuck no," Katsuki spat, shuddering in horror. "His brain would have leaked out his ears. When he was little, he could only see five or ten miles around him, but as he got older the distance grew larger. His visions span ten districts now."

Todoroki did some quick math. In a hushed whisper, he said, "That's about three hundred square miles."

Katsuki nodded.

"I asked my father about the Institute…" At Kastuki nova hot glare, he raised his hands quickly in surrender. "After talking to Shinso! It had nothing to do with Midoriya."

"What did he say?" Katsuki growled, still not happy that Todoroki had gone around asking questions.

"He asked me if I knew of any pro-heroes with a psychic quirk." Todoroki met Katsuki's eyes solemnly. "I told him there's a telepath in the Wild Wild Pussycats group and Aizawa-sensei's quirk could kind of be considered a psychic quirk. He asked if I knew of any kids besides Shinso with one and I told him no. He said that was my answer. When I said I didn't understand, he explained that there is no way psychic quirks are as rare as the populace is told they are. Someone had to be either killing them or collecting them. The higher-ups look away from this because you don't see many villains with psychic quirks, either, so the disappearance of a handful of kids with psychic quirks is the price society must pay in order to be safe."

Katsuki felt chilled to the bone. "It doesn't fucking matter. No one's going to think Izuku has a psychic quirk when he's knocking over buildings with one punch."

Todoroki nodded. "It'd be best to keep it secret," he agreed seriously.

…

He opened his eyes. Didn't know where he was. Didn't recognize the man helping him sit up. Didn't know who he was. He was pulled to his feet. There were sounds coming from the man's mouth. A-E-I-O-U sounds and a bunch of others. It was interesting, and he watched the man's mouth shape the sounds as they walked, but he got tired and stopped walking. He lost interest in the mouth sounds.

He looked around. A lot of blackness. Really, there was nothing around save for this blackness that surrounded them. That was boring, too. The man pulled him into a hug. It was warm and solid. Tears wet his shoulder and he frowned. His arms finally came up and wrapped around the man, hugging him back. Tears — He didn't like feeling those, didn't like hearing the soft sounds that came with the tears. It made his own eyes wet. He wanted to stop the tears, so he stretched his face into a smile. He gently pulled back to look up into the man's face. To show him the smile. The man's tears came harder then. Tilting his head the other way, he smiled as big as he could and reached up to pat the man's white hair.

He pat and pat until the man's tears stopped. His head was lowered. He couldn't see his face, so he crouched and looked up. The man looked deeply sad and determined all at once. He closed his eyes, white hair hanging down. Then he opened his eyes. The pale green began to glow. It captured his attention. They grew brighter. Seemed to pull him in and pin him in place all at the same time. He stared up into those two glowing green dots and a ringing started in his ears. It grew so loud he wanted to slam his hands over his ears to stop it, but he couldn't move. Could only stare into glowing green.

"…ku! Izuku!"

Izuku opened his eyes. When had he closed them? He was on a bed. In a room. White and windows and metal and light. There was so much to look at. It was so full compared to the other place. He tried to picture this other place, it felt important, but he couldn't remember. In fact, it was all slipping sideways out of his head.

"Izuku!"

Hands shook him and he realized he wasn't alone. He looked over and saw it was a friend. He smiled. Friends were good and he didn't want this one to cry.

"Izuku?" his friend asked softly, carefully. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," he answered easily, glad he knew the answer.

His friend looked relieved. "How do you feel?"

This was a harder question. How did he feel? He reached up and touched his cheek to see how he felt — even though he knew that wasn't what the question was asking. He tried to keep his smile in place because this was a friend and he didn't want him to cry, but it was hard smiling and also trying to figure out the meaning behind such big words, words like 'feel'. His friend grew tense again. The purple of his eyes darkening from lavender to amethyst.

"Izuku?"

"I feel…" he began, hoping once he started the answer would come, but his mouth just hung there open and he remembered something about that. About mouths and how they moved to make sounds. His friend bit his lip.

"Izuku?"

He tilted his head and smiled. "I feel," he stated. Maybe that was enough of an answer?

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get Recovery Girl."

Izuku's attention was taken by a doorway. It was cracked open, black on the inside. He was standing before he really thought about it and walked into the dark. He shut the door behind him. His friend didn't appear. Izuku frowned. Maybe he needed to find him? He took a step forward, then another, and another, and another, and another. He walked for hours.

"Izuku."

Arms wrapped around him from behind. Izuku smiled and turned in that hold. White shaggy hair fell across the man's eyes and around his face. It was his friend! "I was looking for you!"

The man's head came up, a hopeful smile on his face. "You were?"

Izuku nodded. "I was worried about you. I don't want to lose you. I love you."

The man's hair parted and a pale green eye looked out at him, bright with happiness. "I love you, too, Izuku."

Izuku concentrated hard. "Something's wrong?" he asked, worriedly.

"A little bit," the man agreed, but he spoke softly and it helped Izuku stay calm.

Izuku held tight to the man's arms. "I don't want to lose you," he repeated helplessly.

"You can never lose me, Izuku. Not until you give One For All away."

"What's happening?" Izuku asked, voice small and afraid.

The man sighed. ".snoitcnuf evitingoc ruoy htiw gnirefretni si hcihw, snoisnemid esoht neewteb ecnoub ot secnabrutsid dna selppir gnisuac si noitseggus ehT .sruoy nihtiw sdnim elpitlum era ereht esuaceb snoisnemid dna sreyal erom s'erehT .llA orF enO fo esuaceb nosrep egaerva eht morf tnereffid si dnim rouY .kriuq gniretla-dnim a ot dnim rouy dettimbus uoY"

Izuku had no idea what the man was talking about. "Are you going away?" he couldn't shake that fear.

"I'm not going anywhere," his friend repeated gently. "You'll be fine. We just have to wait for it to settle. For the echoes to die away."

Izuku wanted to believe him. They were friends, and friends didn't lie to each other, but there was something about the tone of his friend's voice that made Izuku think he was lying.

Izuku opened his eyes very confused because he didn't remember closing them or lying down. He sat up, frowning. It was dark, but not dark enough. There were stars and a moon hanging outside the window. There were little glowing lights along the floor. Someone was in the bed next to him. He looked down to see light hair, but it wasn't white. His heart gave a squeeze and he smiled for real as he traced the face of the teen lying next to him. A name bubbled from the depths of his mind.

"Kacchan."

Eyes fluttered open. They were dark in the low light of the room, but Izuku new they were red. Red like rubies. The teen's hair was sticking up, thick and coarse, but soft at the same time. Izuku ran his hands through it, smiling.

"Kacchan."

"You know, if you don't get better, I'm going to kill your little friend," Kacchan stated calmly.

Izuku felt his heart leap at the threat, his eyes widened.

Kacchan frowned and grabbed his hands. "Hey. What is it?"

Izuku frowned, mirroring Kacchan's expression. "You lied," he accused. "You scared me and you lied. Friend's don't lie to each other."

Kacchan stared at him. "Yeah. Okay, nerd. Whatever you say."

Izuku huffed and crossed his arms. He didn't even get an apology! He turned his attention to the door. It was shut.

"Why do you want to go into the fucking closet so bad?"

"The dark," Izuku answered, distracted. "My friend. He's there. He said he's not going away, but I think he lied." Reminded of Kacchan's transgression, he turned his eyes back to the blond and frowned crossly. "Like you did!"

Kacchan snorted. "You sound like a toddler."

Izuku dropped his arms, done with being mad. He leaned forward. Kacchan didn't back away, holding still. Izuku put their faces close together, but not so close that his eyes went fuzzy. This close he could see the red in those eyes now and it made him feel safe.

"Kacchan's the best," he stated factually, happy that he knew something. "Kacchan will help me get to the dark. My friend's there. I need to help him, Kacchan. I need to go to the dark."

Kacchan listened very seriously. He nodded. "Alright, Izu. I hear you. How do you get to the dark?"

Izuku looked away, toward the door. "I went into there and walked for hours until I found him." His head tilted. "Or he found me." He thought really hard, knowing it was important. "Sometimes my eyes open and I'm there and he's there." He looked at the blond beside him on the bed. "How do I get there, Kacchan? My friend needs me."

Kacchan looked upset. "All the things that have sent you there before are probably not good for your scrambled brain right now."

Izuku grabbed the blond's arm tightly. "Why won't you help me?" He was honestly confused by this. Kacchan was the best. Kacchan always helped him. Didn't he? "Kacchan? Why?"

Kacchan made a growling noise. It was a low, resonating sound and it made Izuku's eyes go wide and his stomach do a ticklely roll. "Shut up, Deku. Let me think."

Izuku nodded, but his eyes were drawn back to the door. It was shut and suddenly that seemed ominous. The door was shut. It was dark, but not dark enough. Kacchan was with him, but where was his other friend? Where? Was he gone? Was he going away?

Izuku scrambled from the bed and made a mad dash for the door. It was locked. Izuku screamed and pounded on it, begging to be let inside, begging for his friend to let him in, to not go away! Kacchan tried to pull him away and Izuku turned on him in a fury.

"Why? Why aren't you helping me?" he screamed in betrayal, beating his fists against Kacchan's chest as the blond held him tight and pinned him down. "I thought you were my friend! I don't understand! My friend's in there! He needs help! Why aren't you helping him? Why, Kacchan? Are you mad at him? Are you mad at me?" Anger disappearing, he screamed in terrified desperation. "I need you! I need your help! Kacchan! Help me! Please, Kacchan!"

"I am helping you!" Kacchan suddenly yelled. The noise was so loud and so sudden it made Izuku instantly still and silent. Kacchan was crying. His tears dripped down onto Izuku's face. More softly, the blond said, "I am helping you, Izu."

Izuku nodded and reached up to wipe away Kacchan's tears. He didn't like tears. "Okay," he said softly back. This was Kacchan. Kacchan wouldn't lie.

Kacchan smiled, but it was wavery. He sat up and pulled Izuku up with him. Another person was there now. A short one. A child? She looked wrinkly and old, though. Weird. Kacchan was talking to her about something, but Izuku was more interested in the dark. The door - it had broken. It hung open just a crack. The dark was there! He yanked free of Kacchan's hand and dove inside.

He opened his eyes and realized he was running. It wasn't safe to run with his eyes closed, so he opened them wide, afraid they'd close on accident again. He didn't know why they kept doing that. It was starting to worry him. He crashed into someone and they both went tumbling.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I've been having trouble with my eyes lately. They keep closing on their own. I didn't see you. Are you okay?"

"Izuku. Take a breath. It's just me."

It was him! It was his friend with the messy white hair and the soft smile. "Daisuke!" he cried, the name coming to him as easily as if it had never been forgotten.

"Well, at least you know my name this time," the man said as he sat up and folded his legs cross-legged. "How're you doing?"

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked again more urgently. He pushed up onto his knees so he was kneeling.

"I'm fine," Daisuke answered. He tilted his head. "Are you?"

Izuku thought about this. "Something really weird is happening. I don't think Kacchan's happy about it."

Daisuke nodded. "I bet." He smiled. "Well, it's almost over. The last of the ripples are dying away even as we speak. Are your thoughts a little clearer?"

Izuku nodded. "I think so?" He eyed his friend suspiciously. "Are you sure you're not going anywhere?"

"I'm touched you're so worried about me, but it's my job to take care of you not the other way around." Daisuke patted his lap. "Put your head here for a minute."

Izuku complied without hesitation. He crawled over and put his head in Daisuke's lap. He looked up at his friend's face from upside down and giggled as pale green eyes smiled down at him.

"There. How's that feel?"

"Comfortable," Izuku admitted. He reached up to slowly twirl a lock of white hair around his finger. "This was my fault, wasn't it? I remember saying yes, but I don't remember what I said yes to." He dropped his hand and looked up sadly at his friend. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't know. None of us knew." Daisuke reached for Izuku's hand and squeezed it before lifting it and putting it back into his hair.

Feeling forgiven, Izuku smiled and began to twirl it slowly again. "Did it work, whatever it was?"

"Well, I don't think it did any damage to One For All. Like I said, everything's going still again. There are no differences that I could find, and I would know. I live here, after all. Your birth quirk is new to me, so I don't know it as well. I think there's some small difference, but if it's enough to do what you wanted, I don't know."

"I"m sorry, Daisuke," Izuku whispered, guilt and remorse weighing down his words. "I should've talked to you about this first."

Daisuke's mouth quirked up into a wry smile. "You did. Before you had Shinso finish the brainwashing, you had him put you under his control like at the festival. We talked and I agreed it was worth a try. I had no idea once he completed the hypnosis it would ricochet like a stampeding heard of buffalo through all the layers of your mind. He wasn't kidding when he said something happened after seventeen hours that made the suggestion stick. It was like a dam burst and all the layers of your mind were completely flooded!"

Izuku winced, shivering in dread at the disjointed memories of the experience. Was that what it was like to be insane? It was horrible! A soft hand petted his hair.

"It's okay, Izuku. Everything's settling into place. It looks like it's all good, so don't feel guilty. You have the right to try and help yourself. There was no way of knowing it would affect you like that." Daisuke bent to brush their foreheads together. "I'm fine and you're fine. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

Izuku wrapped his arms around Daisuke's neck. "Good. I love you," he whispered.

Daisuke sat up, smiling happily. "I love you, too," he said warmly. "Now it's probably a good idea to go back. I'm sure your Kacchan is having a meltdown about now."

Izuku laughed. "I'm going to have to apologize." Thoughtfully he added, "And keep him from killing Hitoshi." He sat up and turned to face his friend. "But can I stay a little longer?"

Daisuke's expression softened. "Sure, Izuku. You can stay."

Izuku smiled happily. He moved to sit next to his friend and they leaned comfortably against each other. "Were the others hurt?"

Daisuke shook his head. "No. They're… not here like I'm here. They're more limited. Like movie clips that cycle through the same scenes. They're still there. Nothing has changed."

"They're like ghosts," Izuku murmured sadly.

Daisuke nodded his agreement.

"Don't you get lonely?" Izuku asked, looking up at the man.

Daisuke didn't answer right away. "I'm not this aware all the time. It's like dreaming. I exist in your subconscious, so I generally know what happens to you and what you're experiencing. It doesn't feel lonely at the time, but sitting here with you like this, awake and aware, I can't help thinking it's better."

Izuku felt his determination harden. "I'm going to practice mediation really hard," he promised. "So I can come more often."

Daisuke smiled his soft, lopsided smile. "I know you will."

Izuku put his head back on Daisuke's shoulder and felt the man's arm come around his back to hold him. It made him feel safe and loved. When he opens his eyes, he was in the infirmary. The afternoon sunlight cut across the room at a sharp angle, the first hints of gold starting to appear. The door banged open and Kacchan stormed through. Izuku couldn't help smiling.

"Kacchan!"

Kacchan's step faltered, but then he continued forward, his eyes scrutinizing Izuku's face. "You good, Deku?"

Izuku nodded. He reached out and grabbed Kacchan's hand, pulling until the blond sat on the edge of the bed. Still holding his hand, Izuku looked into those warm red eyes and offered a sincere apology. "I am so sorry, Kacchan. I didn't know the brainwashing was going to do that to me. I had Hitoshi send me under to ask Daisuke what he thought before we went through with it and Daisuke said he thought it would be okay. If I knew that was going to happen, I wouldn't have done it."

Kacchan glared at him, but it was his normal glare with no real heat. "What the hell happened anyway?"

Izuku explained what Daisuke had told him. Kacchan didn't look pleased, but he did relax when Izuku assured him that Daisuke said there was no damage. They would have to wait and see at the full moon if it had altered his birth quirk in any way.

Izuku scooted closer and wrapped his arms around Kacchan's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I know it must have been horrible seeing me like that."

Kacchan relaxed into his hold. "It wasn't fun," he admitted, voice tight with tension still.

Izuku nodded and opened his mouth to apologize again.

"Don't," Kacchan snapped. "You didn't fucking know. You're better now, so let's leave it at that."

Izuku gave in and ran his hand through Kacchan's hair, still holding him with his other arm. "Thank you," he whispered and dared to kiss his cheek.

"Don't thank me. I'm still pretty fucking pissed at that braindead idiot."

Izuku frowned. "I bet he's upset."

Kacchan stared back at him, unimpressed and scowling.

"He didn't know, either," Izuku said gently, but he didn't press. Kacchan wasn't stupid. He was a genius, in fact. He could make his own decisions. "What time is it?"

Kacchan snorted. "Don't you mean what day?"

Izuku felt his stomach drop. "What day is it?" he obediently asked.

"It's Wednesday. Just past seven pm."

"I've missed three days of school?!" Izuku exclaimed, horrified.

Kacchan shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "I'll get you caught up in no time."

Izuku smiled warmly at that. "Thanks, Kacchan. What else did I miss?"

"The prosecutor dropped the charges against me, but I was given a very clear warning to not get in trouble again."

Izuku's whole face lit up and he flung his arms around Kacchan in a tight hug. "That's great!"

"My mom wants to see me tomorrow after school," the blond continued. He said it so easily, but Izuku's heart plummeted into the acid of his stomach. "I'm going to go see if she signed the papers or not."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Izuku asked carefully. "Can't you talk about that over the phone?"

Kacchan shook his head. "I need to see her," he said, voice firm.

Izuku didn't think it was a good idea. In fact, he pretty much hated it, but it was Kacchan's choice. "What did Masaru say? When you went to see him?"

Kacchan scowled, not meeting Izuku's eyes. "That Aizawa told him about the blood test before asking him to sign the papers. He brought All Might along to be more persuasive, but he was honest and upfront about the situation. The old man said he couldn't protect me, said he'd been weak. He kicked the hag out again. Seemed upset about what she said to the police. But only after Aizawa showed him the proof that I was his son."

Izuku put a hand on Kacchan's leg, angry and upset for him.

Kacchan shrugged, uncomfortable, but there was trust in his eyes, trust that Izuku wouldn't judge him or pity him. "Honestly, I just want this fucking over with. It's clear we aren't any good for each other. It's over. That's why I have to see her." Kacchan lifted wet eyes. "This is goodbye."

Izuku would never know anyone else with the kind of resolve Kacchan had. It was super-human and breathtakingly beautiful, but Izuku couldn't help regretting what it sometimes cost his love. He was determined to protect Kacchan's heart as much as he could. "Where are you meeting her?"

"The old house. Apparently she wants Masaru there, too."

"I want to come," Izuku said firmly, turning to look into Kacchan's eyes. "I know this is personal and your family, but I'm your family, too. Please, Kacchan, I really want to be there for you. I can wait outside if you really want, but let me come."

Kacchan stared at him for a long moment before nodding his head.

Izuku leaned forward to kiss him. "Thank you," he said, meaning it.

"You don't always have to thank me," Kacchan retorted with a smirk.

"Kacchan!" Izuku blushed, relating the phrase to when they... Cheeks burning, he looked around desperately for a change in subject. "Where's Recovery Girl?"

"There was an accident during training with the second years." Kacchan scowled at the door. "I'm sure the old bat will be back soon."

Izuku had a flash of inspiration, guessing Kacchan was irritated with the healer because she'd refused to let him stay in the infirmary all day and made him go to class. He knew Kacchan wouldn't want him to say sorry or thank you again, so he simply kissed him. He meant it to be an innocent kiss, but Kacchan's strong hand sank into his hair and angled his head so that he could thrust his tongue inside and lick along every inch. Izuku could only melt as he was devoured.

"That's quite enough of that," came the sharp voice of the old healer. She huffed as they broke quickly apart. "Teenagers," she said in disgust.

Izuku blushed to the roots of his hair all the way down his neck. He only blushed harder when Kacchan simply smirked.

Recovery Girl's expression softened. "Well, it's nice to see you awake and in your right mind, Midoriya. Let me have a look at you."

"I feel fine," he assured her.

"I'll be the judge of that," she said primly.

She looked in his eyes and asked him a series of questions, all the while monitoring his pupils and heartbeat. Setting her stethoscope aside, she gave a nod. "You're fine," she declared. "Now get out of my infirmary and try not to come back too soon."

Izuku didn't wait to be told twice. He slid off the bed and gathered his things. He didn't even bother to put on his clothes, afraid she would change her mind. He had pajamas on at least. Someone had put him in his All Might sleep pants with the matching t-shirt. It had probably been his mom.

"Thank you for everything, Recovery Girl!" he called before the door swung shut behind him.

Kacchan helped him carry his stuff to the nearest bathroom.

"What's been going on with my mom?" he asked, grabbing his phone and opening it.

"She stayed Monday night with you, but she had to go to work Tuesday and today," Kacchan explained. "I've been sending her regular updates."

Izuku gave a nod to indicate he'd heard and pressed the speed dial for his mother's phone. He spent the next ten minutes assuring her that he was fine, no he didn't need help getting home Kacchan was with him, yes he should be home soon, yes he would text her when he left the school. He sighed tiredly and hung up the phone.

"You've got some making up to do," Kacchan pointed out.

Izuku sighed again. "I know."

He took his clothes into the stall, but before he got changed, he sent a quick text to Hitoshi telling him he was awake and okay. The other teen called him back before he even got his sleep shirt over his head. Izuku answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Are you sure you're okay? Where are you?"_

"I was just dismissed from the infirmary. Kacchan's with me. He's helping me get my stuff together so I can go home."

"_I'm sorry."_

"Don't be," Izuku told him. "None of us could have known what would happen. Besides, I think the bad reaction is over now. I feel perfectly fine."

There was a moment of silence before Hitoshi asked, _"Are you coming to school tomorrow?"_

"Of course! I've already missed three days."

Hitoshi's voice softened. _"I'm glad you're doing better. I really didn't mean to hurt you."_

"I know," Izuku said just as softly, then making his voice stronger he ordered, "Get some sleep, and eat something!"

"_I'll try," _Hitoshi agreed.

…

Inko was at the door when Izuku walked through it, looking bashful, eyes bright with intelligence. She held her son tight for almost ten minutes, the apartment door open and guarded by Katsuki. Finally, she convinced herself to let him go and they went inside.

Dinner was ready, all she had to do was serve it, and she did so, trying to still her racing heart. She smiled and listened to the boys talk about their classes, Katsuki filling Izuku in on what he missed. It was so normal and non-threatening, but Inko could not forget.

In the past week, a serial killer had buried Izuku alive and he'd undergone very experimental quirk therapy that made him lose his sanity for two whole days. This on top of the villain attack at the USJ where Katsuki nearly lost his life and had lost his arm. And the Sports Festival where the kids had attacked each other until only one remained standing.

This was the world her son had chosen, and she despised it more than she could ever say.

Of course she respected heroes. Heroes saved human lives and they put themselves in danger in order to do that. People like herself and Izuku would suffer terribly if it weren't for heroes, but she didn't want that person to be her son! Not her Izuku!

She wished she could say this fear was new to her, but she'd spent decades hiding her terror.

Inko would never forget the day they had come for her little brother. She'd been eight; he'd been five. They were playing hide and seek outside. Their mother had called Rai-chan into the house. Inko had crept up to the window and listened as they explained Rai-chan had a rare and powerful quirk, that only they could help him. At first her parents had agreed, but as they explained Rai-chan would live with them, her mother began to protest. There had been a terrible voice. Inko had cowered on the ground, hands slammed over her ears.

When she could move again, she'd crawled around the edge of the house and watched as Rai-chan, tears streaming down his face, clearly terrified, had been guided to a black car and had been forced to climb inside. Inko had run inside, crying and demanding answers, but her mother and father had sat on the couch, staring blindly ahead, deaf to her cries. Inko had curled up into a ball on the living room floor and wept, terrified and alone for the first time in her her life.

When her parents 'woke-up', they'd told her she was being dramatic. That she had imagined the scary voice. They told her that Rai-chan was perfectly fine and needed help they couldn't give him. She had asked every day to speak to Rai-chan on the phone, asked when could they visit, asked how long he was going to be gone, until her father had taken her into the bedroom and had beaten her with a belt until she, screaming in terror and agony, had promised she wouldn't talk about Rai-chan anymore.

She had never forgiven her parents after that and the distance between them had grown with every year that had passed until, with their permission, she had gotten a shitty apartment when she graduated middle school and had gotten a job. She never went to high school, but she had friends and worked hard. She was independent and supported herself, but the shadow of Rai-chan never really left her.

Then she had met _him_. She had never fallen in love before. He was charismatic and kind. He made her feel things she had never imagined, and for two blissful years, her life had been utterly perfect. The shadows had finally faded from her heart and mind. For the first time since she was eight years old, she had been truly at peace.

The day she'd realized she was pregnant had been the happiest in her life - until she had told _him_. His reaction had been angry and then violent when she'd refused to abort. She had never seen him like that. It was like he was a completely different person! He'd even struck her! Pushed her down the stairs! She'd been terrified for her precious baby ever since.

When she'd gotten out of the hospital, she'd broken her lease and moved. She'd changed her number and left all her friends behind, afraid he would use them to find her. She even took on her mother's maiden name. Because she wasn't going to let anyone take her baby away from her! Not _him_, not people in dark suits, not her parents - no one was going to take little Izuku!

She was never completely free from anxiety after that, never completely free from the fear.

Izuku had been so small and soft, his big green eyes so wide and loving. He'd been such a sweet baby. She'd never loved something so much! But even then it had been hard. She hadn't known how she would ever be enough to raise him, provide for him, and protect him all alone. Then when little Izuku had been just four years old his terrible quirk had manifested and it was like Rai-chan's!

Inko did her best, she really had! She'd taught him to keep it secret. She'd registered him as quirkless. She'd worked hard, long hours and loved him as much as she possibly could, but she'd never been able to make him give up on being a hero.

She'd thought for awhile he'd grown out of it, but he'd only learned to keep his dream a secret - one of his many. And why wouldn't he when every time he mentioned his quirk she got upset and told him to be silent, to not talk about it, to tell no one? When every time he tried to tell her about becoming like All Might, she told him that he couldn't?

And so his dream had grown stronger hidden away from her. He'd found people who believed in him, and they had helped him grow strong where she could not see. As beautiful as that was, the strength they had cultivated in her son had put him in terrible danger. Look how much it had hurt him already!

But it was too late. Too late to have a voice, to try and talk her precious boy into a safer life. Izuku had already walked out ahead of her and there was no going back. All she could do was hold on to the little bit of Izuku she had left, hold on until Izuku's choices finally took his life. She was his mother! She would stay by his side until the end! No matter how painful it was to watch; no matter how it broke her heart! Because he was all she had and she loved him more than life itself.

"Mom?" Izuku's bright green eyes stared at her from under green messy waves and half-curls. "You okay?"

She smiled and touched his soft cheek. "I'm just a little tired," she told him. "What did you say?"

"I said Kacchan and I will do the dishes," he answered - bright and alive and happy. "You can go into the living room and rest if you want."

"Thank you, Izuku." She got up and went to the tea pot. "I think I'll have some tea. Would you like a cup?"

"No, thank you," he said, but his attention was already on the dishes in the sink and the boy at his side.

Katsuki's expression was soft and peaceful the way it was only rarely as he answered her son. They stood side-by-side, the connection they shared so clear. There wasn't room for anyone else in that bond. Inko poured hot water in her cup and took it to the living room.

She loved Katsuki and she was truly, deeply grateful that he was with Izuku. She knew without a doubt that he loved her son and would do all he could to protect and take care of him, but Inko couldn't help feeling replaced.

It had been naive, she knew now, but she had thought, deep down, that it would be just her and Izuku forever. That they would stay safe here in this little apartment and live quiet lives until she grew old. They'd have dinners and watch movies on tv and nothing would ever come into their bubble. That's why, even though she hated that Izuku had been bullied for being quirkless, that it had set him apart from his peers, she'd been happy, too.

But that had changed in the summer before Izuku had turned eight. Suddenly Izuku was friends with 'Kacchan'. She'd been worried, but even then Izuku had kept secrets and she hadn't realized how close they were, hadn't realized Kacchan was stealing her precious son's heart from her.

She should have known. She should have realized that her sweet, curious child would never shut himself off from the world. All along, out of her sight, he'd been reaching out and helping others, letting more and more people in. His world was so much more open than hers… and so much more dangerous! In the end, she had been the only one sitting safe in the bubble she had tried to create for them.

"Mom, we're done with the dishes," Izuku called from the doorway. Katsuki lurked behind him in his shadow as always.

She smiled. "Come and sit with me," she said, being selfish, knowing they would rather be together without her around. "Let's watch a movie."

Izuku obeyed happily and sat next to her. He was so much bigger now. He was as tall as her and his arms were well-defined with muscle. He was heavy as he leaned against her, but the weight and warmth of him was a comfort not a burden. She held his hand tightly and leaned her head against his, just breathing in the scent of him. She was going to steal as many moments as she could with her Izuku.

She tried to keep her tears from falling, but it was hard to forget just how little time she had left with her precious boy. "I love you," she whispered for his ears only.

"No matter what," he answered and gently squeezed her hand. His eyes were soft and beautiful and so full of love just as they had been when he was a baby.

"No matter what," she echoed. No matter the fear and pain - the terrible cost. She was his mother. No matter what she would love him until the end.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **Wow, so that got really depressing a lot faster than I expected, but… Some more background on Inko!

Just curious, did anyone figure out how to read Daisuke's messed-up dialogue when he was explaining things to him?


	31. Chapter 31

**A/n: **Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate. In honor of the holiday, the chapter is very family oriented - with the obligated family drama as well.

As the title suggests, there are some pretty tough moments for our boys, but there's also really sweet moments, too!

…

**Highs and Lows**

Izuku arrived early to school on Thursday and was immediately greeted by Hitoshi. Kacchan marched past without acknowledging the purple-haired teen. Izuku sighed, but Hitoshi didn't seem bothered by Kacchan's cold demeanor. In fact, he only had eyes for Izuku.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, reaching up to briefly touch Izuku's cheek. "When you woke up disorientated, I was…"

Izuku was quick to reassure him. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it was frightening seeing me like that, but I'm perfectly fine now. Promise!" He gave him a big smile.

Hitoshi scrutinized him carefully. His soft fluffy hair stood upward in graceful tuffs and he looked as composed as ever, but the circles under his eyes were darker than before. Izuku reached forward to put his hand on Hitoshi's shoulder. He met those searching lavender eyes steadily, hiding nothing.

"Really. I'm fine now. I just had a bit of a bad reaction. There's no permanent damage. I really appreciate you helping me."

Very seriously, Hitoshi answered, "We won't know that I _have_helped until the full moon."

Izuku nodded agreement to that. "But I have a feeling the moon will be different this time around. I'm not so anxious about it anymore, so you've helped already."

Hitoshi looked away, and not for the first time Izuku wondered what that signified.

They were interrupted as their classmates began to arrive. They crowded around and talked over each other excitedly. He did his best to answer all of their questions, and before homeroom was over, he made sure to check on the friends he was worried about.

Hagakure was still trying to figure out ways to be more visible. The face paint idea had been a wash as it turned out her skin was extremely sensitive to chemicals, which was likely quirk related. She'd taken to wearing bows in her hair, so people at least understood where her head was and what direction she was looking, and that had helped. Izuku had suggested a veil of some kind and she was still thinking about it. She was afraid it would get her negative attention. She had never really gotten over the cruel teasing in elementary school when she'd had the bright idea to come to school dripping head to toe in mud.

Another classmate Izuku liked to keep an eye on was Koda. The boy with the head that looked like skin-colored rock - In fact, he looked a little like Kirishima when his quirk was activated - was extremely shy and was secretly anxious about being left out. Izuku had paired him a few times with the reserved Tokoyami during homeroom activities and he'd been rewarded by the two hitting it off. When Izuku checked on him, Koda quietly told him about joining a card game with the other boys and winning a hand, much to the shock and approval of the group. Izuku gave him a big smile, genuinely happy for him.

He found Mineta with Kaminari and Sero. Shoji used to be with them, too, but he had distanced himself from the trio since the Sports Festival. Shoji now spent more time with Ojiro, Tokoyami, and Koda. When Izuku stopped but heir desks, Mineta was polite, but he was still awkward around Izuku, so Kaminari did most of the talking. Of course, Kaminari eventually said something dumb and the conversation descended into name-calling. Jiro butted in at that point, teasing Kaminari, and Izuku left them to their verbal sparring.

Izuku made his way over to Uraraka and Iida next. Iida looked tired, his face a little pale, but he seemed genuinely happy to see him.

"Why didn't you tell us what was happening at the theater?" Uraraka demanded, voice hushed but full of heat.

"I wasn't sure," Izuku defended himself. "I didn't want to worry everyone over nothing."

"You can count on us, Midoriya," Iida told him solemnly. "Even if it had been nothing, we would have been able to support you better. You put yourself at great risk."

Izuku hung his head in shame. "I know. I'm sorry." He lifted his head, eyes hard with determination. "I'm not going to make that mistake again. I was upset and not thinking clearly. Trust me, next time I'll shout it to the rooftops."

Iida clasped his shoulder. "Good," the boy said with a smile.

Uraraka's attention, however, had turned to the front row where Kacchan was talking to Kirishima. "I'm glad you're back," she said, voice low. "Bakugo needs you."

"For what?" Izuku asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Uraraka put her hand on his arm, her brown eyes sympathetic and imploring. "Some of the kids in the other classes have been hassling him a bit. They say he got off too easy for killing that villain. He has a bit of a reputation…"

Iida corrected her understatement, saying clearly, "He's aggressive and violent."

Uraraka ignored his input. "… and they think he could have held back and he didn't. He's been challenged to 'sparring' matches that are meant to put him in his place during lunch and after school every day for the last two days. We've tried to help him, but he gets really mad and lashes out, so we've been mostly trying to stay out of his way."

Izuku stared at her for a long minute before turning his head to look at his boyfriend. Kacchan had definitely left all this out when they'd been talking about all the things Izuku had missed. "I see."

"I disapprove of the students taking it upon themselves to punish others when the justice system has already made a ruling," Iida said staunchly. "I have spoken to the teachers several times, but they said that challenging another student is not against the rules and Bakugo has not come forward to complain about harassment."

Izuku sighed. Of course he hadn't.

The bell rang and Izuku hurried to his seat as their first teacher of the morning entered. He did his best to pay attention, but he found himself staring at the back of Kacchan's head. He knew Kacchan could handle his challengers. In fact, Izuku knew he probably enjoyed the matches - especially if the challenges were issued from older students - but Izuku couldn't help but be worried.

Kacchan didn't care about things like reputation. Things were what they were and people either fell into line or they didn't. Either way, Kacchan wasn't about to let anything stop him from achieving his goals. Unfortunately, the world wasn't as Just as Kacchan was. Things like almost being prosecuted could come up again, and if Kacchan didn't cultivate a positive reputation, he could be treated unfairly.

Other people's opinions didn't matter all the time, but they did matter sometimes. That's where Izuku came in. He was going to make damn sure everyone looked past Kacchan's loud reputation to the truly heroic person underneath it all.

…

Katsuki didn't think much of it when Izuku said he needed to use the restroom on the way to lunch. He was too busy arguing about whether or not his explosions would become useless in the rain.

"I fucking slam my hands into a barrel of water to cool them down when they get overheated, IcyHot! Rain's not going to make much of a difference!"

"But you can't create explosion while your hands are in the water, correct? Your sweat rises to the top and you can't ignite it."

"Rain isn't full submersion!" Katsuki snapped. "And if I'm in my hero costume, this all becomes moot! My gloves are waterproof. They are designed to let the explosion out while letting nothing in."

Todoroki shook his head. "You can't always guarantee you'll be in costume when you need to fight. Fighting in the rain would make your quirk more of a liability."

While they argued, they had grabbed their food trays and made their way to their normal table. Katsuki was so involved in the debate that he hadn't noticed the tables nearest them grow quiet. Someone cleared their throat and he turned around with a sharp, "WHAT?!" If this was another pathetic loser trying to pick a fight…

Katsuki's mouth fell open, his eyes widening in surprise.

Izuku stood in front of him with a small bouquet of red and orange flowers. A blush stained Izu's cheeks as he stared over them at Katsuki with shining, green eyes. His curls fell messily over his forehead and around his ears as he smiled bashfully.

"I wanted to thank you, Kacchan. For saving me from that horrible villain. If you hadn't dug me out of the ground and given me CPR when you did, I would have died. I owe you my life."

Katsuki continued to stare as Izuku bowed in half, arms outstretched and still offering the bright flowers. He was completely frozen. Even as Izuku lifted his head without coming out of the bow and gave him a pleading look, he couldn't move an inch. Todoroki kicked him under the table and he reflexively got to his feet. Izuku remained bowed.

"The hell, Deku?" he asked, voice low. He looked around and saw they had nearly the entire cafeteria's attention. He scowled at them and took the flowers from Izuku's hands.

Izuku straightened, smiling brightly. "I'm sorry for catching you when you were eating, but I didn't want to disrupt class." Earnest and sincere, he added, "Really. Thank you. You were really heroic that night, figuring out where I was and saving me just in time. I'll never be able to repay you."

"Whatever, Deku. It's not a big deal." Katsuki glared bloody murder at the extras standing around gawking. "What the hell are you staring at?" he demanded. "Eat your goddamn food!" Katsuki fell back into his seat and dropped the flowers on the table, glaring suspiciously at Izuku. "What the hell are you waiting for? Sit down."

Izuku took the seat, head ducked shyly. "I never got to thank you properly," he said quietly, still blushing. "I'm sorry if it embarrassed you."

"You didn't embarrass me, nerd," Katsuki snapped and crossed his arms. "I just know you're up to something."

Izuku folded his arms and put his head on the table. He avoided Katsuki's eyes, instead looking at the flowers.

Todoroki broke the awkward silence, offering a neutral, "I've never seen flowers like that before."

Katsuki turned his nova-hot glare onto the bastard sitting across from him. "Did you have anything to do with this?" he hissed.

Todoroki held up his hands. "Midoriya asked me to keep you distracted, but I had no idea what he was planning."

Katsuki huffed and looked down at the bright blooms. Huh. He didn't recognize them, either. He touched one. It was real. He lifted the bouquet and studied the flowers closer. They all looked like the same type of flower and there were at least two dozen of them. They ranged in color from pastel orange to a vibrant crimson and had wide thin petals and a tall, fuzzy piston shooting out of the center.

"Who'd you get to do this?" he asked, knowing it had to be quirk made.

"A second year. She can manipulate plants," Izuku answered quietly. "I asked her to cross an orange rose with a red spider lily."

Katsuki's breath caught as green eyes peered up at him hopefully.

"Don't spider lilies represent death and final goodbyes?" Todoroki asked. He looked completely confused.

Izuku sat up, his eyes never leaving Katsuki's. "But they're beautiful, too."

Katsuki looked down at the flowers again.

Long ago, Izuku had randomly been talking about flowers and had announced that if Katsuki were a flower he'd be a red spider lily. People avoided them because of their scary meaning, but they were so beautiful many people liked them anyway. Secretly touched, Katsuki said Izuku would be a rose then. Everyone loved them, but people sometimes forgot they had sharp thorns.

_"You think I have thorns?"_ten year old Izuku had asked, eyes shinning with hope.

_"Little baby ones,"_Katsuki had retorted with a scowl.

Izuku reached over and touched one of the strange, unique blossoms. "They're even more beautiful when they're combined," he said softly. Blushing, he rose from the table and hurried over to sit with some of their classmates.

Katsuki stared after him.

Todoroki cleared his throat. "So… Are you and Midoriya…?"

Katsuki tore his eyes away to stare at his friend. "We're dating," he admitted, voice level and lacking any anger. "You got a problem with that?"

Todoroki actually blushed. "No. Not really. I was just curious."

Katsuki nodded and finished his food. No one challenged him during lunch. No one challenged him after school, either. When Kirishima asked him what he did with the flowers, Katsuki snapped at him to mind his own damn business. Only Todoroki knew that he'd carried them carefully to Aizawa's office and asked him to put them in water for him.

…

"I can't believe you gave Bakugo thank you flowers!" Kirishima said with a large grin. "Very manly, bro!"

"I'm surprised he didn't blow them up," Sero muttered with wide eyes.

Several heads nodded in agreement at that.

"I think it's romantic," Tsu remarked, blinking her large eyes.

"They are like brothers," Iida protested. "Flowers aren't exclusively romantic."

Izuku just smiled at them and ate a quick lunch.

He was still smiling when he went to Heroics. Class wasn't in a gym this time. Instead, they were put through a grueling two hour session of memorizing hero laws with a one hour test at the end. Izuku's brain was fried by the time the bell rang, but he was confident he'd done well especially considering the three days he'd missed. He found Kacchan waiting for him by the entrance and smiled widely.

The blond didn't say anything, simply turning and walking out, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Izuku changed his shoes quickly and ran to catch up. He fell into step with his boyfriend and talked excitedly about the laws he'd just learned and had never even heard of. It was so interesting!

"You didn't have to do that," Kacchan interrupted when they were a few blocks from school. "I don't care what they think of me."

Izuku frowned and grabbed Kacchan's arm, pulling him to a stop. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Kacchan said, searching his eyes. "You wanted them to stop challenging me because of that villain."

"I didn't do it just because of that," Izuku protested. "If I had, I would have just said thank you and left it at that." He searched Kacchan's eyes for understanding. "You deserve flowers. You saved me, Kacchan. I know I can be reckless, but I don't want to die! I'm really, really glad I'm still here with you. No one else would have come for me the way you did, and I'm really grateful, and I love you."

Kacchan pulled Izuku into a hug. "The flowers were really beautiful," he admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

Izuku felt like a million suns were glowing under his skin in joy. "Yeah? I was worried you might think it was stupid."

"I loved them," Kacchan announced, releasing him from the hug. He shoved his hands into his pockets again and looked away, a blush staining his cheeks.

Izuku threaded his arm through Kacchan's and leaned against him. "I'm glad you liked them. And there's nothing wrong with me wanting other people to know how good you are."

Kacchan scowled. "Everyone knows I'm the best!"

"Yes, but they don't know how _good_you are," Izuku insisted. "And that's okay most of the time. Like you said, their opinions aren't important, but… Sometimes it's good that they know, you know?" Izuku saw that Kacchan didn't agree and he sighed. "Just let me do this sometimes. It means a lot to me."

Kacchan thought about it and Izuku let out a breath of relief when the blond nodded. "Fine. If it makes you happy, I don't care what you do."

Izuku lifted up on his toes to kiss his cheek. "Thanks, Kacchan. And thanks for letting me come with you today."

"Stop thanking me, Deku."

Izuku smiled and stayed silent, but as they neared their old neighborhood, his mood turned dark. He did his best not to let Kacchan see it, but inside he felt things go hard. He wasn't going to let these people hurt Kacchan anymore!

"Did you want me to wait outside?" he asked carefully when they arrived. He wanted to respect Kacchan's wishes, but he really, really didn't want Kacchan to go in alone.

In answer, Kacchan grabbed his hand and they walked up to the front door together. The blond didn't bother to knock, which made Izuku flush momentarily at the impoliteness. Kacchan walked right in and made his way to the living room. The blond let his hand go before they stepped into the room, but Izuku wasn't offended. He could feel his boyfriend's hand growing slick with his explosive sweat.

Masaru was sitting on the couch. He was slightly hunched over, his body language defensive and beaten. Mitsuki was sitting in a wooden armchair that faced the door. She sat stiff, her eyes bright and alert. They locked onto Kacchan as he stepped into the room. Izuku stood at his side, still partially in the doorway. Kacchan crossed his arms, a closed-off look on his face.

"I'm here. What the fuck do you want?" he asked coldly.

Instead of answering, Mitsuki turned her attention to Izuku, her red eyes dark and ringed with circles. Izuku met her stare fearlessly, hoping she could see just how angry he was. "I saw the test," she said, her haunted eyes shifting back to Kacchan.

"Good for you," Kacchan answered, sounding almost bored.

Mitsuki continued as if he hadn't spoken. "When I called the test a fake, your teacher explained in great detail how your quirk would be impossible if you were that bastard's child. He also told me that the bastard who attacked me has a genetic heart condition and that you would have it too and you don't."

"Mitsuki," Masaru said, voice low and upset. He got to his feet and turned to face his wife. "What is the point of this? He's _our_son. He's _always_been our son. You were traumatized and saw monsters where there weren't any. You can't keep hurting everyone around you because of what happened fifteen years ago. You need help, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki sprang to her feet. "Just shut the fuck up and listen, worm," she said with utter disgust. "This is between me and Katsuki."

Masaru looked gutted. He folded his arms over his stomach and looked at the floor.

"Maybe you aren't that bastard's kid," she continued as she turned hateful eyes onto Katsuki. "I don't know, but I do know that for whatever reason you came out wrong. I'm your mother and I would know. You're a violent, twisted thing. You disgust me, and I should have fucking aborted you when I had a chance."

Izuku sucked in air. His whole body tensed and One For All surged in his veins, causing light to briefly snake over his body. Kacchan didn't notice, too caught up in his mother's ugly words.

"I can't live with the guilt a minute longer knowing it was me who brought you into this world," she hissed, voice low, eyes shining with insanity.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Mitsuki pulled out a metal switchblade from her back pocket. She never once looked away from Kacchan as the blade snicked open with practiced ease. Without hesitation, she stabbed the weapon up toward her exposed throat.

Kacchan lunged forward, his hand outstretched, but he was moving too slowly! He'd never make it in time!

Masaru looked on, eyes huge behind his glasses, his mouth open in a scream.

There was no thinking. No plan. Izuku simply _moved_.

One For All had already been surging through his body. He shot forward faster than he'd ever moved before, leaving behind a hole in the floor where he'd stood, the wood splintering loudly from the force. Just as the tip of the blade touched the vile woman's throat, his fingers closed around it, and then he was past. He ran up the wall behind her and flipped backward to absorb some of his momentum. Dropping into a crouch, he kicked out, sweeping her legs out from under her. She fell with a shocked cry and then Izuku was sitting on her chest, still holding the knife by the blade. His blood slid down the silver metal and dripped onto her chest.

"You are _not_going to kill yourself in front of him, you lying piece of shit," Izuku snarled, furious beyond comprehension. He leaned in close until he could see himself in her wide, terrified eyes. "And be honest for once in your miserable life, you bitch! You're not killing yourself because he taints the world! You're killing yourself because you can't face the fact that the evil in the world is YOU! He's never been what you hated, and I think you knew that, _didn't you?!_You knew that, but if you stopped hurting him, you'd have to look in the goddamn mirror, and you're TOO WEAK to face the truth! You, Mitsuki Bakugo, are a child abuser! YOU are the _monster_and have been all along!"

She burst into tears as strong hands pulled him off her. Kacchan had him by the arm and was pulling him back toward the doorway. Izuku was shaking with rage, and he was horrified to see his love was crying. Izuku's heart twisted in his chest and he felt answering tears fall down his face as Kacchan gently took the knife from his bleeding hand.

"You're a hero," Izuku rasped, desperate to stop his love's tears. "She's wrong about you. She's always been wrong about you."

Kacchan used the knife to cut off a strip of his t-shirt and wrapped the cloth tightly around Izuku's bleeding hand. "Thank you." He stared into Izuku's eyes, silent tears running down his cheeks. "I wouldn't have made it in time."

"I didn't do it to save her," Izuku snapped, angry and upset.

"I know," Kacchan said softly. He lifted Izuku's bloody hand to his lips and kissed it. His eyes burned into Izuku. "You did it to save me."

Izuku flung his arms around Kacchan's neck. "I love you, Kacchan," he said fiercely. "I love you so much!"

Kacchan held him just as tightly and they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms until the police arrived.

…

The police took Mitsuki into custody and they were separated for questioning. As soon as Katsuki let go of Izuku, a numbness seemed to blanket his senses. He was exhausted. He dully answered the officers' questions, not caring about the accusation and suspicion in their eyes.

Finally, after almost an hour, Katsuki was brought to the living room. Izuku immediately rushed to his side and took his hand. Masaru looked relieved to see him, but he remained sitting on the couch. The old man looked up at the officer, conviction in his eyes. With surprising strength, he declared he wanted Mitsuki transported to the mental hospital. The officer nodded and spoke into his radio as he left the room.

Masaru stood and grabbed his coat from the arm of the couch. "I don't want you to worry about this any longer," he said, speaking to Katsuki but avoiding his son's eyes. "I'm going to take care of it. You just focus on your studies and on becoming the number one hero." He waited for a response, but Katsuki simply stared. Nodding, Masaru slipped past him and headed toward the front of the house.

"Where are you going?" Katsuki heard himself ask. Izuku stood at his back, and it gave him strength to know he was so close.

"The hospital. I'm sure there will be paperwork…" Masaru hesitated and finally looked up. "Once she's committed, her parental rights will be suspended. Tell your teacher he will soon have sole custody." Then he turned and left, shutting the door softly behind him.

Izuku's arms wrapped around him from behind and Katsuki closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to lean back into Izuku's quiet strength. A sudden knock on the door made him jump and tense. Aizawa stood on the doorstep. He looked frantic.

"Are you alright?" he demanded.

Katsuki ran a hand roughly through his hair, trying to find strength for this conversation but coming up empty. "Yeah. Just peachy," he muttered tiredly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?" he demanded.

Katsuki glared, tensing up. "Because I didn't want to," he said, voice low. A hot pulse beat in his temple. The numb edges cocooning his mind began to unravel. The anger that was never too far away stirred.

Looking between them, Izuku's arm tightened around Katsuki's waist, the smaller teen pressed against his side. "Maybe we should talk later. We've had a long night," he interposed carefully, trying to defuse the sudden tension.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't have contact with your parents without informing me," Aizawa insisted, ignoring Izuku.

Anger, hot and pulsing, erupted from Katsuki's core. "I don't know what you're thinking, Aizawa-sensei, but arranging to have my parental rights turned over to you changes nothing between us. You're my _teacher_, and I'm grateful for all the help, but I don't need your fucking permission to make decisions on my own. So back the fuck off!"

Aizawa's expression went perfectly neutral. Katsuki stared him down, ignoring the tension he could feel coming off Izuku. Aizawa broke the stare first. He took a few breaths and then calmly offered to give them a ride.

"I'm going to Izuku's. We'll walk," Katsuki answered stiffly. He hated how hard his heart was beating. He didn't fucking care if the bastard's feelings were hurt or not!

Aizawa nodded. "Please text me if you need anything," was all he said, turning and disappearing into the darkness.

Katsuki stood stiffly, giving Aizawa time to leave. Exhaustion rolled over him, washing the anger out of him once more. Pulling the door to his old house shut, he made his way down the walkway to the sidewalk. He could just make out Aizawa's car pulling around the corner of the street.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Katsuki turned the other away. Izuku walked silently at his side. The night was warm, the sky clear and full of bright stars. When they turned the corner onto Izuku's street, Katsuki felt Izuku's hand slip into his own and he held it tightly.

Inko opened the door to the apartment, a frown on her face. "Izuku, you're late!" But she trailed off when she saw their faces.

Izuku tried to tell the story for him, to spare him, but Katsuki cut him off. For what felt like the hundredth time that night, Katsuki dully explained what happened. Inko was horrified and immediately grabbed Izuku's wrist to examine his cloth-wrapped hand. Katsuki shut the apartment door and followed the two Midoriyas into the kitchen. Inko administered first aid: cleaning the cut, putting healing ointment on it, and actual bandages. The bloodied strip of Katsuki's shirt was thrown in the garbage. Katsuki watched all of this silently from the doorway.

Finished with Izuku, Inko turned and crossed the distance to him. She pulled Katuski into a warm, soft hug. Katsuki remained tense in her arms and she let him go with a look of sadness in her eyes. Izuku stood at Katsuki's other side, holding his hand tightly. Suddenly, he felt smothered. He pulled away from them and took a step back.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Dinner…" Inko started, eyes wide and teary.

"I'm not hungry," he said as politely as he could before hurrying away to the bathroom. He shut and locked the door behind him.

Robotically, he stripped out of his clothes and let them fall carelessly to the floor. He put the water just a smudge hotter than he could stand, enjoying the sting and burn as it pelted down on his head and shoulders. He leaned against the tile, hanging his head, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

Hands pressed into his back, warm and strong. They glided along his skin, slick with soap. Strong thumbs dug into the tension of his lower back, slowly working up to his shoulders, kneading out the every knot they found. Soon Katsuki was breathing easy, his eyes falling closed. His body arched into Izuku's touch, unconsciously looking for even more contact.

When the hands slid up to his neck, he let out a soft moan of pleasure. The headache he didn't even know he had began to dissipate. The pressure was just right. Katsuki practically purred, drool collecting at the corners of his lips. Soft kisses fell on his shoulder blades, making Katsuki shiver and melt. He'd never felt so pampered, so cared for. Izuku's strong hand stroked over his side and hip, calming him when his heart began to race. With a sigh, Katsuki relaxed into the moment, letting his eyes close. Izuku's other hand continued to press and squeeze at his neck and the base of his skull. It almost put Katsuki to sleep.

In an almost doze, he felt the hands gently tug his head and shoulders out of the spray, turning him to lean against the side of the shower. The water still hit his lower back, suffusing him in warmth. Katsuki kept his eyes closed and waited. The hands returned. This time they sank into his hair, rubbing and scratching luxuriously at his scalp. The scent of vanilla shampoo hung in the steam around them, overwhelming his senses. Blind, Katsuki turned and wrapped a wet arm around Izuku's waist. He bent forward, curling into Izuku's body, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. Izuku didn't resist. He opened to Katsuki's body and continued to gently massage Katsuki's scalp. Izuku hummed lowly, the sound soothing Katsuki even further. Inexplicably tears began to burn his eyes.

Izuku gently pushed him upright and tilted Katsuki's head back to rinse his hair. Katsuki opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, completely exposed and vulnerable. Tears burned his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, blending with the shower water. Izuku's lips touched the hollow of Katsuki's throat. A trail of soft kisses to his chin. Then Izuku's hands guided Katsuki's face down so they were facing each other for the first time since Izuku had joined him. Katsuki's eyes were caught by deep, crystalline green. No pity or sympathy was found in them, only a soul-deep recognition from a lifetime spent together.

Izuku kissed him tenderly and it was as if his kiss was a key, unlocking everything Katsuki kept hidden. Katsuki shuddered, every barrier fall away. It all rushed up and out of him in huge sobs - the gratitude and guilt - the terrible grief - the anger that always existed in his core, for now low and banked - his love for Izuku, uncompromising and unconditional - the terror of Izuku's mind being broken and lost to him forever - everything just spilled out of him.

He sank to his knees, curling forward as loud sobs wracked his body. Izuku sank with him, kneeling in the shower, never leaving his side. His strong hand held the back of his neck, pulling Katsuki forward until their foreheads rested together. Izuku was there with him through the storm of emotion. As Katsuki's body shook and his chest heaved and he gasped for breath. As Katsuki gritted his teeth, groans and gasps and bitting of screams tearing out his mouth from deep inside him. Izuku stayed strong, holding him steady, becoming Katsuki's shelter.

When the storm began to subside and his body was his again, Katsuki looked through his tears to see answering tears streaking Izu's cheeks, but he wasn't crying. He wasn't judging or blaming or letting his own feelings distract from Katsuki's. He wasn't trying to control it or stop it. He simply held Katsuki, listening and waiting. He was with him. Slowly, the sobs stopped and Katsuki's tears ran dry. The grief and guilt, the anger, it all flowed away, and he was left with love.

As Izuku stroked his face and kissed his raw cheeks, Katsuki was nearly crushed by the feeling. It went beyond infatuation or physical desire or attraction. It was a love that was as real and as powerful as the gravity rooting him to the earth. It was a love that striped Katsuki bare, but held him together all at once. He held tight to Izuku's arms, his hands shaking.

He could feel Izuku's breath on his own lips, felt their hearts beat together, and realized just how deeply their love bound them together. He realized for the first time just how large it was, how far reaching. It made him feel humbled in a way he'd never felt before. The sound of the water and smell of vanilla created a cocoon where only they existed. With shaking hands, he cradled Izuku's face and kissed him softly, reverently. He kissed Izu again and again until his heart calmed and his heart no longer felt like it was going to burst. Pulling back, he stared into Izuku's eyes, resting their foreheads once more together.

"I can never be lost," he rasped hoarsely, his heart in his throat. "I can never be homeless or alone or broken. Not as long as you exist."

Izuku's eyes shimmered with adoration. Feathering his fingers over Katsuki's lips, he echoed Katsuki's words, meaning them with all his heart. "I can never be lost… I can never be homeless… Or alone… Or broken… Not as long as you exist, Kacchan."

Katsuki gasped softly and folded forward into Izuku's arms. Izuku held him tightly, rocking him and laying gentle kisses on his wet hair. Katsuki pressed his face against Izuku's throat and knew without a doubt that Izuku had him. That they had each other.

Time passed. Katsuki didn't know how much. He was pliant as Izuku gently maneuvered him out of the shower and dried him off. Still smiling softly, eyes shining with love, Izuku guided him to the bedroom and into pajamas. Izuku changed as well and they wrapped around each other, arms and legs intwined. The slept, faces inches apart, and stared into each others eyes until the sound of their breathing, slow and eternal, carried them down into a deep, restful sleep.

…

Izuku woke first. He opened his eyes and Kacchan's face came into focus. It was completely soft and lax as it was only when the blond was sleeping. Lovingly, Izuku traced the curve of Kacchan's cheek and bottom lip before leaning forward the two inches to lay a barely there kiss on Kacchan's lips. Just as carefully, he tugged his arms and legs free and slipped out the bottom of the bed, hoping Kacchan would sleep a little more. He certainly needed it after the day he'd had yesterday.

Izuku found his mom puttering around the kitchen. He gave her a smile and kissed her cheek. "Good morning."

"How's Katsuki-kun?" she asked, worried.

"He's going to be fine," Izuku promised with a smile. After all, he wouldn't let Kacchan be anything else. "What's for breakfast?" he asked lightly, turning to the fridge and pouring some juice. "I'm starving."

Inko laughed and hugged him. "Oh, Izuku." She let him go and pushed him away from the fridge. "Let me work."

Izuku obediently moved away and set out dishes and silverware. They talked about Inko's work and about Izuku and Kacchan's internship that would start on Monday. Half an hour later, breakfast was ready and Kacchan shuffled into the room with his hair as ruffled as an owl's feathers. Izuku grinned and kissed the blond's cheek. He couldn't help it. Kacchan batted him away halfheartedly.

"Thank you for breakfast, Inko. Sorry about last night," he said softly, blushing. He didn't apologize often.

"It's no trouble at all, dear," Inko assured him with a genuine smile. "Think nothing of it!" She washed her hands and gave them a mock stern look. "I'm off to work. I trust you boys will clean up before you go."

"Yes, Mom," Izuku answered obediently. "We've got it."

Inko nodded and pressed a kiss to Kacchan's forehead before sweeping out of the room.

They ate quickly, did the dishes, and got dressed. They'd slept in a bit, so they had to run to the station in order to catch the train. It felt good, though. Izuku dodged Kacchan's cheap tricks this time and laughed as he leapt a bench that Kacchan tried to run him into and got ahead. He did a victory dance when he passed through the archway of the station first.

Kacchan scowled, completely unbothered by the disapproving stares of the commuters around them. "What the hell do you want, Deku?" he grumbled, hands shoved into his pockets. He was breathing fast from the sprint and pink flushed his cheeks from the exercise.

Izuku tapped his lips in thought, keeping pace with Kacchan as they made their way to the correct train. "I know!" They stepped onto the train just as the metal doors whisked shut. They grabbed onto the same pole and Izuku leaned over, rising on tip-toe, to whisper in Kacchan's ear.

Red eyes widened and Izuku giggled at the shocked look on his boyfriend's face. "I won fair and square," he reminded, grinning.

Kacchan scowled. "Whatever, Deku. I'm going to remember this the next time I win."

Izuku shrugged.

School was normal. No one knew about Kacchan's horrifying experience the night before, although Izuku suspected Kacchan had said something to Todoroki. The teen was sticking usually close to Kacchan's side. Kacchan was nowhere to be seen for lunch, but Izuku had expected that considering his request. Izuku sat with Uraraka, Iida, Kirishima, and Hitoshi instead. The rest of the class sat at nearby tables, and talk was loud and excited, the conversations focused on the internships that started in two days.

After lunch, Heroics was especially brutal. Aizawa brought them to an obstacle course and even working together, it was extremely difficult. They ran through it three times. By the end, they were collapsed on the ground, breathless and filthy. Even Kacchan.

Hitoshi hadn't made it through the last run, through, and had collapsed after the second, so he brought everyone water bottles and towels to wipe at their faces. He blushing faintly at the heartfelt gratitude he received from most of the class, making Izuku smile.

"Before you extras leave…" Kacchan suddenly spoke up. He was sitting against the wall, one knee bent close to his chest, his arm resting on top of it. "Come to gym 1-A."

Several of their classmates groaned loudly.

"Why would we?" Sero asked, horrified.

"I can't move, Bakugo," Kaminari groaned.

"I think we've trained enough," Ojiro voiced, pain in his voice as he carefully examined his tail. Bruises were already forming.

"It's not for fucking training," Kacchan told them, rolling his eyes.

Izuku hid a smile behind a hand. He couldn't wait to see what Kacchan had put together. "Now I'm curious," he said with a wide smile, pretending like he had no idea what the blond could be up to. "I'll go."

Kirishima gave him a curious look, but Izuku merely stared back. He didn't want to ruin the surprise. The redhead sighed, but said, "I'm in."

"Me, too," Todoroki spoke up.

Hitoshi shrugged, uncaring. "I'll go."

Uraraka looked suspicious. "… Alright," she said slowly, her eyes on Izuku.

Eventually peer pressure had them all agreeing. All except for Iida.

Izuku ran up to the taller boy and grabbed his arm. "Iida, wait. I felt bad for messing up our first get together as a class, so Kacchan thought we could do something together before we leave for the weekend," he explained quietly, so no one overheard. "Why don't you join us?"

"I have to get home," Iida denied. "Thank you for the invitation." He bowed and turned to leave, but Izuku grabbed his arm.

"Are you going to see your brother? Is he still in the hospital?" Izuku asked, concerned. "How's he doing?"

Iida frowned. "It's personal, Midoriya. I don't feel comfortable talking about it."

Izuku blinked in surprise. His hand flew off Iida's arm as if burned. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry. I just care about you and I care about him. He's an amazing hero."

Something painful shifted across Iida's face. "Yes. He was."

Izuku's heart twisted in his chest. "Was?" His face went pale. "Did he…?"

"No." Iida tilted his head, the light reflected off his glasses and hid his eyes from view. "No. He lives, but he is paralyzed from the chest down. He has retired from hero work."

"I'm so sorry," Izuku said softly and reached for Iida again. "But thank god he's alive. He can still teach others and help people. He's still here for you."

Iida ripped his arm away, a terrible rage filled his face, his eyes practically glowing. "Do not speak of what you do not understand, Midoriya." He turned and marched away.

"Iida!" Izuku hadn't meant to upset him! Hadn't meant to say the wrong thing! He felt desperate and sick as the distance between them grew, but he knew chasing after him now would only make things worse.

"Izuku?" Hitoshi appeared at his side.

Izuku turned wet eyes to his friend. "Hey. Sorry." He wiped at his eyes. "I'm just so worried about Iida, and I said something wrong and upset him."

Hitoshi stared in the direction the other teen had stormed off in. "Sometimes there is no right thing to say."

Izuku shook his head. "I don't believe that." Then, straightening his shoulders, he found a smile. "Let's go see what Kacchan cooked up."

They made their way together to gym 1-A. Izuku laughed in delight as soon as he saw it. The lights were off, but Kacchan had found laser lights and a disco ball, making the room look like a rave. A sound system had the most current music playing. A snack table had treats and a punch bowl. It was like a middle-school dance. Jiro had taken possession of the sound system and was DJ-ing. Most of the girls were dancing, along with Kaminari, Shoji, and Sero. The rest of the boys were playing darts and laughing.

Kirishima flung his arm around Izuku's shoulders. "Thanks, Midoriya. This is just what we needed."

"It wasn't my idea," Izuku protested.

"Sure, it wasn't, Prez." The redhead shook his head with a laugh and grabbed his hand. "Let's dance!"

Izuku allowed himself to be pulled toward where their friends were dancing, but he snagged Hitoshi's hand, pulling him with. Soon they were in the middle of the group, jumping around like crazy to a punk rock beat.

Over the course of the next few hours, Izuku learned how to break dance from Kaminari and salsa from Ashido. Kacchan got pulled in when Kaminari challenged him to a dance battle and everyone roared cheers as Kacchan showed them that he really was the best at everything. He did spins and back flips, hips and feet moving in perfect time with the rhythm of the music. He was beautiful! Red faced, Izuku hoped no one noticed why he had abruptly excused himself, suddenly desperate for some punch.

They partied until the sun set. Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Shinso, and Todoroki stayed behind to help clean up. With all of them, it didn't take them long. Smiling and jostling each other, they made their way out of the gym only to find Aizawa leaning against the wall, waiting for them.

"Midoriya, Bakugo. A word please."

Izuku waved goodbye to his friends and jogged to catch up to Kacchan and their teacher. He watched their backs, frowning at the tension he saw there. They hadn't made up yet.

Aizawa led them to his private office. All Might was there in his deflated form sitting on the couch. Aziawa sat on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. Kacchan leaned against the wall while Izuku sat with All Might. As he sat, Izuku shared a look with Kacchan, already knowing what this was about.

"How are you?" All Might asked, neon blue eyes sincere and concerned as they studied Izuku's face. "Any ill effects from the brainwashing?"

"No. I feel fine," Izuku assured him. "I would have texted you if I felt anything off."

All Might smiled. "I'm very glad to hear that." He took a deep breath and dove right in. "We called you here to discuss the moon. Do you have plans for the full moon this Sunday?"

"I'm not sure, but I was out of it all the next day last time." Izuku looked up at All Might, concerned. "Will Gran Torino be angry if I'm late on Monday? I don't want to miss the morning train, but I might have to catch a later one. Or even the next day, possibly."

"I'll call and make an excuse," All Might assured him. "He'll be fine."

"Thanks." Relaxing, Izuku looked to Kacchan. "I would like you to be with me Sunday night. It helps to sense you nearby. You ground me, but I don't want you to miss the train to your internship, okay? My mom or someone can look after me at that point. I'll be upset if you're late to Endeavor's agency because of me. He's not an easy hero to work with as it is, and I'd worry about Todoroki." He didn't elaborate on that, knowing Todoroki wouldn't appreciate him letting their teachers know about his personal issues, but he knew Kacchan would understand his meaning.

Kacchan didn't look happy with that, but he nodded his head. "Fine."

Aizawa cut in, expression perfectly neutral. "I'd like it for you to spend the night here on campus. There are some guest rooms near the Infirmary. We don't know what effect if any the brainwashing will have on you and I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Izuku flushed. "I don't mind, but…"

"It's private," Kacchan said, explaining for him. "We need to be alone. I'll summon you if there's a problem. I'm the only one who would really know if something was wrong, anyway."

The two heroes shared a look, clearly not liking that, but they nodded, accepting it.

"I will call your mother and explain things," Aizawa offered, straightening and moving around to the phone.

"The moon rises at one-thirteen am and sets at nine-fifty am," All Might told them.

"We know," Izuku said softly. "The visions always start at moonrise, but they end when the last vision ends. Usually hours before the moon actually sets."

All Might straightened. "When should we expect you?"

"I'll probably go to Kacchan's after lunch?" Izuku said, voice rising in uncertainty. "Mom has work the next day and I don't want to tire her out. We can make our way here after dinner."

Aizawa nodded his acceptance of this even as he spoke to Inko over the phone, explaining the plan. He got to the part about Izuku coming to his house after lunch and had to stop, listening. He agreed and wished her a good night, hanging up. "She will bring you to the school after dinner. She wants to be nearby in case anything goes wrong."

Izuku sighed regretfully. He hated that he worried her so much, but he had promised to listen to her more and let her in, so he couldn't say anything about it.

All Might put his hand on his shoulder, smiling his iconic smile even if it was in his deflated form. "It will be alright, young Midoriya. We'll get through this together!"

Izuku smiled and nodded, eyes falling on Kacchan. Kacchan met his gaze and with that single look Izuku knew his love was in this to the end, that he wasn't alone and never would be. "Yeah," Izuku agreed. "Together."

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:**So… Hope you liked it! ;p

Next chapter promises to be exciting! *cracks knuckles* There might be a delay in updating, but I promise to make it worth your while.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/n:** So, long chapter ahead! I can't wait to hear what you think about it. I've been working on it all week.

**WARNING:** Izuku's visions are violent **\- domestic violence - child abuse - rape - suicide - murder - torture - **Just so you know.

…

**Fighting Back in the Future**

Katsuki leaned against the window, arms crossed. He was quiet, eyes fixed on the school gate.

"What are you thinking?"

Katsuki's eyes shifted to the man standing across from him. He was in all black except for the bulky scarf wrapped around his shoulders and neck. Lean and tall, his long shaggy hair hung around his face, obscuring the long, thick scar that ran under his right eye. Katsuki looked away. Aizawa inspired a conflicted tangle of emotion, a complication he really didn't need right now.

"Katsuki…" Aizawa said softly.

Katsuki's calm demeanor rippled into a scowl. "What?"

"Talk to me."

This man had taken him in when his parents had kicked him out. He'd been decent about it, undemanding and giving him a lot of space, but he had also gone behind Katsuki's back to confront his parents about his real parentage, which had sent his mother that final inch over the deep end, and had pushed Masaru into handing over his parental rights.

He was also the man who had fought nearly to the death to protect them at the USJ, and the man who had pulled him off that fucking braindead asshole when Izuku had laid catatonic after the brainwashing had completed. Katsuki had been ready to kill the bastard in his rage, but Aizawa had stopped him. On top of all that, he still wasn't sure how he felt about Aizawa slipping him that sedative after Izuku woke up raving like an insane toddler, knocking himself senseless by running into a cluttered closet. Katsuki absolutely had _not_ been having a panic attack! He'd been pissed, that's all!

"This won't work if you don't tell me what you're thinking," Aizawa said matter-of-factly.

Katsuki wasn't petty enough to say it wasn't going to work either way, but he thought it. Instead he said as calmly as he could, "There's nothing to say."

Aizawa didn't press, didn't beg, or get angry. He simply sighed and fell silent, waiting with him. Katsuki glared at the school gate. What was taking the nerd so damn long? The sun was setting, casting the gate in shadow, the sky above turning a vivid red-orange.

"I fucking hate it." His hands fisted at his sides. He hadn't realized he was going to talk until he did.

"Which part?" came Aizawa's wry response.

Katsuki snorted, humor flashing through him, but it drained away as fast as it had come. "Leaving him tomorrow. He's always so…" He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.

"Is there anything I can do for him that will help?"

Katsuki looked over, eyes drawn to his teacher at the seriousness of his tone. Aizawa met his eyes evenly. Izuku was vulnerable after the moon, and Kastuki hated with a passion leaving him, but it's what Izuku had asked for, and he couldn't say no. Fuck!

"He'll want to write down his visions and sketch what he's seen," Katsuki began reluctantly, glaring at his teacher. "It helps him compartmentalize… He needs to be with someone who he trusts will protect him. He won't be able to sleep unless someone is right with him." He gritted his teeth, hating that it wouldn't be him. "Probably All Might." He hesitated, cheeks flushing an angry red, but then he admitted, "He might ask for his arms and torso to be bound. It grounds him in his own body."

Aizawa stared at him for a long second, brows beetled in thought or maybe surprise, before finally giving a nod. "I'll see to it."

If Katsuki wasn't in control, he would have punched the window… or Aizawa.

Motion out of the corner of his eye drew his attention back to the window. Izuku and his mom had arrived. Izuku had a duffle bag and his faded yellow backpack. Inko had her purse and a big satchel she wore across her body. She was holding Izuku's arm tightly, her expression tense with worry.

Izuku was smiling and talking, but Katsuki could see the strain of having to reassure her when he was feeling anxious himself. Katsuki cared about Inko. She was Izu's mom and had been good to him over the years, but Izuku didn't need her anxiety right now. He pushed off the wall, hands shoved in his hoodie pockets as he strode out to meet them.

"… fell right over there on my way home. Uraraka saved me. She used her null gravity quirk to make me float," Izuku was telling her, tone light.

"Hey, nerd. About time," he said as he closed the distance. He took the duffel off Izuku's shoulder and put it over his own. He gave Inko a polite smile. "Welcome to UA."

She gave him a wavering smile in return, saying nothing.

"Did you guys eat?" Katsuki asked.

"Yeah. Mom cooked," Izuku answered and gave his mother an attentive look. "You're not hungry, are you, mom? The cafeteria here is amazing."

"No," she answered tensely, her grip on Izuku tightening. "I'm fine, honey."

Izuku gave Katsuki a desperate look.

"Aizawa is waiting for us," Katsuki said casually as they pushed through the doors into the school. He caught his teacher's eyes. "He has things to discuss with you, Inko."

Aizawa didn't even bat an eye. He began talking about Recovery Girl and monitoring devices and All Might. Katsuki smoothly slipped between Inko and Izuku. When she turned wide eyes his way, he gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her arm.

"I'm going to help Izuku put his things away in the guest room by the infirmary. Aizawa will bring you after showing you a few things." He didn't wait for an answer, striding away with Izuku's hand caught in his. Izuku called a bright "See you in a few minutes, mom!" as he followed behind.

"Thank you," Izuku said quietly once they climbed the stairs, leaving Aizawa and Inko behind. His cheerful mask crumbled, leaving a pale, anxious face revealed underneath. His dark freckles stood out starkly on his round cheeks, and without the fake smile, the circles under his eyes were darker and more noticeable. He looked tired. "She's so worried. She kept forgetting things and we had to go back to the apartment twice." He ran a hand roughly through his hair.

Katsuki stopped and turned to face him. He held Izuku's face in his hands and ran his thumbs across Izuku's cheeks. "She's worried, but she'll be okay," he said softly.

Izuku released a slow breath. Some tension drained from his shoulders. "Yeah, okay."

Katsuki laid a gentle kiss to his lips then continued down the hallway, holding Izuku's hand tightly. He turned the corner and immediately scowled. The fucking braindead idiot was leaning against the wall across from the guest room. Izuku's hand tightened around Katsuki's as he pulled on his mask once more.

"Hitoshi! How are you?" he asked as they came up to the other teen.

Katsuki wanted to tell the bastard to get lost, but that would only upset Izuku more.

"I'm fine. How are you?" the teen asked, worry shading his usually blank expression.

Izuku gave him a bright smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It's not my first full moon."

_No, it's your third, _Katsuki thought in his head. _And each has been worse than the last. _He really fucking hoped the brainwashing worked.

"I'll text you tomororw. It's going to be fine, Hitoshi." Izuku let go of Katsuki's hand to give the other teen a hug. "Thanks for coming."

Katsuki caught Braindead's eyes over Izuku's shoulder and gave him a dark look, teeth bared. He wanted it clear that only Izuku was happy to see him. For Katsuki's part, the bastard wasn't welcome.

"I'll text you tomorrow, okay?" Izuku said, stepping back and retaking Katsuki's hand. Katsuki had smoothed his expression over before Izuku could see it.

"Tomorrow," Braindead agreed, voice even.

Katsuki opened the guest room door and pulled Izuku in after him.

The room was small, but nice. It had a window that looked out over the grounds. A double bed with a tan comforter. The walls were a soft white, the floor a neutral cream. A painting of the ocean hung on the wall, but it was the nightstand that held Izuku's attention. On it was a vase of flowers. Orange and red flowers. Teary eyed, Izuku looked over at him.

"Aizawa gave me some stuff to put in the water," Katsuki explained casually. "It will keep them fresh longer."

Izuku flung his arms around him in a tight hug. Katsuki held him back. He could feel the slight tremors running through Izuku's body. He was afraid. Katsuki took a silent, deep breath, grounding himself. Izuku needed him to be solid.

He held Izuku until the tremors stilled and Izuku had relaxed against him. A knock came on the door and Izuku tensed again. Katsuki pulled away and went to the door. Inko stood on the other side, eyes wide and anxious. He let her in so she could see the room. Aizawa and All Might in his muscled form were with her, but they stayed in the hallway.

"See? It's nice. How's your room?" Izuku was asking his mother, smiling brightly. He wrapped one arm around her in a half hug, comforting her.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, turning and wrapping Izuku in her arms.

Katsuki kept a glare from his face, but he was growing impatient. What did she fucking want from them? It was too late to go to a remote location. They were committed to this course.

"I'm fine, mom, really. This time will be better," he assured her confidently. He pulled away and held her hands in his, looking into her eyes. "I've got this." He flashed a heroic grin.

She held tight to his hands, tears escaping her eyes to roll down her cheeks. "Are you sure you don't want me here with you?"

Izuku looked over at Katsuki. "Kacchan's with me, mom. I'm going to be fine. He knows what to do."

Inko pulled her hands free and hugged him one more time. "I'll be just down the hall. If you need anything…"

"I'll send Kacchan," he promised.

Inko turned to him. Katsuki held her eyes and gave her a reassuring smile and nod. She gave him a hug. It was too tight and too warm, but he hugged her back. As the hug came to an end, he guided her to the door with an arm around her shoulders.

"I'll text you," he said, giving her his own promise.

"Come, Ms. Midoriya," All Might said with a heroic smile. "I'll show you the infirmary and introduce you to Recovery Girl."

She cast one last anxious look at Katsuki. She tried to see past him, but he filled the doorway.

Aizawa pushed off the wall and gave Katsuki a nod of acknowledgment. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I will," Katsuki told him before pulling the door shut, relishing the click as he locked it. He knew Aizawa had a key and could have it open in a blink, but it still felt good.

He turned to find Izuku sitting on the edge of the bed. He was staring at the flowers. His hands were clenched tightly together in his lap. He looked miserable. Katsuki strode across the room and sank his hand into Izuku's messy green waves. In response, Izuku pressed his forehead to Katsuki's hip.

"It's just us, Izu," Katsuki told him softly.

Izuku gave a tiny nod. "Time?" he asked, voice small.

Katsuki pulled his phone from his pocket and checked. "Hour twenty."

Izuku tensed.

Determined, Katsuki stepped back and pulled off his hoodie, kicking off his shoes. "Stand up," he ordered firmly.

Blinking teary eyes, Izuku stood.

Katsuki opened the duffle and pulled out the t-shirt and thin sweatpants that sat on top. He handed them up to Izuku. "Change." Standing, Katsuki crossed his arms as he watched Izuku obey. The boy's movement were stiff, his shoulders tight.

Once he was changed, Katsuki gave a satisfied nod. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and put on the sound of waves. Izuku took a deep breath, visibly settling into his skin. "Ready?" Katsuki asked seriously.

Izuku took another breath and nodded. "Ready."

They moved together in perfect synchronization through All Might's yoga routine. They'd done it hundreds of times by now. Facing each other, they acted as each other's mirror as they flowed from one position to the next. Their bodies became warm, their muscles stretched and loosened. By the end, Izuku was relaxed, his expression peaceful.

Katsuki moved toward the duffle. He reached inside. At the very bottom, he felt the ropes. He pulled them out. Crouched over the bag, he looked up at Izuku. "Trust me?" he asked softly.

Izuku nodded, but then he remembered Katsuki wanted him to answer verbally. "Yes," he said easily.

Katsuki gave him a warm smile. "Good. I'm going to try something different this time." Izuku wasn't the only one who could do research. He stood and gave his first order. "Kneel."

Izuku sank gracefully to his knees, never looking away from Katsuki's eyes.

"Hands."

Izuku gave them without hesitation. Katsuki wrapped each wrist individually and then together. The vivid red of the rope looked striking against Izuku's fair skin. Katsuki wrapped the ropes halfway to Izuku's elbow. He pushed the bound arms against Izuku's chest so that his hands rested over his breastbone, curled into a relaxed prayer pose.

"Keep your hands there."

He tied an extension to the end of the ropes and moved behind the kneeling teen. Katsuki couched and ran the new length of rope up over Izuku's shoulders and pulled them taut. Even through the shirt, Katsuki admired the muscles of Izuku's back, the definition of his arms, the thinness of his waist.

Katsuki listened attentively to Izuku's breathing, alert for any discomfort. Hearing the steady rhythm, he coiled the ropes around each other until the coil reached the middle of Izuku's back. "Good?"

"…yes…"

Izuku's voice had gone soft and languid. Katsuki smiled, adrenaline thrumming. Izuku had gone completely pliant and relaxed in Katsuki's hands. If only he could keep him in that deep serenity all night. Shaking himself, Katsuki continued.

He knotted another extension to the ends of the ropes and separated them into two lengths once more. He pulled each through the space between Izuku's arms and sides and folded them over Izuku's biceps. He pulled the ropes under and over the center coil that ran down Izuku's back, crossing them to the opposite side of Izuku's body.

"Good?"

Izuku's answer was a soft slur. His head had tilted back, his eyes heavy-lidded, mouth slightly parted. "… yesss…"

Katsuki pulled the ropes through and over Izuku's biceps again. He pulled it tight under and over the center coil and once more around Izuku's arm. He did this again a third time, each pass through a little higher up Izuku's arm. The red ropes looked almost like wings as they crisscrossed down Izuku's back.

Katsuki anchored the ends to the center coil. He slipped his fingers under each rope, checking their tightness. Coming around to Izuku's front, he checked the three bands that sat a few inches apart around his upper arms. All of it was tight, but not so tight as to cut off circulation. Izuku watched him, a look of perfect trust on his face.

Katsuki held his soft gaze as he reached down for him. "Stand."

With Katsuki's help, Izuku managed to get on his feet. Katsuki moved him to the bed. Izuku sat and then laid down on his back. Katsuki gently rolled him to his side. Izuku immediately drew his legs up. Pulling more ropes from the bag, Katsuki wrapped Izuku's thighs to his calves, then bound both thighs together. He looped a rope between them and ran it under Izuku's bound wrists, anchoring it. Izuku wouldn't be able to straighten until the ropes came off.

"Test them."

Izuku obediently pulled and tugged, but the ropes held him in position. He gave a nod, a blissful smile softening his lips. At Katsuki's scolding tap on his shoulder, he managed a soft, " 's good."

Katsuki smiled and kissed Izuku's temple. He sat up and reached down for the bandana, but instead his fingers came in contact with leather. He pulled it out and saw that it was a small gag. It had bright red straps with a ball in the center. Katsuki's breath caught. His hand tightened as he flashed back to the arena, of being chained and muzzled. The remembered terror of that moment made him break out into a cold sweat.

Clenching his teeth, Katsuki took a deep breath in. Izuku wasn't him. He took another breath. He checked Izuku's expression. He looked peacful, green eyes catching his as soon as he leaned into view. Izu was calm, serene. He looked safe and comfortable. Katsuki steeled himself and lifted up the gag.

"Did you buy this?"

"Yes," Izuku answered easily, words coming slowly. "The bandana dried my mouth and hurt my jaw."

Katsuki reexamined the gag at this new information. It was thinner than the bandana when it was rolled up. It was also leather, which wouldn't absorb so much of Izuku's spit. The small ball was black and made of plastic. He squeezed it experimentally. There was some give.

Lifting his eyes from the gag, he held Izuku's eyes as he put the gag in his own mouth. The leather was soft on the corners of his lips. The ball sat on his tongue, holding it down. It filled his mouth, but not uncomfortably so. Izuku watched, his breathing easy and even. Katsuki opened his mouth and removed the gag. It was slightly wet from his spit. He reached for the blanket to wipe it off, but Izuku whined a protest.

"Please?" he asked in a whisper, eyes pleading. He opened his mouth expectantly.

Heart beating fast, Katsuki slipped the spit-slick gag into Izuku's waiting mouth and tied the leather straps at the back of Izuku's head.

Izuku hummed, the sound muffled, his eyes filled with pleasure.

Katsuki lay down facing Izuku and stroked his hair. "I've got you, Izuku," he told him, tone fierce. "You're with me. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."

Izuku sighed, eyes fluttering closed for a second before opening and locking onto Katsuki once more. Katsuki held that gaze, stroking Izuku's hair. It wasn't long. Suddenly, Izuku's eyes went completely blank, his body rigid. Katsuki pressed them closed.

As Izuku's heart began to beat faster, his breath quickening, Katsuki put his forehead to his love's and held on tightly to the back of his neck the way Izuku had done for him. "I'm here, Izu," he said roughly. "I'm here."

x

Izuku was running. He was running as fast as he could go. His lungs screamed, his legs pumped desperately. He was running for his life! Down alleys, over streets. His eyes darted every which way, terrified, looking for someone, _anyone to save him!_

There were no cars, no people. Laughter came from behind him - Closer, it was getting closer! The sound of metal dragging along brick made him whimper. A sob caught in his throat, burning like fire. His feet stumbled and he went down hard just outside the mouth of an alley, sprawled face-first across the sidewalk.

He rolled onto his back - a man with a crowbar running at him - grinning, laughing - eyes glinting - the metal bar slammed down toward his face! Izuku jackknifed. His feet came up and kicked the man in the chest! His legs felt like jelly, so the blow only set the man back two steps. His smile transformed into a snarl.

Izuku scrambled to his feet. Hands and legs shaking, he got into a defensive stance. His heart thundered in his chest, his eyes wide with shock. His mind raced as he struggled to understand what was happening. The man swung again. Izuku stumbled out of the way, the crowbar missing by an inch. Reflexively, he swung his hand and slapped the man across the face, his long nails drawing blood.

"Fucking bitch!"

Lightheaded, heart thundering in his chest, Izuku gasped desperately for breath. The man swung the crowbar in a backhand. Izuku lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the weapon and kicking up as hard as he could. He got the man right in the balls!

They fell to the ground, Izuku wrenching the crowbar away. Rearing up on his knees, terrified and desperate, Izuku swung with all his strength and felt the impact all the way up to his shoulders as metal slammed into bone. The man's limbs spasmed before falling limp.

Izuku tore off his shirt - saw heaving breasts and a pink bra. Ignoring that for now, he pulled the material in half with a great heave. Hands shaking violently, it took him a few tries, but he eventually got the man's hands tied behind his back. The second strip went around the man's ankles.

Izuku sat, jittery and weak, mind racing as his heartbeat slowed. He examined his hands - long nails, slender wrists - he was female! He was… in a vision? Eyes wide, Izuku tried to grasp the reality of the situation. He wasn't simply watching passively as he was murdered again and again. He was HERE; he was able to act!

A bloodthirsty smile stretched his face. He could fight back! But even as fierce joy speared through him, his body began to go into adrenaline shock. He couldn't stop shaking, his teeth chattering loudly, and he realized what that meant. Only his mind had traveled with him - none of his strength, no One For All. He was in the body of someone who had been at the peak of panic and fear, the emotional turmoil wrecking havoc on his mind.

A call came from down the street. Izuku whipped his head up. A male voice, a costume. Izuku almost sobbed in relief. It was a hero! He waved his arms. "Here!" he cried, voice high and desperate. "I'm here!"

xx

"You stole everything from me!"

An office, people were screaming, diving to the floor, behind desks. A desperate man in a suit had a gun. It was pointed right at him! Izuku's body felt heavy; his heart raced dangerously, his face hot and tight.

"Go to hell, you motherfucker!"

Izuku's eyes widened. His hand flashed out and grabbed a ceramic pencil holder as he dove to the side behind a desk. The bang was deafening. It made Izuku's body jerk, a terrified shout ripping from his throat. Pain exploded in his shoulder. He wanted to collapse, but if he did, he'd be _dead!_

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!" the man screamed, coming closer, trying to get around the desk.

Izuku sat up and flung the pencil holder at the man's head. The man flinched, arms coming up to protect his face, the gun going off again. More terrified screams. Izuku lunged, flinging all his massive weight forward. The gun was knocked from the man's hand at the impact.

Izuku sat up and brought his meaty fist down as hard as he could. His hands were massive; gold rings glinted on his fingers. The impact broke a finger, pain lancing up his arm. He roared in pain! The man stared dazedly up at him, nose bleeding. Izuku punched him again and the man went still. He sat back, panting and drenched in sweat. "Call… police…" he gasped as he fell, clutching his chest. Terror tore through him as he felt death reach inside his body and squeeze brutally.

xxx

Standing on a dark street, a dirty old man thrust a large knife at him. "I said GIVE IT TO ME!" There was murder in his eyes.

Izuku knocked the man's arm aside and stepped in close, punching the man in the throat. The man went down in a sprawl of limbs, gasping and sputtering, bloodshot eyes wide. Izuku stared down at him dispassionately, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

A quick examination of his body reveled he was just as dirty as the old man. Frowning, he pulled the backpack from his back and unzipped the zipper. Bags of drugs stared up at him. Izuku dropped it in disgust. Searching his own pockets, he found an old cellphone. Izuku pressed in a number and waited for it to connect.

"_Police department. How may I direct your call?"_

Izuku gave his address. "I've got a backpack full of drugs. An old drug addict almost gutted me with a knife during a deal. I don't want to do this anymore. You need to come quickly before this addict kills me!" Then he hung up the phone.

The old man was weeping brokenly, clinging to the filthy sidewalk. Izuku didn't have time to tie him up. He could feel it - the pull of the vision ending. He dove toward the brick building next to him. He took a deep breath, pulled his head all the way back, and slammed it brutally forward. Darkness snapped closed on his mind.

xX

Izuku was blind. Bare skin, cement and brick. Hands chained above his head. The soft sound of whimpers close to him. "Hello?" he asked, voice lilting and soft. He felt it now - a blind fold. He rubbed his head against the wall, knocking it eschew enough that he could look out one eye.

A basement. One dim lightbulb. Two other women were with him. They looked beat to hell. Their skin was shredded. New and old cuts covered their torsos, their breasts were mangled. They weren't chained. They sat huddled together in the opposite corner. They were both naked. Scars and bruises littered their bodies under a hundred cuts. Izuku felt dread pool in his stomach. He looked up at the cuffs. Metal. Padlocked.

"What's going on?" he asked softly. "Where are we?"

"Shhh," one of the woman hissed frantically, eyes wild and terrified. "Shhh, he'll come."

Izuku obediently fell silent, but it didn't matter. A corner of the ceiling opened, revealing a rope ladder. A man came down. He was lean and wore only a pair of sweats. A beer was in his hand, its smell acrid in the small space. He had to bend down so his head didn't hit the roof. He gave Izuku a filthy leer.

"You awake, pretty?"

Izuku glared at him.

The man flung the beer against the wall. The women cowered and whimpered as the glass shattered. One inch blades erupted down the bastard's chest from his nipples straight down to his hips. Izuku's eyes widened in horror, heart beating painfully against his ribs as the bladed man got to his knees and crawled forward, a filthy leer on his face.

"You're done," Izuku spat, voice harsh with rage. "You don't know it yet, but your life's over. I'm the last person you'll ever hurt again."

The man laughed and grabbed Izuku's ankles. Izuku growled and tried to kick him, thrashing, but the man was fast and strong. He dragged Izuku's legs apart and pulled down his sweat pants. Grunting and straining, he fought Izuku's body still.

Izuku screamed in rage, trying to hold his body tight and rigid, but the man shoved inside, prying him brutally open. Before Izuku could get a breath, the man flung himself bodily on top of him. Izuku arched with an agonized scream as the blades cut into him.

Grunting, panting his fetid breath into Izuku's face, the man began rutting like an animal. Izuku wheezed as agony tore through him, their bodies becoming slick with blood. Izuku's mouth gaped desperately, the pain choking him. The blades sawed at his breasts and stomach, the monster's dick tearing him deep inside.

Izuku whimpered pathetically as he was torn apart. In minutes they were bathed in dark crimson. Blood loss made his head spin. His stomach rolled in revulsion as the man's animal grunts and gasps filled his ears. Izuku trashed weakly, body convulsing, pain shredding his mind. His lungs wouldn't inflate! Darkness crowded in.

"Fuck, yeah, you gonna die, bitch? You gonna die on my dick?"

Rough hands grabbed his throat, closing off what little air he was getting. The rocking became even more violent, skin tearing from his back. The man watched, eyes dilated with manic lust, face a bare inch from Izuku's, drinking in his pain, eating his life… SNAP! A black void deeper and colder than the soul can comprehend snapped closed on Izuku's mind.

X

A warm mouth on his, tongues sliding in and out. A body pressed into his, a mattress at his back. Izuku was hard and hot, rocking his hips up helplessly as the pressure built deep in his balls. The kiss broke. He opened his eyes to see a woman with a fall of blue-black hair and deep blue eyes, perfect pale skin, large breasts. Izuku was breathing hard, a potent mix of lust and euphoria rushing through his blood, his mind still reeling from the brutal rape one vision before. Nauseous, shaking, he pushed away.

"Stop," he gasped, suddenly shaking as if he had the plague.

Obedient, she sat up, sliding up his body and straddling his waist with her thighs. Pale pink nipples stood erect, swaying with her moment. "What's the matter, Mr. President?" she asked in a sultry whisper. Her hands slid up her stomach to fondle her own breasts. "I can do anything you like."

"We're in danger," he rasped, pushing her off.

He got to his feet and almost fell off of the platform the bed sat on. His skin burned with a conflicted mix of desire and revulsion. He tried to breathe through it, turning his focus on the room. It was beyond luxurious - A king-sized bed on a platform - Huge glass windows - A couch and large screen tv - Plush carpeting - A table with strawberries and champagne - Everything in colors of gold, peach, and cream.

He looked for their clothes, his eyes darting to the door every few seconds, waiting for death to enter. "We have to get out of here."

Slender arms wrapped around him from behind. "Where are you going, Mr. President?" Warm, open-mouthed kisses were pressed against his back.

"We're in danger," he repeated, grabbing her arms to pull them off, but her arms flexed and her nails pierced into his lower abdomen.

Izuku gave a yell and jerked away, hands cupped over his bleeding flesh. He looked up. The woman stood behind him, beautiful and smiling. She smeared his blood around her full lips like lipstick. How could he be so dumb? Death wasn't coming. It was already here. Face twisted in a hateful snarl, Izuku sank to his knees. He couldn't catch his breath, his heart racing faster and faster. Poison - he'd been poisoned.

"What tipped you off?" she asked, staring down at him balefully. She grabbed his face, keeping him upright. "I wanted to come at least once before I killed you. Always ruining other people's fun. Well, at least I still get paid."

She let him go and Izuku toppled sideways, her laughter distorting in his ears as he began to convulse. His body was ravaged by the poison until little by little it shut down and death tore him away.

Xx

Izuku braced his hands on the table, head swimming. The table was square, sitting four. A steaming plate sat in front of him with several side dishes and a huge glass of beer, halfway drained. A woman sat across from him. She stared at him with wide, gray eyes. A fading bruise sat healing on her cheek. Her bottom lip was split, a scab holding the skin together. In front of the woman sat nothing. Her extreme thinness told Izuku that this was a common occurrence. Her body language was tense and frightened. Her eyes quickly dropped from his when he tried to meet them.

"Wha…?" he slurred, mind spinning. A terrible cramp hit his stomach. He groaned curling over.

She was weeping. "I'm sorry," she whispered, anguished. "I'm sorry…"

Izuku understood in a flash, his heart breaking. "Get me… my cellphone!" he ordered harshly, the pain getting worse. When she hesitated, he roared in a deep, loud voice, "NOW!"

She flinched but obeyed. She left the room and returned with the cellphone in hand. She cringed, sobbing brokenly as he clumsily took it from her grasp. His face unlocked the phone and he quickly opened the camera feature. He hit record. His head swam, his vision twisted. The phone clattered to the table, but Izuku grit his teeth and began to speak.

"I've done… terrible things… Horrible, terrible things," he croaked, a groan of agony slipping past his lips. "The only… way to make up… for what I've done… is to kill myself. She had… no idea… She deserves… to be free… of… me…"

Death snapped closed on his mind, ripping him away.

Xxx

Izuku lay on the floor disoriented, a vibration running through his body. Sobs shook his frame. He couldn't get his mouth open. Something was covering it, holding his jaw shut. His hands were tied behind his back. He tried to breathe through his nose, tears and snot streaming down his face as walls slowly swam into view, blurry through the tears.

The room swayed… Not a room… A van? It was filthy; old fast food containers littered the floor. Thick paper blocked the windows, only a sliver of light around the edges filtering in. He couldn't breathe. He sniffed short sharp breaths inward, pulling in mostly mucus. He convulsed and coughed, vision tunneling… Couldn't… Breathe…

He lifted his head and looked forward. A fat man sat in the diver's seat, only his eyes and forehead could be seen in the rearview mirror. Those dark eyes looked right at him. "Hush, pretty," the man crooned in a surprisingly melodic voice. "I've got you. I'm going to take real good care of you, pretty." He was breathing fast, clearly excited.

Izuku spasmed, desperate for oxygen. Looking down he gauged his age to be around seven. Hard determination strummed through him. Furious, desperate, he managed to pull his arms in front of him, dragging the loop his arms created over his butt and legs. He clawed weakly at the muzzle. His vision was gone, his consciousness fading, but then it was off and he gasped in a lungful of sweet air. Coughing, gasping, he shivered and shook as life poured back into him.

"Hey, now. Don't move, pretty…"

The man was pulling over. Izuku had to run! _Now!_ He pushed up to his hands and knees. Then he flung himself at the side door. He was weak, but as the breaks slammed and the man turned in his seat, reaching for him, Izuku gave a scream of effort and got the door open. He tumbled to the curb. He heard someone scream. The man grabbed him by the arm.

"HELP!" Izuku cried out desperately. "HELP ME!" He turned and kicked weakly at the man, but he was already halfway pulled back into the van.

"Hey!" A female voice cracked. "What are you doing? Let that kid go!" A strong hand grabbed his other arm, pulling him back to the street.

"Fuck!"

Izuku gasped out a cry as the pedophile released him and he was yanked backward away from the van and death. He tumbled to the ground as the door slammed shut and the van peeled away. Warm arms were around him.

"Oh my god! Are you okay, sweetie?"

Izuku looked up at the woman, tears of gratitude pouring from his eyes. "Thank you." He clung to her tightly, shaking in reaction. _"Thank you."_

Xxxx

"Put the money in the goddamn bag!" the man in front of him screamed.

Izuku flinched and rapidly blinked tears from his eyes. He was behind a counter, in front of a glass partition. There was a lobby, people crying huddled on the floor, hands behind their heads. Four men paced the space wearing black ski masks.

"You have three goddamn seconds!" the man yelled, face right up against the glass.

Izuku's heart raced. This was a bank robbery! The villain in front of him had a cannon for an arm. Hands shaking, Izuku looked at the computer in front of him and the completely unfamiliar screen. There was a drawer, like in a kitchen. He tried to pull it open, but it was locked.

"I don't know how," he admitted, voice quiet but even.

The villain growled and the world exploded. A cannonball the size of an orange shattered the glass and just barely missed clipping Izuku's shoulder as he dove desperately to the floor. It slammed through the back wall, dust, plaster, glass, and concrete raining down on him.

Ears ringing, Izuku rolled over, glass cutting his back, to see the villain jumping over the counter. Izuku lashed out with his legs, mouth open, screaming, but not hearing it. The blow was clumsy and the villain easily lifted him up by the shirt and flung him belly first against the counter.

Izuku stared in horror. The villains were killing everyone! Faces twisted in agony and terror, the blood of men, women, the elderly fanned the air. Izuku couldn't hear them scream through the ringing in his ears, but he could see it. He screamed as he watched helplessly as dozens of people were brutally murdered.

The villain behind him pressed his entire body against Izuku's back. The counter dug painfully into his gut. Izuku was sobbing; he couldn't catch his breath. A second villain shot out the glass of another booth and jumped over the counter. He began killing all the workers cowering on the floor, one after another.

A brutal hit to his head flung Izuku flat on the counter, bent at the waist. The villain was hard. His cock pressed tight against Izuku's ass. A hand fisted his hair and pulled him back up against the villain's chest. Izuku could feel the vibrations, knew the bastard was shouting something, but all Izuku could hear was that agonizing ringing.

Face twisted into a snarl of rage, Izuku slammed his elbow back sharply. The villain staggered back. Izuku spun and clawed the mask from the villain's face and stared at him dead in the eye. The cannon was pressed right up against his stomach.

Izuku's body exploded into a universe of agony. Blood and organs burst from his center, his stomach acid spilling, a burning searing agony. He arched, there were no words to describe this pain. He convulsed and clawed at the ground, tearing nails from his hands. The villain stepped over him and tore open the drawer violently. A few bills fluttered down to fall on Izuku's sweat-soaked, agony contorted face.

For an eternity, Izuku writhed in his own fluids… suffering… tormented. Slowly… slowly… then death snapped down on his mind.

xXX

Izuku lifted his head, sweat stinging his eyes. He was in a dark room. Two men in bird masks, one leaning against the door - the other standing over Izuku. Izuku was tied to a chair. His hands and feet throbbed with the searing hot pain of broken bones. Izuku tried to jerk away, teeth bared in a snarl, but his wrists were strapped tightly to the arm of the chair, his ankles to the legs. A band across his chest and upper arms held him to the chair-back.

The man closest to him reached forward and grabbed his forearm. He squeezed slowly. Izuku's eyes went wide as a guttural scream tore from his throat. His bones snapped, his arm feeling like it was being crushed by a metal vice.

"You ready to talk yet?" the man standing over him asked evenly. There was no rage or lust in his voice, just a matter-of-fact bluntness.

Izuku panted through the pain, vision going black then red before clearing. His stomach heaved, vomit splattering his chest and chin. The acidic smell made his stomach convulse again.

The man moved in front of him to his other side and grabbed his left forearm. "You have thirty seconds."

The smaller man by the door called sympathetically, "Just tell us what you told them, Tanaka. We don't want to hurt you."

Izuku gasped and shuddered, shivering violently. He looked up into the bird mask with defiance burning in his eyes. "I don't know… what you're… talking about."

The man began to squeeze, bones cracking. Izuku bellowed in pain, his scream breaking into weak whimpers as his head fell limply forward. Spit dripped from his lips, sweat drenched his face. His consciousness wavered.

"What did you tell the police?" a soft voice asked. "I'll make everything better, just tell me what you told him."

Izuku couldn't help a giggle, even as he sobbed. He couldn't tell them even if he wanted to. He wasn't Tanaka.

"What's so funny?" gentle hands cradled his head and lifted it. The smaller man was crouched before him, his head completely concealed behind his mask.

Izuku gasped and moaned, breathing harshly through the pain. "What… do you think… I told them?"

"Tanaka, why are you doing this? We were good to you. They hated you. Told you you were nothing from the day you were born." His thumbs caressed Izuku's cheeks. "We valued you. We gave you purpose. You can make this right, Tanaka. Come home."

Izuku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them again, he whispered something. The man leaned forward, putting his hands on Izuku's thighs. His feet shot agony up his legs at the added weight. Izuku flashed his eyes open and lashed his face forward. He grabbed the beak of the mask in his teeth and tore it away. The mask came off.

A man with black messy hair and angular brown eyes stared back at him. Scars crisscrossed over his entire face. He tilted his head curiously. Izuku bared his teeth in a fierce grin, memorizing the man's distinctive features.

"I don't understand what you think that accomplished," he said softly. He stood, still staring down at Izuku, eyes dark and fathomless.

"I'm going to… make sure… the police… stop you," he panted, eyes as fierce as his grin. "Do… your worst."

The bigger man stepped forward again. He grabbed his head in his vice-like hand. The triumphant grin still stretched Izuku's face even as he screamed. Pain exploded through his head, one eye popping from his eye socket, and then the cold snapped down.

XX

Izuku jerked awake. The echo of a scream rang in his consciousness. He looked around in confusion. It was a bedroom. Moonlight spilled in through the window. Posters hung on the walls. Heroic figures. He looked at his hands and saw how small they were. He was in a white nightgown. The heavy tread of boots came down the hallway.

"Maiko! Get under your bed!"

A boy closer to ten years old scrambled toward him from the bed across the room. He grabbed Izuku by the arm and pulled him harshly to the floor. They crawled under the bed as fast as they could. The boy put a hand over Izuku's mouth. He was shaking with terror, holding Izuku too tightly. Izuku gently pulled the boy's hand off his mouth and held tightly to him, trying to give him some comfort.

The bedroom door banged open. A large man with long arms that dangled nearly to the floor stomped in. He was shirtless wearing only a pair of jeans and heavy black boots. "Maris! Get out here, you little shit bag!" he snarled furiously. "Get out here right now or Maiko will get your punishment!"

The boy shook violently, a whimper escaping his tight lips, but he began to crawl out. Izuku could only watch helplessly. There was nothing he could do. He was small, three or four years old. The man was huge! So he made himself hold still and wait for his chance.

The man grabbed Maris and flung him toward the bed on the other side of the room. He brutally slapped the boy across the face. Izuku crept out from under the bed slowly. A second vicious slap and Maris's cries broke off, the boy dazed and barely hanging on to consciousness. A third slap!

Izuku ran from the room as fast as he could. The house was dark. Light spilled into the hallway from an open door. He looked inside and saw a woman, battered and broken, lying on the floor. Blood was smeared across her swollen face. She wasn't moving. A phone sat on the bedside table. He dialed the police.

"My mommy's hurt! He hurt her! She's not moving! He's hurting Maris now. He's going to hit me next. He's so mad I think he's going to kill me!"

He ignored the questions on the other end of the phone - Where was he? What's his name? What's his address? - Izuku had none of the answers. Instead, he set the phone down, the line still open. Heavy boots came down the hallway. Izuku looked around the room frantically for a means to defend himself, but everything he saw wouldn't make a difference when he was so small and the man was so big.

"Maiko. Come here," the man growled staring at him from the doorway. In the light, Izuku could see the blood on his hands.

"Why are you doing this?" Izuku demanded. "We're so small compared to you!"

The man's eyes went wide. "What the fuck did you just say to me?"

"It doesn't take someone strong to hurt one woman and two little kids, so what are you hoping to prove? You can hit us as much as you want, but it's not going to make you stronger. It won't fix anything," Izuku told him furiously.

With a roar, the man stormed forward, long arms reaching.

Izuku darted out of his grasp, using his size to his advantage. "You're pathetic!" Izuku screamed at him.

"You little bitch!" The man flung the bed up onto its side in a great heave, trying to get to Izuku who had dived underneath.

Izuku bolted out the door and into a living room. The man gave chase. Izuku moved with strategic confidence, conserving his energy. He was going to save them! He just had to hold out until the police arrived!

The man bellowed in rage, screaming threats and promising to rip him apart. Furniture crashed and broke as the man flung himself blindly forward. The front door suddenly burst open. "Freeze! Police!" Izuku sprinted back into the hallway and ran toward the kids' bedroom.

Maris was on his bed, his limbs sprawled around him like a broken doll. His face was horribly swollen, cracked and bleeding in several places. Heart hammering, Izuku felt for a pulse. He couldn't find one. Guilt and despair choked him. Why the hell had he left the boy?!

"IN HERE!" he screamed as loud as he could. "HE NEEDS AN AMBULANCE! HERE! IN HERE! WE NEED HELP! PLEASE!"

Then he was torn away into another vision.

XXx

Izuku sat bolt upright at the sound of broken glass. His heart thundered in his chest, his mind reeling, trying to catch up. Darkness, a bedroom - he flung the blankets off and stood, whole body shaking. Clenching his fists, he closed his eyes. He had to calm down! The terrifying numbness of death still chilled his skin. He shuddered and forced his heart to slow. Eyes glinting with determination, he stalked to the bedroom door. He could hear them - harsh whispers, movement, soft thuds. Izuku crept down a dark hallway.

"You sure the woman is gone?"

"Went to stay with her parents."

"Who cares if she's gone?" a third voice. "The bitch is alone. Husband died last week. We'd kill her easy."

Izuku peered around the corner into a living room. Three people stood in black, faces covered, two men and a woman. They were shoving things into bags, stealing. Izuku silently ran back to the bedroom, searching for a phone. He almost screamed in frustration when he found none. He looked out the bedroom window. It was a three story drop.

"Mama?"

Izuku whipped his head around at the tiny voice. He flung himself across the room and opened the door. There, standing at the end of the hallway, looking into the living room, was a small child sleepily rubbing his eyes. Adrenaline more powerful than Izuku had ever known filled him. He ran and grabbed the boy up in his arms and sprinted for the front door.

The robbers gave an alarmed cry at seeing Izuku. One lashed out with something like a whip. Izuku ducked under it and kept running for the door. Something whistled behind him and he flung himself to the side, curled around the child. Strange darts embedded into the back of the door.

The little boy was screaming. Izuku shoved him into the corner and spun on the nearest robber. With a roar, he tackled him to the floor. Izuku grabbed the man's head and slammed it down on the tiled floor of the entrance way with a loud CRACK! A whip lashed his back, but he couldn't feel it through the protective rage. He attacked with a roar. Tackling the second robber, they went flying into a glass table with Izuku on top. As it shattered, it cut into his thighs.

"Freeze, you crazy bitch!"

Izuku turned to see the little boy in the last robber's hands. His fingers ended in deadly claws. The man covered the boy's face, claws digging in at the cheeks. The boy was sobbing in terror. The scent of urine filled the air. Izuku lifted his hands, dropping the large glass shard he'd picked up. The robber he'd flung into the table kicked him in the gut.

Izuku collapsed. "Please… please…" he gasped, starring that the little boy. "… Don't…"

The man tore his claws across the boy's face. The child's agonized scream tore into Izuku, breaking something inside him. Izuku roared in helpless rage as the claws tore out the boy's throat next. Hot blood sprayed the air, smelling like metal. Something sharp stabbed into Izuku's back, but all he could see was the child being dropped like meat to the floor, the boy's blue eyes filled with pain and terror as he slowly bled to death.

The hot pain in his back tore upward. Izuku gurgled a scream of agony, suffocating, horror burning through his mind. All he could see was the little boy staring at him, eyes empty. The robbers fled. Izuku crawled toward the boy, desperate to touch his hand… but cold darkness snatched him brutally away.

XXxx

Izuku stood on a ledge. Wind buffeted him, the sun setting on the horizon before him in gorgeous orange and red, but all Izuku could see was the blue dead eyes of that small little boy. It was too horrible. Sobs wracked Izuku's body, his hands tightening painfully on the mesh of the chainlink fence that was at his back.

"Do it, you worthless loser!" a terrible voice taunted him from behind. "The world would be better once you're dead!"

"Fag!" came a second voice.

"Pervert!" a girl's voice. Something hit the fence at his back and bounced off clattering to the roof.

Then a fourth voice: "Filthy cocksucker!" A fifth: "Shit eater!" They blended into a chorus of hatred and filth. "Cunt!" "Die!" "Jump, you loser!" "Do it!" "Jump!" "Do it, fag!"

Izuku spun around, grabbing the chain links and looked at his tormenters. They were high schoolers, wearing school uniforms, hate twisting their faces into ugly masks. A well of anguish tore at Izuku's heart, at the cruelty, at the ugliness of the world.

Voice a hoarse rasp of rage, Izuku screamed at them. "You think you're better than me because I _love_ someone? You think you're better than me because I kiss boys? Well, at least I don't _kill_ people! You think you're heroes while you scream death at a kid, your _classmate_? You aren't _heroes_! You're MURDERERS!" he cried. "Killers! Monsters! VILLAINS! If you're going to kill me, do it yourselves, you cowards!"

Izuku began to climb the fence. "You want to see my blood? Want to see my body break apart on the ground? Do it where you can see it! Do it here!" He dropped down on the other side. The kids stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. Eyes blazing with rage, Izuku walked forward, voice cold as ice. "Want to see if a fag looks different on the inside? See if I bleed red like you?"

They shared a look and backed away. The girl flung a can of soda at him. It hit his chest hard and bounced off. Izuku kept walking forward as if couldn't feel it. Screaming in anguish, he flung his arms out wide. "If you're going to do it, DO IT! Don't be _weak_! Do it! Kill the fag! Tear me apart with your bare hands! Do it with your quirks! With your teeth! Show me how much better you are than me! COME ON! DO IT!"

The kids fled.

Izuku collapsed, shaking as the adrenaline drained from his body. There was a book bag against the fence. He crawled toward it and dug inside until his hands closed around a phone. His thumbprint unlocked it. He found Okassan in contacts and hit dial.

"_Hello?"_ a woman's voice answered.

"These kids forced me to the roof and told me to jump. They were screaming at me, saying terrible things," he told her solemnly. "They called me a fag and worse."

"_What? Yoichi?"_

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I don't know if you're disgusted by me being gay or not, but I need you to understand. If you don't help me, I _will_ kill myself and my blood will be on your hands. Is who I love worth killing me over?"

"_What?"_

"I was on the other side of the fence. I was about to jump. Please…" His voice hitched, breaking on a plea. "Please don't let me die. Please, Okassan, don't hate me. Save me. Don't let me kill myself." Then Izuku was torn away, his own desperate plea echoing in his ears.

XXxxx

Foggy - Izuku could hardly see - an alley? A shadow standing over something. Yelling - could feel it in his chest more than hear it. A man with an angular face, a red mask, the flash of light off a blade. Hatred so strong, Izuku could hardly breathe around it. The sting of a blade slicing into his skin. Falling on his face - paralyzed - "Forget about yourself for a second and try saving others. Don't wield your power for your own sake. Because getting trapped by your own hate and acting out of pure self-interest... makes you the furthest thing from a hero," a dark and condemning voice spoke above him. Bright PAIN - then spinning.

He could see a figure in armor on the ground - Iida? - the shadow of a man leaning over him. Excitement and aggression pulled his mouth tight. "Stay back!" he bellowed in a deep voice. "The Hero Killer is mine!" The killer smiled in the darkness, as sharp as any blade. "Hero is a title reserved for those who perform truly great feats! You are undeserving Endeavor! Just a money worshiper playing hero! Until this society wakes up and rectifies itself, I will continue to do my work purge false heroes from the world!" Fire - so much fire - burning the air and darkness away both, but the blades still flash. The walls crumble with the impact of their bodies. Then the world was spinning, the alley tumbling around until he hit with a thud. He watched the fire that wreathed massive shoulders go out and the large body topple headless to the ground.

Fog - Izuku struggling like a moth pinned to a board - until Kacchan came into focus. He was soot-stained. The left side of his hero costume was burnt away, dark red and pink blisters littered his skin. As he watched, Kacchan dropped an unconscious hero - Was that Native? - to the ground and lifted his hands. "Don't, Primus! We can't beat him!" That was Todoroki's voice. Izuku watched helplessly as his arm was flung forward and a wall of ice completely blocked the alley between them and the killer. He grabbed Kacchan and turned to run. Some instinct made him look up just in time to see the killer fall, blade first. It took him in the throat and impaled him through the chest.

Izuku mentally screamed as the alley came back into focus. His arms were as familiar as his own. Kacchan! Explosions rocked the night. "To truly accomplish anything, one needs will and conviction. Those without it, the weak ones, they'll be weeded out. It's only natural. That's why you're about to die." He was impaled in the shoulder. Kacchan and Izuku screamed, then suddenly Kacchan was falling, body immobile. "Fuck you," Kacchan growled. The killer leaned down, blade glowing orange with the reflection of fire. Kacchan closed his eyes. "Don't look, Izu," he whispered, barely more than a breath. Izuku flailed and screamed in the darkness. Kacchan's rapid heartbeat was his entire world and then pain sliced through him and that cold snap of death that Izuku knew so well stole him away.

…

Izuku screamed, eyes flying open. His vision was blurred with sweat and tears. He struggled, but he could hardly move, curled and bound. Then Kacchan was leaning over him, pressing him down into the mattress. His familiar voice washed over him.

"I'm here. You're okay. It's over, Izu. You're safe."

Izuku went limp, gasping. His heart began to slow. He was back. Kacchan was here; Kacchan was strong and alive and protecting him. Izuku broke into sobs. Kacchan quickly sat back and untied his gag.

"You died! Kacchan!" Izuku cried, wide-eyed and broken. "Iida, Todoroki, Endeavor… The Hero Killer!"

"Shhh," Kacchan soothed him. He tucked Izuku head into the crook of his shoulder and neck. "We'll stop it. Just breathe. I've got you, Izu. You're safe. I'm safe. Deep breaths."

Izuku obediently took a shuddering breath in.

"That's it," Kacchan murmured softly. "I'm not going to let anything bad happen. I've got you."

Izuku shuddered, his bound hands clinging desperately to Kacchan's shirt. Slowly, he let himself relax. Flashes of the visions flared behind his eyes. He tensed and whimpered, only to relax again as Kacchan held him through it.

"I fought back," he slurred, exhaustion pulling him down. "My quirk is not who I am. I'm Izuku, and I fought back. But…" he tensed, eyes flying open, but he couldn't see. He was so exhausted everything was a blur! "I don't know where I was! I don't know when! I was _me!_"

"We'll figure it out. Like we did before," Kacchan told him firmly, fisting his hair. He wrapped his legs and arms around him, holding him close and tight. "Trust me, Izu. We'll save them. We have Aizawa, Tsukauchi, and All Might. We're not alone anymore."

Izuku went limp in Kacchan's tight hold. Relief so strong it made him cry washed through him. He wasn't alone. He didn't have sole responsibility of saving everyone. "I tried so hard… to save them," he confessed, his eyes falling shut as exhaustion pulled him under. "I tried so hard…"

"It's okay, Izu. You're safe. You're okay," Kacchan whispered into the dark behind his eyes.

"Don't let him kill you, Kaccahn," Izuku begged even as he felt sleep suck him down. "Don't leave me…"

"I'll never leave you, Izu. Never."

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** Please let me know what you think about how the brainwashing effected Izuku's quirk!

*collapses in exhaustion* :P


	33. Chapter 33

**A/n: **I love you guys so much! Thank you to the moon and back for all the comments! This is sort of a filler chapter, but it has some much needed explanations as well as some interesting character interactions. Hope you enjoy it!

…

**Getting to Hosu**

Katsuki held Izuku tightly. The ropes binding Izu's arms to his chest pressed into Katsuki's skin uncomfortably, but he refused to let go until he was sure Izuku was deeply asleep. After several minutes of deep, even breathing, he carefully pulled away. Izuku's pale face didn't even twitch. Good.

Katsuki grabbed the scissors he'd placed on the bedside after cutting Izu's legs free and cut some of the ropes. He didn't want Izuku to wake up with someone else in the room and be unable to move, so he cut the ropes that held Izuku's arms bound to his chest. However, he left Izuku's wrists tied together in case Izu need the grounding.

Pressing his lips gently against Izuku's forehead, Katsuki ran his hand through Izu's sweat-damp green waves one last time before slipping from the bed. The window was bright with dawn, vivid colors blending and streaking across the sky, but he hardly noticed. Mind cold and focused, he pulled his shoes on, scooped up his hoodie, and grabbed his large duffle bag from the corner. Giving Izuku one last protective look, he unlocked the door and slipped outside, pulling the door shut behind him.

Aizawa stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His head had come up as soon as Katsuki had opened the door. He looked exhausted, but he was alert, his eyes bright with intelligence and taking everything in.

"He was talking and coherent," Katsuki informed him, voice low so as not to wake anyone. "He's not almost catatonic like last time, so the brainwashing helped. Izuku said he saw the Hero Killer kill me, Todoroki, Endeavor, and that idiot Iida. I'm not sure when. Last I knew the Hero Killer was in Hosu, which is way out of Izuku's range. However, it's possible that his emotional attachments allow the limits on his quirk to be stretched or broken. It's happened before when he saw my death when we were twelve. He'd already seen a vision that month, but he still saw me die a day before it happened."

Katsuki hitched his bag higher up his shoulder, eyes glinting with determination. "If we do nothing, the vision will come true. Since I don't know when it will happen, I'm going to go to my internship as scheduled and keep my eye on things. You track that idiot Iida. All Might and Inko can stay with Izuku. He'll contact me as soon as he can with more details. If we do this right and don't scare the bastard off, we can stop the Hero Killer for good without any of us fucking dying."

This was a lot of information, but Aizawa didn't even bat an eye. He gave a sharp nod and pulled out his phone. "I'm on it. I had already instructed Manual to keep a close eye on Iida, but now I have enough probable cause to shadow him personally."

Without another word, Katsuki turned and stalked down the hallway. After listening to Izuku moan, sob, and gasp for air - lost in his hellish visions for hours - body going rigid and limp in turns - trembling and drenched in sweat - Katsuki was ready to blow something, _anything_, up. He cracked his knuckles, expression eager. He had a train to catch, a worthless extra to save, and a killer to stop. For Izu.

He swung by the classroom to grab his hero costume. Most of the class had taken theirs with them when they went home Friday after school. Opening the case, he checked the uniform over, paying special attention to the modifications he'd asked for. Satisfied, he shut the case and made his way out of the school.

As he walked, he sent a text to Inko, telling her that Izuku had woken and was better than last month, that he was sleeping and probably wouldn't wake until early afternoon. As he was passing the gate, he put his phone away. There was a brief gust of wind and suddenly Aizawa was at his side. He really was fucking good at trailing people without them noticing.

"I updated All Might. Nighteye has also arrived. They'll help Izuku figure out his visions."

Katsuki nodded once. They walked together, moving at a fast pace, the station ten minutes away. They were halfway there when Aizawa broke the silence.

"I should forbid Iida from going on his internship and do the same for you and Todoroki."

Katsuki glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "That wouldn't stop him. He'd go AWOL and it would be harder to track him. He's clearly out for revenge for his brother." He shifted his cold gaze forward. "Not to mention we'd lose this chance to stop the Hero Killer. If we don't stop the psychopath, he'll keep killing people. He's already killed seventeen and wounded twenty-three beyond recovery, Ingenium included." His voice became hard, his eyes cold. "And Izuku will keep feeling it."

"You and two of your classmates died in this vision." Aizawa stated it quietly, his voice even, but Katsuki could hear the tension behind the words.

"That future has already changed," he retorted, looking up at his teacher. "We have forewarning. Besides, what are you going to do?" His eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare. "Tell everyone involved the internship is canceled because of a vision of the future? That would mean Izuku's death!" Katsuki forced his voice to soften. "Don't worry, Aizawa. I'm not going to die for this asshole. If it looks like shit's getting bad, Todoroki and I will retreat, but I've been doing this since I was seven. I know how to work Izuku's visions in my favor. Trust me."

Aizawa stared at him, eyes deep and dark, his thoughts unreadable, but he nodded and said, "I do."

"Good." Katsuki flashed a hard smile. "Because we're going to kick this psycho's ass."

Aizawa didn't look convinced, but Katsuki didn't give a crap. All he cared about was that Aizawa didn't stand in his way.

A few of their classmates were already waiting at the station. "Where's Deku?" Cheeks asked, looking behind him as if Izuku would materialize out of thin air.

"None of your business," he growled irritably. His eyes were locked on the revenge hungry idiot. Glasses stared back, eyes cold and hard even as he kept his expression neutral.

"Geez. Don't you get tired of being a jerk?" Cheeks complained, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

IcyHot and the others slowly arrived, one after another, most arriving by train, some walking in from the street entrance. Once they were all there, except for Izuku and Braindead, Aizawa cleared his voice. "You all have your costumes, right?" At everyone's nod, he continued. "Remember you aren't allowed to wear them in public without being escorted by a pro. Don't drop them or anything."

"Yessir!" Pinky cried, jumping up in enthusiasm.

Aizawa stared at her, unimpressed. "Make sure you mind your manners with the heroes at your internships," he said sharply. "The reputations you build here can open or shut doors in the future. Do not take the importance of this time lightly."

"Yes sir!" the class called in unison.

Katsuki watched as Cheeks chased uselessly after Glasses. Aizawa trailed fifty feet behind them. Neither of the teenagers noticed. Flashing his teeth in a threatening sneer, Katsuki turned on his heel and headed toward his own train. Todoroki kept pace.

Katsuki threw himself into a seat by the door. He put his costume case on the floor and his booted foot on top of it. His duffle he'd flung onto the seat next to him, preventing anyone from sitting too close. With a jerk of his head, he indicated Todoroki should take the seat next to him by the door. Katsuki turned sideways, folding his leg onto the seat. He draped his arm across the seat behind his friend and leaned intently forward, speaking softly so no one could hear him over the sounds of the train. Todoroki leaned forward, expression neutral, but his eyes were intent on his as he listened, their heads close together.

"Hosu is not in my father's jurisdiction, but with the Hero Killer running around, it doesn't surprise me that they invited him in. My father would jump at the chance to capture him," Todoroki said quietly. "Especially with us around." A cold sneer touched his expression. "He loves showing off."

Katsuki snorted. "What an asshole."

Todoroki lowered his head, his two-colored bangs hiding his eyes. "As much as I hate him, it's undeniable that he's a powerful hero. If the Hero Killer managed to kill him and us…"

Katsuki stared out the window at the rice fields flashing by. "I know. I'm counting on Izuku waking up and giving us more details before it comes to that. If it looks bad, we'll run."

"Endeavor won't run," Todoroki stated with certainty.

Katsuki looked over, frowning. "Are you saying we should tell him about the vision?" Because like hell would he tell that abusive, selfish asshole about Izuku's quirk. It was already bad enough that Todoroki had asked questions about psychic quirks in the first place.

Todoroki shook his head. "No," he said softly. "I was just thinking out loud. I'm not going to pretend I'd be heartbroken if he died or that I feel any obligation to help him."

Katsuki knew that the people who were brainwashed by the idea of normal and the lie of blood would be horrified at Todoroki's attitude, but he knew better. "His fate is his fate," he said firmly. "Just because we know about events in advance doesn't make us complicit in whatever happens. Izuku's intervention isn't owed to anybody. We'll do our best, but if Endeavor can't be saved, it's not your fault, or mine, or Izuku's. That fucking psychopath killer is making his own goddamn choices and so is your shitbag of a father."

The tension in Todoroki bled away. He gave a small smile. "Thanks, Bakugo."

The ride wasn't a long one. Only twenty minutes or so. It took them downtown to the heart of the city. The train quickly grew more crowded as they traveled. It was filled to the brim with men and women in suits on their way to work and students in uniform heading to school. Katsuki had to put his duffle on the floor. The station was packed with more people than Katsuki was used to. It made him scowl as he was bumped and jostled.

They stepped out onto the street, the morning sun flashing between skyscrapers and thousands of people moving in all directions. Cars filled the streets, moving slowly in congested traffic. The smell of exhaust was so strong it was choking. Huge screens flashed ever-changing advertisements on the sides of buildings.

"Fuck," Katsuki said in disgust. He disliked people in general. This many all in one place made his skin crawl. Izuku, on the other hand, would have been wide-eyed and fascinated.

"This way," Todoroki said with a brief touch to his shoulder.

Katsuki followed after him, glaring at all the idiots running this way and that like mindless ants. Thank god Endeavor's agency wasn't far. They turned a corner and a massive high-rise speared upward toward the sky. An enormous, cursive E was emblazoned on the front above the doors.

"How has he not died of embarrassment?" Katsuki asked honestly. Sure, he'd seen pictures of Endeavor's agency and he'd thought the building looked obnoxious even then, but in person it was even more hideous and tacky. It practically screamed, 'Look at me! I want you to think I'm important!'.

Todoroki snorted, hiding a laugh behind his hand. "Come on."

The inside wasn't any better. Everything was bigger than it should be. The chairs in the lobby, the reception desk, the tv monitors, the sprawling cafeteria behind the desk… Instead of impressing, it was disconcerting.

The pro-hero working the reception desk visibly perked up at seeing them. "Master Shoto!" He gave a bright grin, fire licking out from between his teeth.

Katsuki just barely kept from rolling his eyes. An ego-maniac, Endeavor only accepted heroes with fire-related quirks into his agency. Jesus, what an asshole.

"The boss is waiting for you! He's already up in his office."

Todoroki nodded his head and accepted the pass card he was handed. "Thank you, Ember."

The pro saluted sharply, excited as hell to be talking to them.

As they made their way to the massive elevator, Katsuki noticed some people watching them. He let his fingers brush the back of Todoroki's hand and made a minute gesture with his head when his friend looked over. Todoroki shrugged, unconcerned. Expression neutral, he pressed the call button for the elevator.

"I haven't set foot in this building in almost five years. They all just want a look at my father's masterpiece," he explained, voice cold.

The elevator doors opened. An overly simpering female voice announced, "Going up." Todoroki hit the button for the highest floor. "Please insert your key card." He did so. "Thank you, Master Shoto." Katsuki did roll his eyes this time, not caring about the camera that he couldn't see but knew must be filming them.

The elevator began to rise. Katsuki's ears popped, telling him they were moving faster than it seemed. It took sixty seconds before they came to a stop, the doors dinging open. Katsuki expected a hallway or a guard station or something set in front of massive doors, but instead they stepped straight into Endeavor's office - if you could call it that.

The room was at least thirty feet high with a three-tiered crystal chandelier dangling from the ceiling. The space was cavernous and mostly empty, the size of a gymnasium. The right wall was made up of windows that let in the bright morning light, but the room was so large that half of it was still filled with shadows.

The floor was hardwood. Four enormous, dark marble columns stood in the corners. It looked like the faint etchings of flames had been carved into their surfaces. In the center of the room was a large square rug with intricate patterns woven into it. Two six-seater, dark-colored couches sat facing each other on top of it. Between them sat a mahogany coffee table. A silver tray with a coffee pot and mugs had been placed on its surface.

Twenty feet beyond that was a massive desk with a thick, high-backed chair. Endeavor, his flames glowing in the gloom, stood. He braced his massive hands on the desk's surface and smiled smugly. "Shoto."

Todoroki kept his face blank. "IcyHot and Primus reporting for duty. Thank you for accepting our internships. We hope to learn a lot from observing you."

Endeavor didn't seem surprised or put off by his son's formality. "Change into your costumes. We've got a mission," he ordered.

Katsuki shared a look with his friend. Were they going to Hosu already? His palms grew slick.

"May I ask where we're gong?" Todoroki asked politely.

Endeavor flashed a hungry look. "Hunting. Stick with me, Shoto. I'll show you what it means to be strong."

…

A masked face, bloodshot eyes, a long tongue licking over thin, non-existent lips - this was the face of death. It was the agony of a sword thrusting through his back, making him suffocate on his own blood - the searing burn as the blade cut off his head - the breathtaking torment as it impaled him from above as he tried so desperately to flee…

And it was being inside Kacchan's body, feeling the power of his corded muscles, the driving rage, the brilliant flash of his intellect as if it were his own… and feeling the cold steel stabbing straight through his chest into his pumping heart…

"NO!"

Izuku sat bolt upright, his body drenched in sweat, his heart pounding a mile a minute. Panic burned across his nerves. Hands grabbed at him, but all he could hear was the thunder of his heart, all he could see was the darkness of that alley and the flash of light off that deadly blade.

Izuku yanked free of something trying to hold him and went tumbling to the floor, sheets and blankets tangled around his legs. He hit hard, his hands unable to separate and catch him. The impact and the sensation of his wrists being bound together with rope snapped him back to reality. All Might in his deflated form came into focus.

"Izuku!" the hero cried, eyes wide with concern. He quickly leaned over to help pull him up off the floor and back onto the bed, sitting him at the edge. All Might got to his knees in front of him, holding tight to the ropes wrapped around his wrists. "It's alright now. I'm here," he said softly.

Izuku felt tears flood his cheeks, but he wasn't crying. Or he was, but his mind was racing too fast for him to really register any emotions he was feeling. Images spilled behind his eyes. The cold chill of death still filled his bones with ice. He was shivering hard, but he could think.

"Cut me free," he rasped, voice low, eyes almost glowing with determination.

All Might quickly reached for the scissors. "Of course!"

All Might did as he was asked and Izuku shook the ropes off. Hands shaking violently, he nearly dropped his phone as he snatched it off the nightstand table. He immediately dialed Kacchan.

"_Yeah?"_

"Kacchan!" The sound of his boyfriend's voice sent a surge of emotion rushing through him - relief, terror, love. Tears spilled down his cheeks. "You have to…!"

"_Deku!" _This time it was said sharply, a command. _"Shut up a minute."_

Confused, desperate, Izuku blurted out a desperate, "But…!"

"_You can tell me in a minute. I want to tell you about my internship first." _

Izuku realized he was almost hyperventilating. His chest ached from how hard his heart was beating against his sternum.

"_Right now I'm patrolling a busy street. Lots of people are walking around, going about their day. Way more than in our neighborhood, but it's not as bad as downtown. Fuck, the sun's really bright. I'm sweating like a pig. It's going to be a hot summer." _

A car horn sounded and Izuku could hear the slap of Kacchan's boots as he moved away from the disturbance to a more quiet spot.

"_I'm with Endeavor and IcyHot, getting a feel for the area. Endeavor flew us here on a helicopter. Can you believe that? You would have loved it. The view was fucking incredible. We checked in with pro-hero Manual's agency before going on patrol. When we're done, we're going to check into some posh hotel. Guess I lucked out, huh?"_

By this point Izuku's breathing had slowed and he was able to think more clearly. Sensing that he was calm, Kacchan's voice became heavy with double meaning.

"_We're going to be staying in Hosu for awhile, but everyone's on high alert. We're going to play this by the book."_

Izuku nodded his head. He understood the message. It was twofold. One, Kacchan was being extra careful. He knew enough that he wasn't going to make a stupid mistake and get killed. Two, he wasn't going to let Izuku break the rule about talking about his quirk on the phone or via text. It wasn't safe.

Izuku's heart picked up once more. Kacchan had to know what he saw! _Think, Izuku! _he thought angrily. He pulled his legs up to his chest and pressed his forehead hard into his knees. He could hear the sounds of cars and people in the background on the still open line. _He's safe, _he told himself sharply, trying to stay calm. _But he might not be if you don't GET IT TOGETHER!_

"You know that concert that's coming up?" Izuku finally asked, words coming slowly, his voice trembling but clear. "I know you want to go, but he's such a gibbering fool. I can't help yawning." He paused, trying to collect his thoughts. Kacchan gave an easy 'mmhmm', letting him know he was there and listening. "But we can talk about that later. I'd rather talk about the internships. You're in Hosu? Didn't Iida go there first?"

"_Yeah, but barely. He took the train. We almost beat him here by copter."_

Izuku gave a strained laugh, more an awkward chuckle than anything else. "Endeavor's always coming in second. I hope he doesn't lose his head like he's famous for." Nausea churned in his gut. He couldn't stop shaking and clutched his legs tightly, his phone trapped between his ear and his shoulder. "Todoroki's always looking up. To his father, I mean. But y-you…" He bit his lip hard, trying not to cry. "You always move forward…" He took a deep breath, voice going raspy. "Be careful, Kacchan. You don't want to get burned in one of those back alley deals that Hosu is famous for."

"_That's downtown Tokyo, Izu," _Kacchan argued, tone light. _"Hosu isn't a hot bed of criminal activity. But I hear you. I've got this. Don't worry about me. I'll text you updates. Keep your phone on."_

"You, too," Izuku begged.

"_Every hour,"_ Kacchan promised.

"I love you," he whispered thickly.

"_Take care of yourself," _Kacchan instructed and ended the call.

Izuku held his curled up position for a long second, but the burning under his skin wouldn't let him sit still. Images flared and flashed behind his eyes - the staring eyes of a dead child - the laugh of the man raping him - the agony of his body being cut to ribbons - the mind-shredding burn of his stomach acid spilling free of his abdomen after a canon blast…

Izuku flung himself off the bed and toward his notebook. "We've got to save them…" he muttered madly, already scribbling away.

"We will," All Might said from behind him. "What do you need?"

"I need to get to Hosu," he said, feverishly shading in a sketch of the rapist's face. "I can't talk to Kacchan like this. He won't let me say it clearly over the phone."

"Say what? What did you see?"

Izuku didn't look up from the page, his pencil moving in steady strokes. "Death. I always see death." His brow furrowed. "But it was different this time. I was _me_ in the visions. I had my own thoughts and memories. I fought back. I tried to save them, but it was confusing. Everything happened so fast." He finally looked back at his teacher. "I didn't see Daisuke this time. I hope he's okay."

All Might watched him with concern. "I'm sure he's fine."

Izuku returned to his notebook and his drawings. "I should ask Hitoshi to send me down so I can talk to him once we get Hosu settled."

"What happens in Hosu?"

Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door. All Might called for them to enter. Izuku didn't bother looking up. He flipped his page and began a new sketch. His hand had begun to cramp, but he ignored it.

"How is he?" a deep voice asked softly. Nighteye.

"I'm not sure," All Might answered. "He says the visions have changed. He said he was himself in them, but I'm not sure how that helps."

"It does," Izuku said absently, pencil moving in short fast strokes. "I can fight back. I can think. Before, it was so overwhelming. I couldn't remember reality, couldn't remember it was a vision. I was those people in that moment. So afraid and in so much pain, with no hope at all. It's different now. I was me. I knew it was a vision, knew I was going to wake up and I could still stop all of it, and I got to fight back. It didn't work most of the time, but I managed to save a few."

"Is that possible?" All Might asked, tone completely confused.

"It shouldn't be," came Nighteye's response, his tone grim. "As I told you, Midoriya's quirk is unlike anything I've ever heard of. The future can't be changed."

"That's dumb," Izuku answered distractedly, most of his attention on his drawing. "The future hasn't happened yet. Of course it can be changed. By seeing the future in advance, you're already changing that future's past by seeing it in the first place."

"Unless seeing that future is a part of what led to that future," Nighteye retorted.

"In that case, it can still be changed, but only if you take actions that you wouldn't normally take. Something outside of what would have created the future you saw."

"It's not that simple." Nighteye's tone was so cold that Izuku glanced up. The man was staring at him, his yellow eyes hard. "You think I haven't tried? You think I didn't fight against what I saw over and over again? Any action I take, normal or random, are the ones that created the future. I cannot avoid it. I cannot change it. Thousands of psychics before you have proved this is the case."

Izuku was barely holding himself together. His hands were shaking, he was covered in sweat, and exhaustion made his body feel fifty pounds heavier. He did not have time to deal with this man's prejudices. "None of them were me," he said with finality. "I don't know how it works or why, but I'm able to change what I see. I've done it all my life, so there's no point arguing about this." He turned back to his drawing. He needed to give Tsukauchi sketches of all the killers so the police could start looking for them as soon as possible, but then they had to go.

"And now you say you went into the future and changed it through the vision itself?" Nighteye demanded, doubt thick in his voice.

Anger bubbled up inside of him. Izuku's head whipped up and he stared the man down. "Yes. I can now change what I see while I'm seeing it. Instead of their thoughts and experiences flooding into me, my mind floods into them. Until I talk to one of them, I don't know what it's like from their side, but _it does not matter _right now. Right now we have to get to Hosu, I have to talk to Kacchan, and I have to try and find that alley so we can all be ready when the Hero Killer attacks. Because if we aren't, my friends willDIE!" Voice hard, a fierce glare on his face, he practically growled, "So you can either get on board with that. Or you can get out."

"Izuku," All Might said gently, concern softening his expression. "We don't have the authority to go to Hosu. How would we even explain it without revealing you have visions?"

The rage washed out of Izuku as quickly as it had spiked. It left Izuku a shivering, crying mess. It took all his self-control to keep his voice level. "Ever since One For All, I've been able to know exactly when and where a vision was taking place, but now it's like it was before. I'll have to figure out where I was based on what I could see in the vision. That's why I have to go to Hosu! I'll recognize that alley when I see it."

He gripped the back of his chair so tightly the wood creaked under his grip. "I swear I'm not trying to get involved in the fight, All Might. I just need to make sure everyone's ready." Voice low, he shamelessly begged. "Please, you have to help me. I've never asked you for anything. This is Kacchan's life!" Desperate, he glared up at his hero through his tears. "And you owe him! You left him chained on that podium like an _animal_ for all the world to see! Help me save his life! Please!"

All Might held his eyes. There was hurt there but also resolve. "Very well. I'll call Gran Torino and explain the situation somehow."

"_Thank you_," Izuku breathed. He turned back to the desk and tore the sketches of the killers' faces out of his notebook. "Can you give these to Tsukauchi?"

All Might accepted the papers. Nighteye said nothing as he left the room with him.

Izuku got to his feet and shakily stripped out of his clothes. He grabbed his ropes. He tied a loop around his wrist and wound the rope tightly up his arm. He visualized the rope holding him together, visualized his emotions muting as if he were tying his mind and heart as well as his arms. Almost in a trance, he tied the rope off only a few inches short of his shoulder and did the same to his other arm before pulling on a long-sleeved t-shirt. He'd just pulled up his jeans when the door opened and his mother came in.

Inko looked exhausted. Her eyes were dark with worry. When she saw him up and out of bed, her eyes went wide. She hurried to his side and pushed him back toward the bed. "What are you doing? You need to rest!"

"Mom, wait," Izuku said softly, grabbing her hand.

He _hated_ how hard this was on her, but he didn't have any other choice. This was who he was. This was what his quirk and the world had made of him. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her down next to him. He tried to give her a smile.

"I'm not going to do anything risky," he assured her softly. "We're just going to go to Hosu where Kacchan and my friends are and have a look around before I head to my internship. I know I'm a little shaky right now, but All Might will be with me. I'm going to be okay, mom, promise."

"Why?" she demanded desperately. "You just woke up!"

Izuku stared into her eyes. He wanted to lie so she wouldn't worry, but he'd just promised to let her in more. "I saw Kacchan die, but I don't know where it'll happen exactly. I have to find the alley it happened in, so that the heroes can be there to save Kacchan."

Her eyes were wide. "He should come home! Why is he still there?"

"If he leaves, it might change things so much that we won't be able to stop the villain," he explained softly. "So many people will get hurt if we don't stop this guy."

"You're both still students!" she snapped, tears streaking her face. "You're not ready for this. I want you to go straight to Gran Torino and for Katsuki to come home. The pros can handle finding this killer. It's their job!"

"Mom…" Izuku began, desperate to make her understand.

"Izuku, you saw him die! All of you should stay away from that place!"

"We'll be smart. And if it comes down to a fight, we'll fight hard and we'll fight together. And we'll win! That's what it means to be a hero."

"No, Izu," she said, heartbroken. "What that means is to be a corpse! You're going to get yourself killed if you keep throwing yourself into danger!" She held his face between her shaking hands, her voice urgent. "I've been thinking about what Rai-chan said. I know you don't want to hear it, but, Izuku, I think he's right."

Izuku stared at her, eyes wide. "What do you mean?"

Her voice thickened as she delivered the painful truth. "You're not like Katsuki-kun, Izuku. You're not like All Might. Your quirk was never meant for battle. Being a hero was never meant to be your fate. You stole it and All Might let you, but, Izuku, it's not fair. To me or to anyone else. That quirk was meant to be with someone else. Someone more capable. Think of all the people who will suffer because All Might's quirk is with the wrong person."

Izuku stared at her in horror, completely gutted.

"Oh, Izuku!" She flung her arms around him and held him painfully tight. "I'm so, so sorry. I know it's not what you want. I know it hurts, but it's the truth! If you keep going down this path, you'll be killed and so will so many others. Giving this power to someone else, someone with a combat quirk, someone with the skills and training, would be the right thing to do. You could even give it to Katsuki! He's so strong; he'd save so many!"

Numb, he pulled out of her embrace. "I have to go," he said robotically. "I have to make sure Kacchan's safe."

"Think about it, Izuku." She gave him a tearful smile, green eyes full of love and trust. "I know you'll make the right choice."

Izuku grabbed his duffle and went to the door. As he touched the handle, his mother's voice reached him one more time.

"I love you. No matter what," she said softly.

Izuku closed his eyes against the pain and stepped out. He said nothing as he found All Might and Nighteye. They asked him questions, but he ducked his head and remained silent. Izuku didn't even realize time was passing. He lifted his head and they were already at the station boarding a train to Hosu.

Izuku settled in next to the window and pulled his notebook out. He closed his eyes and immediately the images in his visions flared behind them, ripping him down into the dark. First had been the alley chase, but he'd managed to win that fight. He jotted down a brief summary and moved to the next.

Second had been the office shooting. He'd won that fight, too, but the man had had a heart attack afterward. He needed help right away, so Izuku wrote a paragraph explaining what happened and then began to sketch out little details he'd seen. Things like calendars on desks, a clock on the wall, a billboard he could see the corner of through the window, a logo on a piece of paper that had fallen to the floor.

Third had been the drug deal. He'd taken care of that one, too, so he summarized what happened and moved on.

Fourth… A cold chill made him shiver and he curled his legs closer to his body protectively. It had been the basement rapist. Izuku couldn't bare to write more than he had to. As for details, he'd been in a basement, so he didn't have a lot to go on, but he sketched the walls, floor, and ceiling. He also did small sketches of the women's faces. They were pretty beat up, so it probably wouldn't help too much. The rapist was the most vivid in his mind's eye. Izuku could still feel him rutting deep inside his body, the way their skin slip-slid coated in blood, the way the man had smelled and sounded… Izuku bit back a whimper and turned the page, trying to shut it all out.

Fifth had been the assassination in the hotel room. The hotel logo had been all over the place, so that would be a good start. He sketched the room, not many were that luxurious, right? He focused really hard on the window in the vision. What could he see outside? It had been dark, so not much, but he'd seen lights hadn't he? He sketched it the best he could.

Sixth had been the woman who had poisoned her husband. He wrote a sentence, stating what happened, but he didn't bother with sketches or description. He really hoped the woman took the alibi he'd given her. She deserved better.

Seventh had been the pedophile with the van. Izuku closed his eyes and concentrated. Everything around him disappeared. He sank deep into the memory. Felt the coarse ropes around his wrists, the muzzle, the sway of the van, the metallic taste of iron and rust, the fear making his heart pound. Slowly the image came clear, of the van driving away. Izuku's fingers moved as he drew out the license plate.

A strong hand grabbed his shoulder. Izuku gasped, his eyes flying open.

"We're here," All Might said kindly.

Izuku swayed as he got to his feet. All Might braced him and helped guide him off the train. He felt sick, bile burning up his throat. He jerked away from All Might and stumbled to a trashcan on the platform. Everyone gave him a wide berth as he puked. Except for All Might. His hero stood right at his side, his large hand warm and strong on his back. Izuku leaned into his mentor, tears beading on his lashes.

"You need to rest," All Might said firmly, holding Izuku close.

"I have to look for the alley," Izuku protested, but his head was ringing.

"You can't do anything like this," Nighteye pointed out. "You're wasting time by arguing. The sooner you rest, the sooner we can look for that alley."

Izuku relented. All Might kept one arm wrapped around his shoulder as they made their way through the station. Kacchan wasn't wrong. As they stepped out into the bright sunshine of late afternoon, a blanket of warmth wrapped around them. It was at least five degrees warmer here than at UA.

"The hotel Endeavor is staying in isn't far."

Izuku nodded gratefully. He pulled out his phone and texted Kacchan an update as they walked. It didn't take long. The hotel was only ten minutes away and the heat felt good on Izuku's clammy skin. When they turned the corner, Izuku stared wide-eyed. The hotel was at least twenty stories tall, easily the tallest on the block. The lobby had gold everywhere and half a dozen dangling chandeliers.

Izuku caught All Might's sleeve. "I can't pay for this…"

All Might looked at him as if he were crazy. "Of course not. I am."

Guilt churned his already queasy stomach, but Izuku didn't want to cause a scene by protesting. Instead he sat in a plush chair underneath a renaissance painting and waited for All Might to check in. Not that anyone knew it was All Might. He stood thin as a skeleton, his clothes four times too large. Guests and the clerk gave him disapproving looks. Nighteye looked more the part in his sharp suite, combed dark green hair, and silver glasses. Everyone differed to him, ignoring All Might when they could. Izuku felt a swell of respect for his hero. Endeavor would never have allowed himself to be treated so.

All Might came over, his long yellow bangs hanging down past his shoulders as he gave Izuku a smile, completely unbothered by how he'd been treated. "We managed to get a room on the same floor as Endeavor. Come on."

Izuku followed. His eyes widened when All Might pressed the button for floor 23. That was the top floor. The elevator lifted with smooth acceleration. Two minutes later, the doors dinged open to a wide hallway with red carpeting with wide doors on either side. Gold wall lamps hung every five feet, casting a soft golden glow over everything. They were in room 2314.

The room had a living area with a couch and massive tv, a kitchenette, a small dining table in front of a wide window and two doors off to the right. One was open and revealed a marble bathroom, the other led into a dark bedroom.

"Why don't you take a quick nap?" All Might asked, shutting the door behind them and casually tossing the room key to the kitchen counter.

"In a minute," Izuku answered, distracted. He moved to the couch and sat down, pulling the notebook into his lap and opening it. He was sweating profusely. "I'm almost done. Got to get them all down."

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Seven had been the van and after that came… The bank robbery. The memory bloomed like a bruise behind his eyelids. He sketched the logo he remembered from the computer screen. He also remembered seeing the time and date in the corner of the screen. The mind-shredding agony of being shot in the gut threatened to tear him down into madness, but Izuku forced it back down.

Ten, god, ten had been the torture in the chair. The professionals. The cold detachment in their voice and eyes still sent shivers running up and down Izuku's spine. There had been no passion there. It had been a simple job to them, and it had left Izuku with nothing much to go on. The room had been bare and he'd been so out of it with pain he hadn't noticed much. The sketch of the criminal's face was all he could give.

Eleven had been the domestic violence case. That bastard had gone too far and had actually killed his child. He still remembered the old and new bruises molting his and the other child's skin, the marks on the woman collapsed on the floor. Izuku forced his mind to focus. He'd managed to call for help, but it hadn't been soon enough. The little boy hadn't been breathing when the police had arrived. They needed to get there sooner! He remembered seeing a clock and he remembered the dimensions of the house. He got one look outside the window, but all he saw was more houses. He sketched the view anyway. He desperately hoped it would be enough. Next time, Izuku would be more careful about finding identifying markers.

Eleven. Izuku's mind flinched away from the vision. For a minute, he couldn't remember what came next, but he refused to give up. He cleared his mind and slowly he saw again the bedroom of an apartment. It was the home invasion. The memory of the little boy's throat getting cut right in front of him made Izuku whimper brokenly. He'd failed so badly in that vision. He scanned his memory almost feverishly for any clue as to where he was. A letter! He'd seen a letter when he crashed into the glass table! But he could only make part of it come into focus. He wrote what he could.

Twelve had been the assisted suicide. There wasn't much that could be done, but Izuku wanted to check up on those bullies. Maybe ask Aizawa to arrange for them to get counseling. He also wanted to make sure that the suicidal kid got help, that his family was supporting him and not making it worse. He wrote the names he knew and drew the school uniform. He also sketched the skyline he'd seen.

Finally, he got to the last vision. It had been blurry and he'd been a passive observer, halfway between the new way of taking over and the old way where he lost himself completely in someone else's mind. He spent several minutes sketching the alley in acute detail, trying to piece it together as his perspective jumped around.

He'd seen through Iida's eyes first. The pro-hero Native had been slummed against a brick wall. He'd been alive but unmoving. Then there had been a sharp stab of steel pushing through his back, then death. He'd jumped to Endeavor's eyes next.

The heat of Endeavor's quirk and the lust for victory had been overwhelming. Izuku mind still reeled in horror as he remembered the sensation of spinning before staring up at his own headless corpse. Endeavor had still been alive for several minutes after his head had been cut off. Izuku swallowed hard. He would have puked, his stomach doing a nauseating roll, but he had nothing left to vomit.

Then he'd been behind Todoroki's eyes. That's when he saw Kacchan for the first time. He'd felt Todoroki's desperate concern for his friend and the sharp fear as he watched his father get cut down right in front of him. Todoroki had tried to run, had tried to protect Kacchan, but the Hero Killer had fallen from above, impaling him through the throat and chest, killing him almost instantly.

Then Izuku had been behind Kacchan's eyes. _"Don't look, Izu…" _The words haunted him. Even as Kacchan had been brutally cut down, he had only been thinking of Izuku. He'd shut his eyes so that Izuku wouldn't have the visual of Kacchan's death imbedded in his mind, but nothing could stop Izuku from _feeling_ it.

His eyes snapped open. Nighteye was leaning against the wall. The light reflected off his glasses. All Might was on the couch with him, sitting quietly. Izuku handed over his notebook open to the page with the sketches of the alley.

"I couldn't see it too well. My perspective kept jumping with each death and it happened so fast. The Hero Killer killed them all in the space of three or four minutes. It looked like some kind of paralysis quirk. Native was alive but unmoving, and Iida couldn't move for some reason even though he wasn't hurt too badly."

All Might, listening attentively, passed on the notebook to Nighteye. "You did good, Izuku. We'll get a start on this from what you've said and drawn. For now, you need to sleep. Just for an hour, okay? You're shaking."

Izuku blinked and realized it was true. His whole body was trembling. He wrapped his arms around his torso trying to still it. "Oh."

"Come on." All Might helped him to his feet and towed him to the bedroom. "You don't have to worry. Aizawa is trailing Iida and Bakugo will text if it looks like the vision is about to come true."

Izuku sat on the edge of the bed. He felt like he was floating. "Save him, All Might," he begged, eyes already falling closed. "Please save him."

"I will," All Might promised, his trademark grin of confidence the last thing Izuku saw before passing out.

…

Toshinori softly closed the door to the bedroom and made his way to his old friend. "What do you think?"

Mirai was absorbed in Izuku's notes and sketches. He was the most brilliant man on the planet and Toshinori could almost feel the air heating around him as his mind whirled through connections and calculations. It brought a smile to his face. He'd missed this man more than he could ever say. Having Mirai beside him now made him feel complete.

Was that part of the reason he had been drawn to Izuku? Had he seen a little bit of Mirai in the boy? The irony wasn't lost on him. The boy Mirai had picked as a successor to One For All was strikingly similar to Toshinori himself while he had picked someone more like Mirai - his nephew, in fact! Instead of looking for successors, had they actually been searching for each other? The romantic in him wished it were true, even though he knew Mirai had never felt the same.

"Toshi," his friend said slowly, his voice deep and measured, staring at Toshinori intently. "Do you understand the significance of his ability to _change_ what he sees? He's the first in ten thousand years of human history. Do you know what people would _give_ to have access to him, to experiment on the limits of this power? And you've given him One For All on top of it. Arguably one of the rarest quirks in the world. Do you know how much would be _lost_ in the event of his death?"

Toshinori crossed his arms, completely at ease. "I gave him One For All because he's the right one to wield it. He has a hero's heart, Yoru. More than even me. He does not believe in destiny, but I do, and I know you do, too. He speaks to Daisuke, the first holder. Daisuke said he was waiting for Izuku, that Izuku is the only one who can wield One For All at its full potential. There's no denying he's meant to be my successor."

"It's terrifying," Mirai almost whispered. "If the universe is creating a person to balance out what's to come, the convergence of his powers signify something equally dark and terrible coming."

Toshinori shivered at the certainty in his partner's voice, the intensity in his golden eyes.

"I've noticed the underground stirring," Mirai continued. "A dark leader is on the rise. Power is shifting and the heroes on the whole are becoming unfit for the title. And the death I saw… Your death… It's fast approaching. I fear the age of heroes and peace is ending."

Toshinori's breath caught as he realized tears were glittering in Mirai's eyes. He strode forward, closing the distance between them and pulling the man into his arms. "Then we must get to work, Yoru. We have to help them as much as we can. Your students and mine. We have to have faith they will stand strong against the darkness."

Mirai leaned against him for a brief moment before pulling away.

Toshinori smiled sadly. It had always been this way between them. Him reaching out and Mirai pulling away. He changed the subject hoping to ease some of his friend's tension. "Do you think you can find the alley based on what he's drawn?"

"I can find most of these locations," Mirai said easily, as if it were a small thing. "I'll be back. Don't leave without me." He straightened his suit jacket and tucked Izuku's notebook under his arm before striding out the door, his cellphone already at his ear.

Left alone with Izuku, Toshinori felt dread sit in his stomach. As much as he'd put on a confident face for his friend, the truth was he was terrified of Mirai's prediction. Terrified of the peace he'd sacrificed so much for shattering. And as unfair as it was to Izuku, he was nonetheless terrified that the boy would not be enough to stem the tide of darkness.

…

Katsuki glared hotly at the number two hero's back. They'd been walking the streets for nearly eight hours. Endeavor had given them exactly one break to use the restroom and get a drink of water, but that had been almost three hours ago. The sun was sinking on the horizon, hidden behind the buildings. Darkness was falling fast and there was no sign of Endeavor stopping. Todoroki's stomach growled. That was it for Katsuki.

"We need to stop," he stated, planting his feet. Todoroki stopped with him, but his eyes were wide with surprise. He shook his head subtly, but Katsuki ignored him. He met Endeavor's piercing blue eyes fearlessly.

"What did you say?" Endeavor asked, voice a low note of danger. He took a step closer to them, using his enormous size to cow them into submission.

"You heard me," Katsuki answered evenly. He was not intimidated. "It's not strategic to burn all our energy this early into the hunt. We need an hour to recuperate and to get some fuel into our bodies. If we keep running mindlessly like this, we'll be useless when the battle comes."

Endeavor's eyes narrowed into furious slits. "Is this the extent of your stamina, boy?" he demanded in disgust.

Katsuki's hands sizzled, his rage slipping his leash a bit, but Todoroki stepped between them. His face was perfectly blank as he met his father's angry glare.

"Permission to take a short rest, sir."

"If you aren't back at my side in an hour, there will be consequences," the large man growled ominously, his words heavy with some hidden meaning.

Todoroki tried to remain stoic, but Katsuki caught the tension in his shoulders, the way his face paled slightly. He had to hold his hands out to the side as his quirk activated, popping loudly. Civilians on the street skittered away from him with glares or wide-eyes, but Katsuki didn't give a fuck. "Are you okay?" he demanded.

Todoroki unconsciously curled his arms around his stomach protectively. "Yes." He smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes. "Come on. We're wasting time."

Katsuki followed, still fuming.

"What did Midoriya say? You weren't able to tell me earlier," Todoroki asked, clearly trying to distract him.

Katsuki clenched his hands into fists and tried to swallow down the rage. "He told me that it happens under a waning Gibbous moon, so within the next three nights. Glasses died first. Then your father was beheaded. Then you were killed. I think the blow came from above. Something about you looking up. Then me, but he said something about burns. Either the Hero Killer has a quirk that burns or I got caught up in one of the flaming dirtbag's attacks."

Todoroki hummed thoughtfully. "Probably the later," he admitted. "He'd just say you were too slow and deserved the burns."

Katsuki really was going to kill the motherfucker. He would suggest skipping town and letting the vision play out, but then Glasses would die, too. Katsuki knew what that would do to Izuku. He had to do whatever it took to prevent the fucking idiot's death. Even if it meant letting Endeavor live another fucking day.

A hand grabbed his own. Katsuki tensed to yank it away, but realized it was Todoroki at the last second. He forced his arm still. Todoroki's gaze was direct as he met Katsuki's eyes. "Thank you," he said. "I know you asked to stop because of me, but you don't have to do that. I can keep up."

Katsuki frowned and pulled his hand away. "I don't know what you're talking about." He turned and stomped toward the fast-food chain at the end of the street. "I asked to stop because it's stupid to march around until we collapse and I'm fucking hungry as hell. We've got fifty fucking minutes left, so let's hurry the fuck up and eat."

…

Izuku stood surrounded by his friends and family, but as he turned and met their eyes he saw they were staring at him in disgust.

"I never realized how selfish you are," Uraraka said, face twisted.

"All this time you were just pretending to be a hero," Iida said in disdain, crossing his arms and looking down at him.

"I told you, Midoriya. You're a one-hit wonder," Aizawa drawled. "A liability who will put other heroes in danger as they try to protect you."

"Come with me, honey," his mother pleaded. "Leave this all behind. This is not what you were meant to do."

"You're a failure," a woman with a bloodied face accused him. "You act like you're some great savior, but I died! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU?" she sobbed in agony.

"Shit, Deku!" Kacchan spat, shoving him hard enough to send him falling onto his ass. "Stop holding me back! I nearly lost my arm because of you!"

"I should never have given you my quirk, young man," All Might in his hero form told him gravely. "I was mistaken. I hope you understand."

Izuku screamed as his hero reached down and yanked out a chunk of his hair. All Might turned his back and walked away, leaving him gasping on the ground, his scalp on fire.

"All you're good for is dying," Daisuke said sadly. "Dying so that others more worthy may live."

A spear burst through his back and out his abdomen. Blood drenched his chin as he coughed. With shaking hands, Izuku clutched the spear, a breathless denial on his lips. Without warning, ice punched through his shoulder as his legs caught on fire. He could feel his skin bubbling, the fat oozing and dripping, the horrific smell of burning meat.

"Good job, Shoto," Endeavor said with pride as he watched Izuku writhe in agony.

"You said you'd save me from him, Midoriya," Todoroki told him, voice raw. "Look what he's turned me into!"

Izuku thrashed, screams tearing from his throat even as Endeavor reached forward with his massive hand. "You forgot a limb. You have to be thorough if you're going to be number one," the hero said with a terrifying grin. Endeavor grabbed his forearm and snapped it like a twig.

Izuku howled in pain.

"He's too broken," Hitoshi decided, eyes as cold as his voice. "Let's start the experiment over, shall we?" The cock of a gun sounded by his head. "See you when you wake up, Izuku."

BANG!

Izuku sat bolt upright, screaming hoarsely as he felt his skull shatter and heard his brain matter splatter against the wall. He thrashed as strong arms wrapped around him, sobs tearing from deep inside his soul. He was being rocked back and forth, All Might - skeletal and injured - held him close, hushing him softly.

"It's alright," the hero said calmly. "I'm here now. It's okay."

Izuku clung to him desperately, weeping brokenly. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, All Might! I didn't mean to steal it! I just wanted to help them! I wanted to save everyone! I'm sorry!"

"Hey, now. What's this all about?" All Might held him tighter. "What did you steal?"

"One For All!" Izuku cried desperately. "I stole it from someone better, someone stronger! Now people are going to die because I was selfish! I'm not worthy! I've never been worthy! All I'm good for is dying!"

"Izuku!" All Might said sharply and pushed him away enough so they could look into each other's faces. "I do not want to hear you say that. That is _not_ all you are good for." He gently brushed Izuku's hair from his eyes. "Remember what I said? We cannot save everyone, but we will save everyone we can. Izuku, I do not know what weight you are struggling under, but you are not unworthy. You have saved so many and you will continue to save even more as you grow. I could not have found anyone better to wield One For All."

Izuku shook his head, unable to believe what his hero was saying. Tears drenched his pale face as he struggled to pull away. "No. It's not true. It's not true!"

All Might let him go with one hand, but refused to free the other. Izuku tried to pry his grip loose. He had no idea where he was trying to go, but he had to get away. He had to do something. He had to give it back!

"_Yeah?"_

Izuku froze as Kacchan's voice entered the room. His eyes went wide as he stared at the phone All Might held. He'd put it on speaker.

"I am sorry for calling when you are on duty, young Bakugo. However, I have Izuku here and he's rather distressed. I'm having a hard time reaching him."

Izuku began to hyperventilate. He wanted with a desperate need to see his boyfriend. Kacchan was his anchor; he'd be able to tell him what was real. At the same time, he was terrified of seeing disgust in Kacchan's red eyes. It would break him completely.

"_Izuku? You with me?"_

"I'm s-sorry," he wheezed, breaking into sobs. "I'm s-sorry!"

"_Shit. Okay. I need you to breathe, Izu. You hear me? All Might is going to take a deep breath in. I want you to copy him."_

Izuku did as he was told. It took him several tries, but he managed to take a full breath in.

All Might watched with calm, understanding eyes as he breathed deeply, setting a rhythm Izuku could match. "Good, young Midoriya. That's good. Now let it out."

Slowly Izuku's breathing evened out. The panic dissipated and embarrassment flooded in. "I'm sorry," he said again, this time much more calmly.

"_What happened?"_ Kacchan asked.

"Nightmare," Izuku answered, avoiding All Might's eyes.

"I think it was more than that," the hero disagreed. "You claimed you stole my quirk and that you were unworthy of it."

His hands clenched into fists. "I just… There might be other people more capable than me to wield it. If I keep it, I'll be responsible for the suffering of everyone I couldn't save."

"Is this because of Mirai?" All Might asked, worried. "He does not know you well enough. When he does, he'll see I made the right choice in you."

Izuku pulled away, changing the subject. "It was just a bad dream. We're wasting time. We have to find that alley so we can have everything ready for when the Hero Killer shows up."

"_Let me talk to Izuku alone."_

All Might dutifully handed over the phone.

Izuku accepted it with a trembling hand and turned off the speaker.

"_You there?"_

"Yes," he answered softly.

"_You got your ropes on?"_

Misery sat heavy in his chest. Why was he always so weak? Why was he always falling apart? "Yes, but I need to tighten them," he admitted, voice a tight rasp.

"_Okay. Good. Focus on what's real."_

Izuku bit his lip. Did he even know what that was anymore?

"_Yes, you do,"_ Kacchan stated with certainty, knowing Izuku's fears. _"Tell me something that's real, Izu."_

"You are," Izuku answered immediately. It was the one thing he could always count on.

Kacchan's voice dropped into the lower register that always made Izuku's heart beat faster. _"That's right, and we're going to save that idiot's ass and stop the villain. Together, just like always."_

Izuku's throat burned with unshed tears. "I love you," he whispered, holding tight to the phone.

"_Same," _Kacchan said roughly. _"Don't forget you've worked fucking hard on your quirks, both of them. We've got this."_

"I'm good now," Izuku promised, the world righting itself once more.

"_I know you are,"_ Kacchan purred, making Izuku blush. _"See you soon, Deku." _The call ended.

Still blushing, he handed the phone back to All Might. "Thank you."

All Might smiled at him. "We all need a little help sometimes, kid. Even me."

Izuku nodded and got out of bed. The doubts still lingered, dark and insidious, but he locked them away the way he did the visions. His mind was clear, as was his purpose: stop the Hero Killer. Green eyes burning with determination, he clenched his hands into fists. "Let's go look for that alley."

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** Next chapter is the infamous and amazing fight with Stain! Just what will happen? Will the boys escape unscathed? ;p


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: **Happy Solstice Everyone! This is the chapter a lot of you have been waiting for. I tried to make it fun - exciting - and intense to read.

There was a lot going on and a lot of perspectives to choose from, so it might be a bit more jumpy than normal. Hope you enjoy and that it meets expectation!

~ Best Wishes to All in the New Year! ~

…

**Hero Killer Stain**

Izuku looked down at the map in his hands. Almost half of the city had X's drawn over it with a trail of circles. Since he'd woken at dawn, he'd been canvasing Hosu with All Might at his side, but they still hadn't found the alleyway from his vision. As for the blue circles, Kacchan had texted his location every hour as promised, and Izuku kept track. He was careful to always stay within three blocks of his boyfriend. Just in case.

Every couple of hours, All Might made him stop to take a break to eat and drink something, but they had been making good progress despite that. Kacchan and Todoroki weren't as lucky with Endeavor. They had patrolled straight through the night and had only been allowed to sleep when the sun had come up. Not even six hours later, Endeavor had them up and out on the street again. Apparently, the pro-hero was determined to be the one to catch the Hero Killer and also to toughen Todoroki up.

"There's a cafe on the corner," All Might spoke up, drawing him from his thoughts. His long blond bangs framed his face and hung past his shoulders while the rest was a fluffy halo around his head. His bright blue eyes were attentive as he monitored Izuku's energy levels and focus. "Let's get a drink and a pastry. It's almost dinner time."

Izuku gave him a wan smile. He couldn't argue. All Might was right. The sky was flaring with the gold and orange of sunset. "Alright." Everything in him wanted to keep searching. He could feel it, a clock counting down toward death - _Kacchan's death! -_ but he knew if he protested, All Might would put his foot down and forbid Izuku from searching at all. "Sounds good."

All Might flashed his trademark grin and guided him toward the cafe. "Don't worry, young Midoriya. We're making excellent progress."

…

Katsuki searched the shadows of every passing alley with intense focus. The sun was setting, painting the sky a brilliant orange. His body throbbed with exhaustion, a dehydration headache sat behind his eyes and his feet throbbed, but all he fucking cared about was the fact that the alleys were getting darker and harder to see down.

Todoroki marched at his side. The stoic teen kept his eyes trained upward, scanning the roofs of the nearby buildings. He wasn't taking Izuku's vision lightly. Endeavor strode a few feet ahead of them, shoulders back with his flames dancing and flickering on currents of air. The number two hero ignored the people who pointed and clapped as he passed. He was on a mission. Katsuki had to grudgingly admire the man's focus and stamina if nothing else.

"You doing okay?" he asked quietly, suddenly noticing his friends hands were trembling.

Todoroki's eyes, one teal blue the other grey, narrowed slightly, giving away his annoyance. "I'm fine."

"Uh huh," Katsuki drawled.

They had marched almost eleven hours the day before on little rest or food and had only been granted five hours of sleep. They'd already put in another six hours and Endeavor had only let them stop once for the bathroom and to rehydrate. It wasn't surprising that Todoroki was reaching the end of his endurance.

"How are you doing so well?" Todoroki demanded in a hiss.

Katsuki eyed the distance between them and Endeavor before answering quietly. "This isn't my first all night stake out." He had learned the hard way. Years of chasing Izuku when he'd been driven beyond human endurance to stop his visions. There had been long stretches like this where they'd had no time to rest, eat, or use a bathroom, and his body had been forced to cope.

Todoroki ran a hand through his two-colored hair, fatigue slipping through his mask. "You could give me a few tips."

"Regulate your breathing, move as little as possible, slow your thoughts. Thinking burns more energy than you'd realize." Of course, saying it was easy, but putting it into practice was another thing entirely. It would take his friend a while to learn how to do it. "Pare down to the bare minimum and you'll be surprised how long you can push on."

Todoroki had nothing to say to that, but he started to control his breathing and he stopped swinging his arms as he walked.

…

Iida walked slightly behind the pro-hero Manual. He was the leader of a small agency just outside of downtown Hosu. His building was one story with a small office and only a handful of sidekicks and office workers, but he was respected by his peers. Manual was a lot like Iida's older brother, genuine and compassionate. Being with him was harder than Iida had expected. The burn of tears sat right behind his eyes, and it took all he had to make sure Manual didn't notice.

"You know," the hero said suddenly. He stopped on the sidewalk, the sky painted orange behind him. He turned to face Iida. "If you're here to chase after the Hero Killer, you should reconsider," he said earnestly, dark eyes sympathetic.

Iida stared at him heart in his throat. "Why would you say that?" he asked in a whisper.

Manual gave an awkward shrug and shy smile. "I couldn't think of any other reason someone of your caliber would choose my small agency for your internship." Eyes suddenly wide, hurried to say. "Not that I'm not very glad to have you! I am! But if you go after the Hero Killer without a license, you'd be working outside the law. It took a lot of work and a lot of time for heroes to legally be allowed to use their quirks the way we do. Vigilanteism endangers that, and it would endanger you. Stain is an X-class villain. He's extremely dangerous."

Iida gave a bow. "Thank you."

Manual turned and started walking again. "Don't worry about it. You seem like an earnest kid. I'm sure you'll make the right choice."

Iida followed, saying nothing. His heart thumped fast and hard in his chest. He understood what Manual was trying to say, but how could he let it go? It felt like acid was eating his ribs from the inside out. That killer had maimed _Tensei!_ The grief and rage sizzling in his brain would not abate. Tensei had been heroic in every sense of the word, and the Hero Killer had taken it all away. The injustice of it burned unrelenting in Iida's soul. It wouldn't let him rest, or eat, or sleep. Not until the Hero Killer was stopped! Was _punished_ for his crimes!

Something moved in the darkness of an alley. The flicker of cold, white light. A reflection off metal? Iida went rigid, coming to a complete stop. An explosion made him flinch and look forward. People were screaming and running past him. A building halfway up the block was on fire. Manual shouted at him and took off running, but Iida's attention was riveted on that flash in the darkness. He turned and ran into the shadows, unable to think of anything except the Hero Killer.

…

As soon as Endeavor heard the explosion, he took off down a side alleyway, cutting through the block to get to the scene of the emergency faster. Katsuki's vision went crystal clear as adrenaline dumped into his system. He knew without a doubt that this was the start of Izuku's vision. As he ran after the hero, he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and sent a lightning fast test to Izuku.

…

Izuku was already running when his phone buzzed with Kacchan's text. "Two blocks over," he yelled. "To the right."

The side of a building exploded outward sending bricks, cement, and plaster raining down on the street. A woman in a red dress fell, her head bleeding. An older woman with a cane stood frozen in terror. Two men in business suits ran screaming. One man in clubbing clothes had his phone up, recording the attack.

A nomu, the same monster from the USJ, the top of its skull missing and its brain exposed to the air, stood on the street and bellowed its challenge. It lifted a massive arm and swung down at the old woman. All Might transformed into his hero form and charged. The two massive figures collided with jarring force.

"Go, Deku!" All Might shouted, grinning his hero's grin. "I'll catch up to you in a few minutes. I know you can hold him off until then!"

Izuku felt breathless with All Might's faith in him, but he didn't have time to argue or tell him he was wrong. Kacchan was in danger! Izuku turned and ran.

…

Aizawa dropped silently from the roof just as the Hero Killer deflected Iida's berserker attack and sent the teen flying. Behind them, the pro-hero Native collapsed bonelessly against the alley wall. "A child wearing a suit…" the killer said in a low, rasping voice. He didn't have time to finish his thought. Aizawa's scarf lashed forward. The Hero Killer deflected with his sword, attempting to cut what looked like cloth, but instead sparks flew as the blade dragged along supple metal.

Aizawa's capture weapon was state-of-the-art. Like a paper-thin metal snake, the material was made up of nanobots that were programed to respond to Aizawa's mental signals via the tiny receivers placed along his hairline. But despite being surprised, Stain managed to escape being wrapped up inside the scarf's folds, leaping agilely away. However, he lost his katana, the sword yanked from his hand as his scarf wrapped around it and retracted.

"Eraserhead," the Hero Killer said slowly. "You are less deserving than most of being purged, but if you get in the way of my duty… I _will_ kill you."

Aizawa had to admit the killer cut an intimidating figure against the shadows of the night. He had a cream-colored mask wrapped around the upper part of his face and a deep red headscarf wrapped around his forehead. It held his long, ink black hair from his eyes. His face was angular and lean as a wolf's. Scar tissue covered his face where his nose should be. His body was lean and muscular, his back curled forward.

Bandages wrapped his arms from fingertips to biceps. He wore black boots with steel spikes ringing the toes, loose black pants, and a black tank top. The harnesses wrapped around his thighs and torso held dozens of wicked blades. A tattered, blood red scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck, the ends trailing off on the breeze. He even had what looked like screws in his earlobes instead of earrings.

The Hero Killer was a vision of metal and death, and Aizawa instinctively stepped back, putting himself closer to his student.

"He's mine!" Iida screamed madly, climbing to his feet. His helmet had been knocked away from where the Hero Killer had struck him in the face. His glasses were missing and his dark grey eyes were wild with rage.

Aizawa's erasure quirk was already activated as he stared with focused intent at the killer, but Stain still moved with inhuman speed. The Hero Killer flew forward, daggers in his hands. He flew straight toward Iida! Aizawa wrapped the teen in his scarf, yanking him off his feet, and attacked the killer's flank, but it had been a feint! The daggers were suddenly slashing for Aizawa'a chest! Aizawa flipped backward to avoid the fatal blow, but he was thrown off balance by Iida's violent thrashing.

One of the daggers just nicked Aizawa'a thigh. He landed, blinked, and lunged forward to attack — only to collapse. His hair fell, his quirk going dark as his whole body went completely limp. Aizawa's scarf went lax, no longer receiving the necessary signals to activate, and Iida came panting to his feet.

"Hero Killer Stain! I've been searching for you!" the teen yelled, voice guttural.

"ENGINE!" Aizawa barked, eyes wide, alarm making his heart race in his chest. "STAND DOWN!"

Stain slammed his foot on the hilt of his dropped katana and it flipped into the air. The killer caught it with a graceful movement of his hand and swung the blade so that the point was less than an inch from Iida's eyes.

"Your eyes… Are you here for vengeance?" Leaning forward, completely ignoring Aizawa as if he didn't exist, he glared into the teen's rage-twisted face. "Be careful what you say. Depending on the situation, even children may become my targets."

"I am the younger brother of a hero you attacked," Iida answered hatefully, completely uncaring of the deadly blade pointed at his face. "Remember my name for as long as you live! Ingenium. It is the name of the hero who will defeat you!"

"I see," the killer said calmly, but his eyes had gone bright with murderous intent. Calmly, he pronounced the teen's fate. "Die."

"Stop!" Aizawa broke out in a sweat as he mentally strained against the hold on his body.

"Like I would!" Iida's quirk activated.

The sound of powerful engines revving hit the air as he launched forward almost faster than the eye could see, his leg swinging around in a powerful kick. The Hero Killer jumped, evading the blatant attack. He kicked his booted foot as he flipped over the teen's head and the two inch spikes lining the toe slammed into the meat of Iida's shoulder. Face twisted in pain, a fan of blood spraying up into the air, Iida was slammed face first down onto concrete.

Carelessly, Stain stood with one foot planted on the teen's back, the other on his head, holding his face down. "Ingenium. You're brothers, huh? You should be grateful. I left your brother alive so that he could spread my message to all the false heroes." He flipped his katana so it was pointed down and casually impaled Iida's other shoulder. More blood sprayed the air as Iida let loose a pained scream.

"STAIN!" Aizawa screamed. "He's a child! What purpose could killing him possibly serve?"

Merciless red eyes shifted to meet Aizawa's. "He and his brother are fakes. They pervert the title of hero, and it is my duty to purge the world of their evil."

"My brother dedicated his life to helping people! He never thought of himself! He was a true hero!" Iida screamed, tears drenching his pale cheeks as he strained under the Hero Killer's strength. "I won't forgive you! I'll kill you!"

"See?" Stain twisted the slender sword, making Iida scream again. "He cares nothing about saving that guy." The killer tossed a careless gesture at the limp Native who watched with wide, frightened eyes. Then he pointed down at Aizawa. "Doesn't care that he distracted you and now you'll die, too. All he cares for is his hatred and vengeance." He bent down to stare into Iida's eyes. "That's the farthest from what a hero should be. He's a fake. Just like his brother."

Stain pulled the katana out of Iida's shoulder. It ran with dark red blood. Aizawa watched in horror as the villain licked the blade with a long, bumpy tongue. As Iida gasped and went limp, Aizawa understood too late how the Hero Killer's quirk worked. The nick on his thigh! The split second when he'd blinked, freeing Stain to use his quirk. Damn it! He'd promised Katsuki! He couldn't let this happen!

"That's why he'll die," the Hero Killer finished.

"He's still a child!" Aizawa argued. Everything in him willed his body to move, but it was as if the nerves strung through his limbs had been severed completely. His fingers didn't so much as twitch as he gasped and panted. "He can learn better! Do better!"

Stain ignored him, his attention fixed on Iida. He flipped the blade so that it was point down, hovering above the boy's neck. "Goodbye. You shall be an offering to a more just world."

"NO!" Aizawa begged. "Don't do it!"

"No matter what you say, you are the criminal who hurt my brother!" Iida yelled hoarsely, still in the grip of pain and rage.

Stain tensed to deliver the killing blow when he suddenly looked up. Fire roared along the alley. Aizawa closed his eyes, protecting them from the heat even as his skin tightened and turned a tender pink. As the light and heat evaporated, he flung his eyes open to see that the Hero Killer was no longer standing over Iida's prone body.

"_Endeavor_…" Stain's call of the pro-hero's name was said in a lustful croon. "I've been wanting to purge you from this earth for a long time."

Endeavor stood large, fire bright along his shoulders and face, his pale blue eyes blazing with battle lust. "Hero Killer," he called back with a smirk. "I didn't think I'd find you so soon!"

"Watch his blades," Aizawa shouted. "If he ingests your blood, his quirk paralyzes you!"

Endeavor charged forward, fire erupting from his fists to pierce he alley.

Katsuki ran up and crouched down by him, pulling his limp arm over his shoulder. Todoroki ran to Iida, and the two teens began to drag them further down the alley. Aizawa felt dread sink into his stomach. All the pieces of Midoriya's vision had assembled.

…

Endeavor glared as the killer leapt around like a flea, avoiding his attacks. This was his moment of glory! The Hero Killer! The vile villain who terrorized heroes! Not even All Might had been able to find and stop him. Endeavor could see it - the flashes of the cameras, the scream of his fans, the admiration of the world! Blood thrumming with victory and bloodlust, he slammed his hands together. A wall of fire roared forth. There was no avoiding this! It spanned the entire alleyway and reached well above the roofline.

A blade suddenly parted the wall of flames like the red sea. Endeavor flung himself backward even as the flames shrouding his shoulders and face flared defensively, but the katana thrust through the fire as if cutting through butter.

It happened so quickly. Endeavor could see it, but his body couldn't move fast enough to counter.

The sword pierced his throat, sliding too easily through skin and tissue. The flames he wore exploded in reaction, but it was too late! His whole existence was reduced to the thin width of the blade slicing toward his spinal column — Denial screamed along his awareness. No! This wasn't possible!

Something impacted his chest and flung him with extreme force backward. His throat came off the blade with a grotesque sucking sound. His hands clamped down on his throat, burning his own flesh to seal the wound. His back hit the alley hard and he rolled, skidding along the slick concrete. Ribs cracked and pain flared bright and hot through his torso. Choking on blood, he gasped and hacked, trying to get to a knee, but then he went limp. His fire was doused instantly, throwing the alley into darkness.

What the hell was happening?!

…

Katsuki whipped his head around to see Izuku fall to the ground after kicking Endeavor in the chest. He was in his hero costume, the quasi-rabbit ears half burnt away from his mad dash through the fire. Green lightning crackled along his body, and Izuku launched himself up with his arms, his legs swinging up in a double kick aimed at the Hero Killer's chin. The blow would have likely knocked Stain's head right off, but the killer gracefully flipped out of Izu's reach, his tattered red scarf trailing behind him.

Izuku flipped to his feet, hands fisted before him like a boxer's. His green eyes blazed as he planted himself in the middle of the alley, standing between them and the Hero Killer. "I won't let you kill anyone!" he screamed in defiance.

Katsuki shoved Aizawa into a doorway for some protection and ran to Izuku's side, hands slick with nitroglycerin. Todoroki appeared on Izu's other side, hands raised and ready to fight. The Hero Killer began to walk slowly toward them, his katana dragging lightly against the alley floor. It was almost as if his edges blurred with the night. His red eyes seemed to glow as they stared at them, bloodshot and unblinking. A long tongue licked at the air.

"This has nothing to do with any of you!" Iida screamed from where Todoroki had left him propped up against the wall, partially shielded by some bags of trash. Katsuki couldn't help thinking the idiot was where he belonged. "Get out of here!"

"Shut the fuck up, shithead!" Katsuki snarled, never taking his eyes off the Hero Killer. "Can't you see we're busy trying to save your selfish, worthless life?"

"Your friends came to save you. That's a great line, isn't it?" Stain took another step forward, the very image of metal and death. "But I have a duty to kill all the false heroes including you, brother of Ingenium, and they will not stop me."

"Think again, asshole," Katsuki said with grim promise. His heart beat slow and steady, his mind going crystal clear as adrenaline saturated his brain. He wouldn't allow anyone to die in this fight, not when he knew it was Izuku looking out from their eyes. "You're not fucking going to win a fight against _us!_"

…

Izuku felt Kacchan tense next to him and went still inside. Every doubt - every fear - was silenced. All his attention was on the fight - on the need to _save_ Kacchan. No matter what it cost, he would _not_ let Kacchan's brilliant light go out in this dirty alleyway.

"If we clash," Stain warned, voice low and dangerous. He stared at them unblinking from behind his cloth mask. "The weaker of us will be culled. And I - Am - Not - Weak."

Izuku met the villain's eyes defiantly, One For All singing along every muscle and pulsing in his blood. "Neither are we," he said lowly and launched himself forward in a frontal assault while Kacchan exploded upward on a powerful explosion to come down from above.

The long katana became useless as Izuku leapt within his reach, but Stain was fast. He pulled a serrated combat knife out of the harness on his chest with his free hand and slashed out with it. Izuku dropped under the blade in a baseball slide just as Stain lunged forward to avoid Kacchan's spinning kick from above. Izuku grabbed the killer's ankles and Stain went tumbling. Kacchan aimed his hand at the off-balance killer and let loose an explosion.

Stain literally bounced off the ground as the concussive force slammed into him with a massive punch. Flames and smoke filled the alley as Izuku caught Kacchan, skidding backward from the backlash of the explosion.

…

Todoroki watched, a wall of ice at his back protecting Native, Endeavor, Aizawa, and Iida who lay helpless and paralyzed behind him, as the Hero Killer rolled to his feet and threw a knife right at his face. He dodged, the blade painfully slicing along the scar-tissue of his right cheek. He lifted his hand, fire burning along his right arm, but Midoriya and Bakugo were down the alley behind the killer - He couldn't use fire!

"Look up!" Bakugo screamed.

Todoroki's eyes flashed upward and he saw the katana coming out of a spin and falling blade first down at his head. Fear rocketed along his nerves, but before he could move, he was yanked forward by a strong hand. A wet tongue slid against his cheek. Reflexively, fire exploded from his hair and skin, sending the grinning killer jumping away.

Todoroki's body went limp and his fire went out.

…

"IcyHot!" Katuski bellowed in rage and lifted his gauntlet. Without hesitation, he tilted his arm slightly upward and pulled the pin.

The roar and force of a runaway freight train hit the air. He was flung backward only for Izuku to catch and brace him once again. The explosion slammed the Hero Killer against the wall, the brick and cement cracking up and down the alley from the force. Todoroki's ice wall exploded with the sound of massive tree trunks snapping, but it did its job and mostly shielded those behind it from the heat and force of the blast. Steam washed over everything, filling the alley with fog.

"To block your own view against an opponent faster than you…" the Hero Killer said, voice echoing eerily. "What a foolish plan."

"I wonder about that," Katsuki panted, braced for the attack he knew was coming.

He'd just definitively made himself the most dangerous opponent on the field. The Hero Killer would come for him. Just as he wanted. It left Izuku free to move. Izu's mental training made it so that he could close his eyes and still maneuver near perfectly in the narrow space from memory alone.

Katsuki flung his arm to the side as a knife came flying out of the darkness and it bounced harmlessly off his large, grenade-shaped gauntlet. He'd seen that fucking trick; it wouldn't work on him! Sensing danger, he let off an explosion with the same hand, and it spun him to the side as three knives shot down from above.

"You're good," Katsuki snarled. He planted his feet and sent an explosion punching through the air. Steam evaporated, clearing his vision, and he watched as the killer, singed and banged up, dodged and came down on him like death.

"No one's ever told you? You're too focused on your quirk!" the asshole taunted.

The katana swung around, seconds from severing Katsuki's outstretched arm, but he'd been ready for something like that, had made the opening purposefully, hoping the killer would go for it. His other hand, primed and ready, was behind him. With a scream, he let loose the strongest blast from his hand yet. He was propelled forward, inside the killer's reach, and his skull impacted the asshole's ugly face with a crack.

They crashed to the ground hard. Katsuki pushed upward, vision spinning, head throbbing, only to collapse boneless. He gasped as his vision swam clear only to see that bastard lying on his back, long grotesque tongue licking the blade of his katana. Shit! He must have gotten nicked!

The Hero Killer sat up, blood pouring down from a cut above his eye. He staggered to his feet and looked up. The sound of an explosion and people screaming reached them on the wind. Stain spat blood. "So noisy," he said in disgust. "I'll dispose of those idiots later. Right now…" His eyes locked onto Katsuki's limp form. "I will do what needs doing."

Katsuki snarled at him, straining uselessly to move. "Shut the fuck up, asshole! Nobody cares!"

"If you call yourself a hero, you should choose your last words carefully." He swung his katana, blood flying off and spattering the ground like rain, and walked closer.

…

Izuku scooped up Todoroki's limp body and placed him by Aizawa. He could just hear Endeavor coughing painfully. Izuku looked to see blood dribbling horrifically from the hero's mouth.

"Run, Midoriya!" Iida screamed across from him. "I told you, didn't I? It has nothing to do with you!"

Izuku's temper flared and he screamed back, "That's what heroes do, idiot! Fight even though it has nothing to do with them! Are you really so far gone that you don't even know that?! We'll _never_ leave you or anyone else to die!"

Grey eyes wild with pain and rage, Iida spat, "I've inherited my brother's name… I have to do it… That guy's mine!"

"You inherited it?" Todoroki asked coldly, limp and helpless propped up in the doorway. "That's strange. The Ingenium I saw before didn't have that look on his face."

"Is this really the hero you want to be? The hero Ingenium is?" Izuku demanded through angry tears.

Before Iida could answer, Todoroki gasped. "My fingers! They moved!"

Izuku's eyes went wide, his mind racing. "It could be less effective with more people, or the amount ingested could affect how long it works, or there could be a difference in effectiveness based on a person's blood type."

"I'm type B," Aizawa informed them gravely. "I still can't move."

"I'm O," Todoroki and Izuku said together. They looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Please. Just run away. Get help!" Iida begged. "I can't stand to see you get hurt because of me!"

"I can't leave," Izuku answered, expression unyielding. "Stain would follow me if I were to try and carry you guys away, and it would be harder to protect you if we all separate. Our best option is to hold him off here until the pros arrive."

A wash of heat, the boom of an explosion, and the steam lifted away to show the Hero Killer lunging forward, katana swinging to sever Kacchan's arm, but Izuku could see Kacchan's other hand and waited before leaping. A blast of heat and light erupted and Katsuki flew forward, brutally slamming his head into the killer's. They went tumbling. Kacchan pushed up onto his hands and knees only to collapse. Izuku leapt forward, green lightning in his wake.

"If you call yourself a hero, you should choose your last words carefully," the killer taunted just as Izuku's lashed out with a powerful kick.

Stain had seen him coming and spun around him, swinging his katana. It sliced into Izuku's leg above his ankle, and the killer flipped it around in a graceful spin around his hand, reversing the blade so he could lick the metal. Pain screamed up Izuku's leg as he fell, paralyzed. Then fire roared down the alley, forcing the killer to back away. Ice speared upward under both Kacchan and Izuku, and they rolled down the sudden slope, coming to a stop at Todoroki's feet.

…

Todoroki stood protectively over his friends, his right hand outstretched ready to attack. The Hero Killer loomed, shrouded in darkness, his eyes almost seeming to glow with menace.

"'Hero' is a title that should only be given to those who have accomplished great deeds. There are too many fakes polluting that name. Too many who act like heroes but are really money-worshippers! Until this society realizes the truth of their so-called 'heroes', I will continue to purge the fakes from this world!"

Todoroki lashed out with fire and ice, but the killer was moving even faster than before. Stain shattered his half-formed ice with powerful swings of his blade and leapt around the alley like an acrobat to avoid the fire. Suddenly, Midoriya twitched on the ground beside him and shakily began to push himself up into a crouch. Blood from his leg pooled around his foot.

"You've lost too much blood," Todoroki told him through gritted teeth. "Get Bakugo out of here. I'll hold him off."

"I won't leave you!" Izuku cried defiantly, his green eyes hard with determination.

…

Hero Killer Stain… In order to teach him a lesson, Iida had used his brother's name. (_It's simple, really, _Tensei's voice echoed in his memory. _You're way smarter and more athletic than I was at your age, so that means if you admire me, Tenya, then I might be an amazing hero.) _Burned into his mind was the memory of the nurses hooking their arms under Tensei's and dragging his lower body off the bed. Could still hear the heavy thunk of his useless legs as they set Tensei in a wheelchair.

Guilt - and pain - and rage - and shame burned through Iida, an agony even greater than that of his bleeding shoulders. With a roar, he pushed up onto his feet. His engines revved and flame erupted from his mufflers. "Recipro Burst!" he yelled and shot forward past Midoriya and Todoroki. He wouldn't let them get hurt any further!

Stain only had time to lift his arms to block before Iida's leg came swinging around with brutal force, propelled by the engines in his calves. The katana in the killer's hand snapped in two, the tip of the blade flying through the air. Iida continued his spinning motion and kicked Stain in the chest with his other foot, flinging the killer against the alley wall.

Two knives flew through the air and impaled Iida in the shoulder and arm. Thrown off balance, he fell with a scream, blood gushing from his already wounded shoulder.

"Iida!" came Midoriya's desperate call.

Biting the blade that was halfway imbedded in his shoulder, he ripped it out with his teeth and it clattered to the alley floor. He tried to stand, but his engines sputtered and threatened to die. He couldn't get off his knees! His radiator… Did he damage it with that kick!

"Todoroki! Freeze my leg! Don't cover the muffler!" he called behind him.

"It's no use trying to appear reformed," Stain snarled as he pushed himself back up to his feet using the cracked alley wall for support. "You will never be anything but a fake who prioritizes his own selfish desires. You are a cancer to society, corrupting the idea of 'hero'! I will purge you from this world!"

"You're an anachronistic fundamentalist!" Todoroki shouted furiously. "Iida, don't listen to the logic of a murderer!" Ice crept up his leg, encasing the overheated engine without covering the small holes where his muffler poked through. Todoroki's control was breathtaking!

"No, he's right," Iida admitted. Pain, exhaustion, and grief beat at him, threatening to knock him off his feet, but his newfound conviction gave him the strength stand. "I have no right to call myself a hero. Even so, I cannot give in. If I give in, then Ingenium will die."

Two more serrated knives appeared in Stain's hands. "Die, false hero!"

…

Izuku had tensed to leap as soon as Iida had shot past him on his Recipro Burst, but Kacchan's voice had stopped him.

"Left gantlet!" he said sharply. He was still limp on the ground on Todoroki's other side, but his eyes were hard and bright with intelligence. He had a plan.

Izuku dove, ignoring the pain in his still bleeding leg, and quickly unstrapped Kacchan's grenade-shaped gauntlet. It was big! It covered Izuku's forearm completely, but it was relatively light.

"Use ice to brace his arm!" Kacchan ordered just as Iida yelled for ice for his leg. "The recoil could dislocate his shoulder."

Todoroki complied with both demands, ice his most practiced element.

Izuku crouched on one knee next in front of Todoroki, dead center in the alley. His arm with the gauntlet was extended, aiming where Kacchan had told him. Ice encased half his body, thickest at his shoulder. The cold was brutal, especially with the blood loss. Izuku shook and shivered, his teeth already chattering.

"Die, false hero!"

"Glasses!" Kacchan screamed. "Extend launch!"

The Hero Killer leapt forward, deadly blades glinting in his hands.

"RECIPRO EXTEND!" Blue flames erupted from Iida's calf engines.

"Dodge this, motherfucker," Kacchan growled just as Iida blurred forward, faster than ever before. With a spinning kick, Iida launched the Hero Killer into the air.

With nothing to grab onto or jump off of, Stain fell straight down into Izuku's line of fire, helpless to dodge. Without hesitation, Izuku pulled the pin on the grenade. The explosion was enormous! The sound tore through their eardrums, their hearts stuttering in their chest from the BOOM. Stain was flung like a ragdoll out into the street. The top of the buildings on either side of the alleyway crumbled.

Coughing smoke clear of his lungs, ears ringing, Izuku tore through the ice holding his body and yanked the now dead gauntlet off his arm. Glowing with the power of Full Cowling, he dodged the falling debris and burst out into the street, ready to keep fighting, but Stain lay in a heap on the sidewalk, unconscious.

The Hero Killer had blood coming out his nose. First and second degree burns covered the exposed skin of his face and hands. His clothes were charred in places, still smoking. He was still bleeding sluggishly from the cut above his eye from when Kacchan had head-butted him. He wasn't waking up anytime soon.

Kacchan, Aizawa, Iida and Todoroki ran out of the alley behind him. The spell of Stain's quirk had been broken. Izuku gave them a trembling smile and shouted over the ringing in his ears, "It's over! We did it!" Iida dropped to his knees, tears streaking his face. His arms hung limp and bloody. Smoke curled up from his calves.

"Help me strip him of his weapons," Aizawa ordered.

"Here." Izuku untied the red ropes wrapping his arms with practiced ease. He gave one to Todoroki and one to Kacchan so they could tie the killer's hands and feet.

Izuku went to Iida's side and knelt down. He took out a roll of bandages he had in a pouch on his belt, glad he was in his costume, and did his best to stop the bleeding.

"His ribs are fucking broken," he heard Kacchan say. "How's he not dead?"

"Fighting three-on-one, we still barely won," Todoroki said softly.

"We're lucky to be alive. If Midoriya hadn't come…" Aizawa's voice was tight with tension. His long messy hair fell around his shoulders and half hid his face from view. "I was careless. I'm sorry that I did not protect you better."

Iida winced as Izuku pressed on his shoulder. "No, sensei. It was my fault completely. No one could have defeated the Hero Killer on their own. You all…" Sobs choked him. "You were injured because of me. I am truly sorry. I couldn't… see anything… past my anger…"

"We stopped the Hero Killer," Izuku said with a trembling smile. "Your brother can rest easy now, right?"

"Yes," Iida said, but he didn't look convinced.

Izuku felt reaction set in. His hands began to shake. God, it had been so close. The Hero Killer had been a insanely strong! But his friends were safe. _Kacchan_ was safe! It was over. Suddenly, Kacchan crouched next to him and pulled him away from Iida.

"Good job, Deku," he said roughly. He was sweaty and disheveled, but he was grinning. "We wouldn't have made it if you hadn't come. You saved our asses."

Izuku burst into tears and Kacchan wrapped him tightly in his arms. He wanted to believe it with all his heart! That he'd made a difference, that he was capable, that he could be a hero! But his doubts came roaring to the front again. He tried to stem the flood, knowing Todoroki, Iida, and Aizawa were watching, but he couldn't stop the near violent sobs that shook his body. He curled into a ball, Kacchan wrapped around him, and covered his face with his hands.

…

Todoroki looked away from the raw scene of Midoriya coming undone. Instead, he gave his attention to the mouth of the alleyway as pro-hero Native helped his father stagger out onto the street. Blood continued to dribble out of Endeavor's mouth. The burns on his throat that had sealed the entrance wound looked like charred meat.

"We need an ambulance," he stated, but he didn't bother trying to call one. He could still see the glow of fire above the buildings, could hear sirens and screams. The villain attack was still occurring. The first responders would be overwhelmed with calls and wouldn't be able to respond.

"We'll have to carry him to the police," Aizawa decided. "Todoroki, grab his weapons. I'll carry the Hero Killer." Turning to Endeavor, he asked, "Can you walk or do you want me to send backup once I've reached the station?"

Endeavor glared hotly, rage emanating from his form. Todoroki hated himself for it, but he couldn't help flinching. He turned to look back at Bakugo and Midoriya and saw something move in the darkness of the sky. He opened his mouth to call a warning, still not sure what he'd seen, when this _thing_ fell out of the sky. It had flapping wings, naked greenish skin, and long arms and legs. Bakugo had just pulled Midoriya to his feet. In horror, Todoroki watched as it latched onto the green-haired teen's shoulders and flapped madly back into the sky.

…

"FUCK!" Katsuki screamed as he felt Izuku literally torn from his hands.

Without even thinking about it, he launched himself upward, his palms flashing as he set of explosion after explosion.

"Let go!" Izuku yelled furiously, thrashing in the nomu's grip.

The monster screeched, the sound piercing his ears painfully.

"STAY STILL!" he bellowed. "WE'RE TOO HIGH!"

Izuku went obediently still, green lighting flaring along his body.

Katsuki flipped in midair, aimed his hands and let off rapid-fire explosions straight into the monster's wings. With a scream of agony, the monster began to fall slowly, no longer able to support itself in the air, wind slipping through the holes.

Katsuki fell from the sky until he could get his hands below him and pointed them at the ground. It slowed his decent enough that he didn't break anything as he hit the street. He rolled to absorb most of the impact, his bones creaking painfully. He stared upward as the monster sank closer to the ground, Izuku still clutched in his hands.

"Come on…" he said as he took off running toward them. "Just a little lower…"

With another piercing shriek, the monster suddenly flung Izu away from him still thirty feet in the air.

"Catch him!" Katsuki screamed furiously to anyone who could hear.

Todoroki hit the ground with his foot, trying to send ice to slow his fall, but Izuku was falling too fast! Aizawa's capture scarf hovered around him in loops and layers, but it couldn't reach. And then, fifteen feet from the ground, out of nowhere, a yellow blur suddenly swooped in.

All Might caught Izu and landed right in front of him, creating a small crater in the street. Katsuki stumbled from the impact, almost falling. He ran up, panting, and accepted Izu into his arms. Then All Might launched himself up twenty-five feet and grabbed the flailing nomu by the leg, slamming him down.

…

"I'm okay!" Izuku cried, pushing out of Kacchan's arms. He tensed to help All Might; how long had it been? He had an hour in his hero form, but that time decreased the more he drew on One For All. Was he okay? Was he going to deflate?

Fire flared behind them - a broken scream - Izuku whipped around to see a blade slick with blood sticking out of Endeavor's chest — Native was holding tight to Iida, his eyes wide with fear — Iida's expression was tight with horror.

"No," Izuku moaned. "No, please no…" His hands went numb. His heart felt like it was breaking.

Blue eyes wide with disbelief and rage, Endeavor stared across the street at his son. His mouth moved, but Izuku was too far away to understand. The blade pulled free and Endeavor fell to his knees, his eyes already glazing over with death. Then he fell forward onto his chest.

Stain slammed his foot down onto Endeavor's back, standing free of the ropes. His katana dripped blood at his side. "This society is overgrown with fake heroes!" the Hero Killer yelled, red eyes glowing with madness. "It is rotting and corrupt! Endeavor was no hero! Fake heroes and criminals who wave their power around without real purpose should all be PURGED! I will take back what it means to be a hero! I will purify society! All Might!" He swung his blade up so that it pointed at the number one hero who was pinning down the thrashing nomu. "You're the only one who is worthy! The only one I will allow to kill me! But not yet! I'm not done yet! There are still too many FAKES in this rotten world!"

Izuku gasped as a black hole bled into existence behind the Hero Killer. Stain stepped backward, but before he disappeared within the inky darkness, he said one more thing. He pointed his bloody katana at Izuku. "Protect this one. There are those who want him dead." Bloodshot eyes met his. "And he is not unworthy." Then he was gone, the black hole constricting and disappearing in an instant.

Aizawa ran over and wrapped the nomu in his scarf, freeing All Might to move. Kacchan aimed his palm at the monster's head and let loose a mild explosion. The force was enough to severely burn the monster's skin and render him unconscious with a major concussion.

"The League of Villains," Kacchan spat, shaking out his arm. "Guess that Hands asshole didn't die, after all." He moved to Todoroki's side. "Shit," he said lowly. "Sorry, IcyHot."

Izuku felt gutted as he looked into Todoroki's blank-faced expression.

…

Todoroki moved forward on autopilot, Bakugo staying close on one side and Midoriya on his other. All Might gently rolled his father onto his back. He looked smaller without his fire. Blood was smeared around his mouth and down his chin. His eyes were open but dark and blind. The hole in his chest was so small, but it sat directly above the man's heart.

"I'm sorry," Midoriya rasped, voice rough with pain. Tears rolled down his face unchecked. "I'm so sorry, Todoroki."

"It's not your fault," he said through numb lips. It was almost unbelievable. That the man who had loomed over his life, who had frightened him, tormented him, _hurt_ him since he was _born — _Could he really be gone so fast? It didn't seem possible. He stood tense, waiting for Endeavor to sit up, for his large hand to grab him, for his cold voice to bark orders.

"Young Todoroki," All Might said softly. "I will bring your father. You go with Bakugo and Midoriya."

Todoroki let his friends take his wrists and pull him away, but he couldn't stop staring as All Might collected Endeavor's body into his arms. The hero leapt upward toward the rooftop. "Where's he going?" he asked with mild curiosity.

"Probably the hospital," Bakugo said evenly.

"It's too late for that," Todoroki said matter-of-factly.

"They'll know how to t-take care of his b-body. So you can have a f-funeral," Midoryia said quietly, tears still running down his cheeks.

"Oh." Todoroki frowned at the shorter teen. "It really isn't your fault, Midoriya. We would have all died if it wasn't for you. And the Hero Killer made it clear Endeavor was at the top of his list. We saw for ourselves that he wasn't skilled enough to survive one-on-one with Stain."

"I'm okay. Don't w-worry about me," Midoriya assured him, but tears continued to fall down his cheeks.

"Where are we going?" Todoroki he asked, hoping to distract them all.

"The police station."

Todoroki looked behind him to see that Native was helping Aizawa carry the unconscious monster along with them. Iida followed in their wake still looking shell-shocked. Despite the hasty bandages, blood still dripped down his arms from his shoulders, and Midoriya was still bleeding from his leg.

"Maybe we should head to the hospital instead?" he suggested.

Bakugo shook his head. "Splitting up is a bad idea. We'd be sitting ducks if the League were to fucking attack," he stated with an angry growl. "We'll just have to use the first aid kits at the police station."

Todoroki nodded and fell silent, Midoriya and Bakugo still holding onto his wrists. He didn't resist. It almost felt like he'd float away if they were to let go.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** Not a fluffy piece for the holiday - Sorry! I will try my best to bring some lightness to the story next chapter. Let me know what you think of this iconic fight!


	35. Chapter 35

**A/n:** Happy New Year! May the Year 2020 be a year of clear vision and truth ;p

This isn't a chapter. More of an interlude. I hope you like it. Very angsty but there's light at the end of the tunnel!

…

**Interlude: Resolutions**

They were all silent and grim as they staggered toward the police station. Through dull, bloodshot eyes, Katsuki glared around at the chaos. Fire lit the horizon with an ominous orange glow. On the main street, they found two dozen cars abandoned and completely blocking the road. Presumably, the drivers had run to emergency shelters. Windows were broken from looters, so as they made their way to the police station, their boots crunched on glass. Half a block up, Katsuki could see a teenager throw a public trashcan through a glass door. Three more leapt inside with him.

"Keep moving," Aizawa said grimly. "We have too many injured to stop."

Katsuki looked back to see that Iida was barely on his feet. He swayed, his face pale. Blood had soaked through the makeshift bandages at both of his shoulders and dripped down his armor. Native was sweating like a pig. The blood stain on his side was spreading as he helped pull the nomu down the street with Aizawa. Every limping step Izuku took, a tiny squirt of blood came from his ankle, and between them, Todoroki looked dazed and disheveled. Katsuki grit his teeth and pushed on.

It took almost twenty minutes to reach the police station. His relief fled however when they found the fucking place was practically empty! There was only a skeleton crew of retired officers as every able-bodied man and woman was out on the street. Even now, the reception desk phone was ringing nonstop, the noise grating along Katsuki's ears.

The nomu was dragged away to be put in a cell as two older men and an older woman got them seated and brought first aid kits.

"A lot of the calls are about children missing, separated from their parents in the madness," the older man tending to Native said conversationally. He shook his head. "We're our own worst enemies."

"We've caught over a dozen small time criminals who were looting stores in the neighborhoods where the attacks were centered," agreed the man pulling off Iida's armor. "Can you believe those punks? At a time like this?" He shook his head.

Katsuki glared at the woman who crouched before Izuku. "I got it," he said tightly and took the bandages from her. He knelt and rolled Izuku's green costume leg up. The cut was bad, but he wasn't going to die from it.

"He's going to need stitches," the woman said unhelpfully.

"No shit," Katsuki growled and put temporary flesh glue into the wound and began to wrap gauze around his boyfriend's ankle.

"Thank god for All Might!" the woman watching Katsuki's work said wholeheartedly. "Last report was the villains were captured. Now we can focus on getting the fires out and the situation back under control."

"Do you have a police car?" Aizawa asked, speaking up for the first time. He was hovering by Iida. The teen drifting in and out of consciousness. "I have to get them to a hospital."

There was a mad scramble as the retired officers tried to figure out what to do. None of them had the authority to make decisions or give out a car, but Aizawa and Native were pro-heroes. Eventually Aizawa convinced them that he'd fill out the necessary paperwork later, but he was taking the car.

Katsuki ended up in the backseat with Izuku, Todoroki, and Iida. Native was up front and Aizawa climbed behind the wheel. The car was old and beat up. The officers had to jump them before it would even start. Aizawa put on the siren and drove mostly on the sidewalk, the streets blocked by abandoned cars and sometimes debris.

When they did get to the hospital, they had to leave the cop car half a block down from the entrance. If the streets were chaos, the hospital was madness. The ER waiting room was filled to capacity with people of all ages from babies to the elderly covered in dust or moaning with burns. Dozens sported broken arms and legs. Many had bloodied faces.

They stuck together, Katsuki and Todoroki doing their best to shield the more injured members of their party from the restless and distressed crowd. Aizawa flashed his hero license and they were shuffled out of the waiting room and past curtained off sections of the ER with dozens of crying, anxious people.

"We're flooded," the nurse said as Iida was shoved into a wheelchair. Native refused one. "A few of these were actually hurt by the villains, but the majority were hurt in the panic. Most were trampled by those fleeing or hit by debris."

They were taken to a small room with no window. It was a room, though, which was impressive considering the situtation. Iida was transferred to the single hospital bed, Izuku was ordered into the wheelchair, and Native sat at the edge of the hospital bed. They waited half an hour before the nurse came back with three more chairs and a doctor.

The doctor took one look at Iida and Izuku was shuffled to the bed while the idiot was placed back in the wheelchair and whisked off for some kind of examination - something about nerve and tendon damage. Aizawa went with him, giving Katsuki the order to stay together.

An MA came to take care of Native and Izuku. They were diagnosed with surface wounds. The treatment: stitches. As the nurse cleaned the wound on Izuku's ankle and prepared the stitches, Izu suddenly said, "No anesthesia." Katsuki's head whipped around to stare at his boyfriend. His eyes narrowed when he saw the determined look in Izuku's eyes.

"Ignore his ass," Katsuki growled.

"No anesthesia," Izuku said again. "We don't know what we're doing next. I'll need to be alert."

Katsuki glared at him, but Izuku wasn't backing down. "Fine," he spat furioulsy. "Have it your way, Deku."

He watched with crossed arms as Izuku sweated and clutched at the hospital sheet as eleven stitches were put into his ankle. By the time it was done, Izuku was panting and gasping, but he never made a sound other than that. The nurse left, shaking their head.

Pro-hero Native was drugged unconscious, sleeping in one of the chairs. The top of his costume had been removed. He'd gotten fifteen stitches in his side, but it was only a flesh wound. No real damage had been done. Todoroki sat in the other chair, his eyes on the hands folded in his lap. He looked disheveled. The cut on his face had been butterflied with medical tape. His hero costume was singed and cut in a dozen places. It was clear he'd been through a fight.

Katsuki pushed off the wall and sat on the edge of Izuku's hospital bed. His leg was propped up on a pillow. The row of thick, dark stitches curved around Izuku's ankle, wrapping around to his shin. The skin around the cut was red-purple and swollen. Katsuki covered Izuku's balled up first with his hand.

Izu was getting his breathing back under control, but it was clear he was still in pain. Katsuki wanted to growl or scream or shake Izuku until he was unconscious. Izuku slipped his hand out from under Katsuki's, but with fast reflexes, Katsuki grabbed his wrist before Izuku's hand had moved more than an inch.

"Izuku…" he said lowly. Tears filled Izu's eyes immediately in response to his angry tone. "What the fuck's going on with you? What the hell are you thinking?" he demanded, staring at his boyfriend's miserable, pale face. God, Katsuki hated this so fucking much.

Izuku's breathing grew faster, but he didn't say anything, which just pissed Katsuki off more.

"I know you don't want to fucking talk about it," he practically growled. His hand tightened around Izuku's wrist, to the point where Katsuki knew there might be bruises. "But you promised me we were in this together. So I'm asking you to honor that promise. I'm asking you to fucking trust me. I deserve that much, don't I? So let me fucking in!"

Izuku shuddered. His eyes closed and he turned his face away, tears spilling down his cheeks, but before Katsuki could lose it completely and hit the nerd, Izuku began to talk. His voice was a painful rasp, grief and fear and anguish ringing in every syllable, making Katsuki's heart clench. He wanted to interrupt, to argue, but he knew if he did that Izuku would shut down. Izu needed to get this toxic shit out! So Katsuki bit his tongue and listened.

"Mom said I should give up on being a hero…" he whispered, still looking away. He gasped in air, tears streaking his face. "That I was never meant to be out there fighting, that I'm just going to get myself killed…" A harsh, shuddering breath as Izuku twisted the blankets in his hands. "That if I really wanted to do good, I'd give it up to someone more capable, more skilled…" He choked on a sob. "I could give it up to you or someone stronger…

"And she's right, isn't she?" he said on a gasp. "I couldn't save him. I couldn't get free when that nomu grabbed me, and it distracted everyone. No one noticed Stain, and Endeavor…" Izuku shuddered. "He died. Because of me. Not just because I wasn't strong enough to save myself, wasn't strong enough to save him, but because I was a _liability_. My weakness distracted everyone, and Endeavor got killed." His voice stuttered on a sob. "J-just like Aizawa t-told me would h-happen!"

The hand Katsuki wasn't holding fisted and slammed down onto the thin mattress. "I just don't know what to do," he whispered, crying freely now. "All I wanted was to help people, but the harder I try the more I put everyone in danger. I hate it so much, Kacchan! All I wanted was to fight at your side and help people! Why?" he sobbed brokenly, wet green eyes finally looking up at him. The despair in them felt like a physical weight pressing down Katsuki's shoulders. "Why aren't I allowed? Why is it so wrong for me to try?"

"The world is fucked up, people are fucked up, and that has _nothing_ to do with you," Katsuki said lowly, throat tight with angry tears. "This world was trash before you were even born. Since you were four goddamn years old, you've seen for yourself how messed up people are. That's why you wanted to be a hero. To help. To fix things. But you can't fucking fix the whole goddamn world, Deku. There's a billion people on the planet and you're just one insignificant person."

Grabbing Izuku's face by the jaw when his boyfriend looked away, Katsuki snapped, "Listen to me! You have to set your sights on reality. What's All Might say? You can't save everyone, but save everyone you can? That's fucking true for all of us! It's not your responsibility to makes sure everyone pays attention! Native and Glasses let themselves be distracted. Stain got free. That's not your fucking fault, Izuku! Even if you had busted free of that Nomu right away, Stain was fucking fast. He was going to do what he was going to do. That's on him."

Face pale and damp with sweat and tears, dark freckles standing out starkly on his cheeks, Izuku cried out a desperate, "But Kacchan!"

"No buts, Izu," Katsuki said firmly, unrelenting, but he gentled his hand on Izuku's face. "And if Native and that idiot had noticed Stain had gotten free, maybe the bastard would have had to kill them to get to Endeavor. We don't know what could have been. We can't say you getting free faster or them noticing Stain was free would be better, because it could also have been worse!"

Katsuki released Izuku face and leaned forward to press a firm kiss to Izuku's chapped lips. It was hard and fast, but it was enough to shut the nerd up. Pulling his mouth away, he said roughly, "Even All Might needs help sometimes, and you know it. You're not some fucking loser because you couldn't do it all alone."

Sighing, Katsuki leaned down to press his forehead to Izuku's. "You can't save the whole fucking world right away. Be patient. Work fucking hard like you have been. And keep saving everyone you can. You didn't ask to be given the chance you have. It was offered to you, and you took it. And thank fucking god you did. Because Iida and Todoroki and I would be dead, Izu. Do you understand that? Endeavor's dead, but we're not. You saved us. You did that."

The tension began to drain from Izu's shoulders as he actually started to listen. Katsuki sat up and rewarded him with a smile.

"I'm sorry your mom said that to you, Izu, but you know she's not on board with you being a hero. She doesn't understand, and she honestly has no fucking idea what you're capable of. I love her, too, but she's in no position to know whether you having this chance is right or wrong, and you know it." His eyes and tone sharped as he glared. "And Aizawa said you'd be a liability after knowing you for all of ten minutes. He doesn't think that anymore."

Crying quietly, Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsuki in a desperate hug. He pressed his face hard against Katsuki's chest. "I hear you, Kacchan," he rasped hoarsely through his tears. "I do, but I'm just so scared I'm going to mess up. That I'm doing something horribly wrong by trying."

Katsuki closed his eyes as Izuku confessed his deepest fear. "Do you remember what you said? About your hero name?" He gently cradled Izuku's face and lifted it so he could look into Izu's anguished eyes. "You said you chose Deku because that's the hero you wanted to be. A hero who never gives up and reaches into the dark to help those lost in it." His thumbs caressed Izuku's pale cheek. "I've already seen you be that hero, Izuku. I've seen you stand when no once else, not even me, would have been able to get back up. I've seen you touch the lives of everyone around you."

Izuku shook his head in denial, but Katsuki tightened his hold.

"I know you can't see it, but I've never lied to you, and I'm asking you to believe _me_, even if you can't believe in yourself." He glared into Izuku's teary eyes. "You _can_ be that hero. You _can!_ You have this core of strength that pushes you forward. I need you to find that strength again." Voice breaking, he promised, "You're not alone, Izu. We're going to do this together, right? So please don't give up on me."

"Kacchan…" Izuku pulled him into a fierce kiss.

Katsuki kissed him back just as hard. Their hands slid into each other's hair, gripping tight. Izuku licked into his mouth almost desperately, fresh tears falling. Katsuki sucked furiously on his tongue before slashing his own forward, determined to erase the taste of tears from Izuku's lips.

Todoroki cleared his throat loudly. Katsuki pulled away from Izu, both of their lips red and swollen. Izuku had forgotten they had a witness, and he covered his bright red face with his hands. Katsuki couldn't help laughing a little. Then Aizawa walked through the doorway. Katsuki shot Todoroki a grateful look, the teen nodded, his own cheeks red.

"Midoriya," their teacher said, distracted and exhausted. He was completely oblivious to the fact that not a minute before they'd been making out as if they needed each others lips to survive. "Iida is denying an operation that would correct the damage to his shoulders. He will lose feeling and partial function of his left hand should he persist in this. For whatever reason, his mother is deferring to his wishes. Would you speak to him, please? He will not be able to correct the damage later should he change his mind."

Katsuki smirked as Izuku's eyes lit up with purpose.

"Yes, sensei! Of course!"

Aizawa nodded and handed Izuku some crutches.

Izuku accepted them and climbed off the bed. Before he left, he turned back and gave Katsuki a look so full of gratitude and love that Katsuki actually blushed. And then his boyfriend was gone, off to save that fucking idiot from himself _again_.

"Thank you."

Katsuki turned curiously to Todoroki.

The teen gave him a sincere smile. "I didn't know how to help him."

Katsuki shrugged. "He's not usually so unsure, but the moon was only two days ago. He's not at his best."

Cheeks pink, Todoroki looked away as he said, "It's nice. Seeing how much you love each other. For a long time, I didn't think love like that was real, but I'm really glad I was wrong."

Scowling, Katsuki threw the pillow at his head. "Jesus, IcyHot, it was just a fucking kiss!"

Todoroki laughed.

…

Izuku's heart pumped hard and strong in his chest. Kacchan's words burned deep inside him. Izuku's love for the amazing blond was so strong it nearly brought him to his knees. He had no idea how he would ever repay Kacchan for always being there for him. Truth was, he already knew the answer. He would never be able to repay Kacchan, not equally.

It was just like his goal of being a hero, actually. He'd never be good enough, but Kacchan kept reminding him again and again that he wasn't alone in either endeavor. Kacchan was reaching out to him just as the world was. It was the least he could do to reach out in return and hold on as tightly as he could, and right now he had to focus on the mission. Izuku rubbed his tears away with the sleeve of his hero costume and lifted his chin, facing forward.

Aizawa led him to an operation prep room. The smell of sterile sheets and cleaners assailed this nose. The light was bright here, allowing for no shadows. Four beds were lined up. All of the patients were hooked up to machines that beeped and hummed rhythmically. Two of the four were unconscious. The other was rigid with pain, a nurse hovering nearby.

Iida was sitting on the edge of his bed. He wore hospital pants and that's it. The bandages had been removed from his chest. What looked liked clear, square pressure bandages had been placed on both shoulders. His left was worse than his right. It had three tiny gaping mouths that bled as well as the larger sword puncture right at the joint. In his bicep and forearm, were two holes larger than sword had made. His right shoulder only had the one sword puncture.

Iida's face was pale. Dark circles sat under his eyes, and his glasses were still missing. Even still, Izuku knew that stubborn look. Slowly swinging over on his crutches, he gave his friend a worried look. "Hey."

Iida's eyes fastened on Izuku's ankle. "Are you well?"

"Yeah." Izuku sat next to him on the bed, doing his best to catch his breath. "I'll make a full recovery. It just hurts a bit from getting stitches."

Iida looked down at his lap. His right hand was curled into a fist, which made the plastic wrap on that shoulder fill with more blood. His left could only curl halfway into a fist. "I am so sorry you got hurt, Midoriya," he said roughly.

"I'm fine," Izuku repeated. He put his hand over Iida's fisted right hand. "Aizawa said you're refusing treatment?"

Iida sat straighter, but he still refused to look into Izuku's eyes. "I earned this injury by giving in to my selfishness and reckless anger," he explained, voice low "I need the reminder of where such a path will take me. Because, even now, even after all it cost, I keep thinking about the fact Stain got away. That I _let him_ get away."

Alarmed, Izuku opened his mouth, but Iida stopped him. He turned sideways and finally met his eyes. There was true pain in them.

"You don't have to say it," he said tearfully. "I know now revenge and hatred is not the answer, but I have this anger inside me that will not go away. Even though you, Todoroki, and even Stain made it very clear what it means to be a hero and how far I fall short. That is why I need these wounds as a reminder. For myself as well as my brother. Tensei was everything to me, and he taught me better than vengeance and hatred. He taught me being a hero is a protector, and if I am going to honor him, then that's the kind of hero I want to be."

"But…" Izuku protested.

Iida shook his head hard. "You don't understand, Midoriya. The anger and hate _is still there_. That's why I don't want the operation. I need to remember what it will cost me and everyone around me if I lose sight of that again."

"Iida…" Izuku took a deep breath. His mind racing as he thought of what he could say to change this. "I hear you. I do, and I think you have the right idea, but you're going about it in the wrong way."

Iida opened his mouth, his thick eyebrows slashing down in a frown, but this time it was Izuku who stopped him.

"Please listen," he asked softly, staring imploringly into Iida's eyes. "Ever since I've known you, you've made decisions fast and hard. It's not always easy to get you to see a different perspective, but once you do, you always seem grateful, and you accept the new ideas boldly. I've always respected that. I'm asking you now to hear me out, to at least hear my perspective."

Iida searched Izuku's eyes for a minute before nodding his head.

Izuku tightened his hand on Iida's. "I think you're absolutely right. We all have darkness inside us and it's important we remember the cost of that darkness. People wouldn't become villains if the dark wasn't tempting in the first place. And tonight you gave in to your darkness. People got hurt…" Izuku felt his throat tighten, but he forced the words out. "Endeavor died."

Tears streaked Iida's face. "Yes, exactly," he said, believing Izuku agreed with him. He moved as if to stand and leave the bed and the operation prep room entirely.

Izuku grabbed his arm, holding him still. "But!" he said sharply. "Maiming yourself isn't the way to remember, Iida! That's giving in to your darkness still! Hurting yourself as penance is not heroic! A hero is selfless and penance is only for yourself. Can you say with perfect certainty that there won't be someone in the future who won't get hurt or even killed because you did not have full function of your arms to save them? Can you say with perfect certainty that you won't get killed by a villain who takes advantage of your weakness? You can't save people if you're dead, Iida," he said roughly, quoting Kacchan. "And if you're going to use Tensei as your measure for what's heroic, then why aren't doing it now? Would he approve of you crippling yourself? What would he give to get full function of his body back? How would he feel about you throwing this opportunity away?"

Iida's expression crumpled. He looked so lost. He was so desperate to do the right thing, but he couldn't seem to come to the right conclusions. It was a horrible feeling to realize that. One Izuku knew all too well, and his heart broke as he realized just how alike he and Iida were.

Izuku held tightly to Iida, tears falling down his own cheeks. "You need to remember this lesson, Iida. I agree. It's an easy one to lose sight of, but denying the operation isn't what a hero would do. It's selfish and feeds your own ego. When we get back, we can get tattoos, or a piercing, or something to help us remember. I'll go with you. I need to remember this lesson, too. Hurting ourselves, limiting our options, it's _never_ the right thing to do."

"Don't pity me!" Iida said with a sudden flare of anger. "You don't need anything of the kind! You're always selfless!"

Izuku actually laughed. It was bitter and his eyes were haunted as he shook his head. "No, Iida. I'm just different. Your darkness is anger. Mine is fear." His hand tightened around Iida's. "The truth is I'm terrified of falling short. That someone will get hurt or killed because I was just that little bit too slow or weak. That fear drives me, but I see now that it's also holding me back. Just a few minutes ago I was ready to quit being a hero completely, almost convinced it would be better. Just like you, I forgot all the people who would suffer because of that decision. I need the reminder of what it means to be a hero just as much as you." He met Iida's eyes perfectly serious. "I would be very grateful if you let me come with you."

Iida lifted his right arm and curled it around Izuku's shoulders. Izuku wrapped his arms around Iida's waist gratefully. "I would be honored to have you go with me," Iida said tearfully. Clearing his throat, he looked up and said, "Aizawa-sensei. I apologize for not listening to you earlier. I am ready to have the operation."

Izuku looked up at his teacher who stood a few paces away from the bed, his arms crossed. Aizawa looked greatly relieved.

"I'll go fetch the doctor," he said and strode away.

Izuku closed his eyes and just leaned against Iida for a minute, knowing without a doubt that he'd done something good. For the first time in what seemed an eternity, his heart was filled with peace.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **I hope you liked the interlude! :D I'm hoping it wasn't too boring or anticlimactic, but Katsuki demanded to be heard and Iida needed a resolution, so *jazz hands*…

OH YEAH! Almost forgot to ask you for tattoo/piercing ideas so the boys don't forget this very hard learned lesson? :D Can't wait to hear your ideas.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: **I loved all the tattoo ideas, guys! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Really! I hope you guys know how much it means to me that you take the time to give me feedback and ideas. I couldn't write this story without you! XD

…

**The Internships: Katsuki**

Katsuki sat up from the slump he'd fallen into as he sat crunched in the hospital chair. He could hear Izuku on his crutches coming toward the door. Aizawa entered first on much quieter feet. Katsuki shot an annoyed glare at Todoroki. How had the bastard heard their teacher coming earlier? Aizawa was quieter than a fucking cat! Then his attention was taken by Izuku swinging in.

"He's getting the operation," Izuku announced with a bright smile. "The doctors said the surgery could take up to four hours." He sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed and fumbled the crutches before leaning them against the bed frame.

Aizawa's long hair was tangled and he looked more exhausted than ever, but his dark eyes were warm with sincerity as he reached out and put his hand on Izuku's head. "Thank you again, Midoriya," he said softly.

Izuku blushed, smiling happily. "I'm glad I could help."

Aizawa nodded and took his hand back. "How are you two holding up?" he asked, looking carefully first at Todoroki and then Katsuki.

"We're fine," Katsuki answered for both of them. Todoroki gave a single nod.

Aizawa leveled a suddenly serious look at all of them. "I want you to know I'm sorry I couldn't be more help to you tonight. I'm really proud of your your teamwork. It was phenomenal. Even Iida did his part in the end, and you caught the Hero Killer. That is no small task. Heroes will now be more prepared when they face him. You've done an incredible thing."

Katsuki felt something warm wash through him at all the praise. Still, it wasn't fully deserved. With a determined look he shared with the other two, he said, "We did okay, but we'll get even better. We're nowhere near done."

Aizawa actually smiled, his whole expression softening. "I look forward to seeing that." Then growing more serious, he said, "I have a few phone calls I have to make. Stay here. I'll be right back." And he left them as quietly as he'd come.

Katsuki really wanted to learn how to move like that.

"I need some paper," Izuku suddenly said and reached for his crutches like an idiot.

Katsuki grabbed hold of them with a frown. "Sit the fuck down. Your ankle must hurt like a bitch. Don't think I don't know you denied the lidocaine because you wanted to punish yourself. That excuse about not wanting to be out of it was bullshit. It was just a local."

Instead of deflecting or some shit like that, Izuku actually met his eyes. Katsuki went still, caught by the resolution he saw in them.

"I'm sorry." Izuku put a hand over Katsuki's where it rested on the crutches. "You're right. I was being stupid. It didn't feel stupid at the time, but after what you said and talking to Iida, I really _get_it. He was denying that operation, thinking it was justice or punishment after what he'd done. That his damaged hand would remind him of the cost of revenge and anger. And I finally saw it, how that way of thinking looks from the outside. I finally understood what you were trying to tell me."

Izuku leaned forward intently, looking deeply into Katsuki's eyes. In that moment, it was just the two of them. "I'm sorry, Kacchan. I'm sorry it took me so long to understand. I promise I do get it now. It might or might not have have been better if this quirk had gone to someone else. I'll never know. What I do know is that there are people who will die if I give up." Taking a deep breath, green eyes shining, Izuku lifted his chin in defiance. "I made my choice. I'm not going to keep looking back. I'm going to give it everything I've got, and I'm going to be a hero. With you."

Heart pounding in his throat, Katsuki reached up, grabbing the back of Izuku's neck to pull him forward so their foreheads rested together. "Damn straight, Deku," he rasped, grinning like a fool. "And don't you fucking forget it."

Izuku's answering smile was bright and tears sparkled in his eyes. "Thank you, Kacchan. So much. For believing in me. For helping me. I just… I love you _so much_."

Katsuki huffed a laugh and released him. "Idiot. It works both ways." Looking intently into Izuku's shimmering green eyes, he asked seriously, "You know that, right?"

Izuku smiled and brushed away the few tears that had escaped down his cheeks. "Yeah."

Katsuki knew it wasn't true. Izuku had no fucking idea how much he'd helped Katsuki. How it had been Izuku's voice alone that had saved him from believing his mother's hateful words. Izuku didn't understand that he had _saved_him.

To this day, Katsuki could hear his mother's voice tell him he was trash, that he would only ever be trash. There were times when he could still feel the bite of the belt against his too cold skin. And whenever that happened, Izuku's voice was right there shouting it down, telling him he was _already_a hero. That his quirk could save and protect as much as it could destroy.

Beyond that, Izuku would never be able to understand how much he inspired Katsuki. How watching Izuku get back up again and again after reality fucking shattered him pushed Katsuki to do the same and surpass his own limits.

Izuku would never understand how heroic he was. Because despite how much his visions hurt him, he would never choose to end them. He would never abandon those people to their horrible deaths, and he would do whatever it took to save them. Even if that meant pushing his body to the breaking point again and again so that he could contain All Might's power. So as much as Izuku tortured himself over accepting One for All, he was incapable of making any other choice. That was the kind of hero Izuku was.

"You're a goddamn idiot sometimes," Katsuki said lightly, shaking his head. "But I fucking love you anyway."

Izuku blushed, looking stupidly happy at hearing those words.

Katsuki was going to tease him some more when he caught sight of movement from the corner of his eye. Todoroki was politely trying to ignore them, but Katsuki caught the edges of the teen's smile. He flashed a glare at the candy cane wannabe before looking back to Izuku.

"What the hell do you need paper for, anyway?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Iida's still struggling with his anger," Izuku explained, expression growing hard with determination. "He wanted to remember what giving into his rage could cost others. I suggested that instead of keeping the injury, which might make it difficult for him to save someone someday, we should get tattoos to remind us."

Katsuki felt his eyebrows shoot up.

Izuku spoke quickly, trying to convince him. "I know my fear will come back and fill me with doubt no matter how strong I feel right now, and I think it could really help us both remember our conviction and to remind us not to give in to our darkness. I think it will also help remind us both that hurting ourselves isn't the answer."

"A tattoo…" Todoroki said in awe. "Would your mother let you get one?"

Tattoos weren't socially acceptable throughout most of Japan. For many years only criminals wore them. Of course, times were changing and people were growing more interested in them as tattoos grew more popular in the West.

Izuku nodded. "I think so. Once I explain everything to her." His tone became insistent as he tried to make them understand. "I know it's unorthodox, but I really don't think anything else will be as effective. It starts so slowly. The doubts." His hand subconsciously tightened around Katsuki's and he tilted his chin down so that his wavy bangs hid his eyes from view. "It's like a whisper at first. It seems so reasonable, and before I know it, I'm questioning everything, and its so hard to keep going on."

His voice resonated with pain, his words tumbling from his trembling lips. "My mom - what she said to me - I mean, I knew she didn't want me to be a hero, that it worried her that I'd get hurt, but she never said it was because she thought I wasn't good enough. When she said that, all the old doubts and fears came back. I felt small and weak and lost like I did for most of my life. It felt like there was no point in trying. I was always going to fail someone and get people hurt. Get you hurt."

Izuku's head came up, his eyes shining with a bravery that took Katsuki's breath away. "But I can see that fear for what it is now. A possibility and not a reality! With help, I can banish that future for good. I've made my choice, and I'm not going to let that fear hold me back anymore! Because listening to that fear, giving in to it, is what will make it come true!"

Determined, he took Katsuki's hands in his. "A bracelet or a necklace or a ring - It wouldn't be the same. Those can be lost or broken. They can be taken off and thrown away in a fit of despair. But a tattoo would become a part of me. Something I can never lose or have taken from me. It would help me remember the fear doesn't matter. What really matters is the people who need help. The people I can save."

Izuku met Katsuki's eyes, a profound trust shining in their emerald depths. "And more importantly, it will remind me that I'm not alone to do it. So when I feel the darkness whispering again, I'll remember that all I have to do is reach out." He included Todoroki in this, giving the teen a watery smile. "I have Kacchan and you, Todoroki, and everyone in class 1-A. What I can't do… _We_can do together."

Todoroki came off his chair and put his hand over Izuku's and Katsuki's. "We're stronger together than alone," he agreed.

"I'm still the fucking best," Katsuki muttered and grinned when Izuku rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright! We're stronger together." He pulled away from them and got to his feet. "I'll go get Izuku his fucking paper. It's getting too sappy in here." But he reached out and squeezed Izuku's wrist before he turned.

Izuku smiled, his eyes warm with understanding.

…

Over the next four hours, Katsuki dozed to the sound of Izuku's pencil scratching softly at the paper Katsuki had found at a nursing station. Glasses returned from surgery, wheeled in barely conscious on a gurney. With him came the police who had finally arrived to take their statements.

Aizawa hovered in the corner, refusing to leave them unsupervised with anyone, even the police. It wasn't like with Katsuki's mom. There was no suspicious stares and no tricks to trick him into saying something incriminating. There was ample evidence that Endeavor had been actively hunting the Hero Killer and was the first to engage. The rest was just self-defense.

It was another story for Glasses. The idiot had more answers to give and may even face some kind of punishment for going AWOL and going after the Hero Killer alone, but that wasn't Katsuki's business. All he cared about was that Izuku, Todoroki, and him were off the hook.

They had just gotten done with the police when Endeavor's top sidekick showed up to take them back to the agency. Aizawa had given both Katsuki and Todoroki a serious look, telling them, "You can end the internships if you don't feel up to this. No one would think poorly of you, but…" Katsuki felt his spine straighten as he felt the gravity in his teacher's eyes. "Being a hero isn't just about fighting criminals. This would be a good opportunity for you to see how an agency functions in a time of crisis."

"We'll go," Todoroki had answered for the both of them.

Katsuki had nodded his agreement.

So they had gone with Endeavor's number one sidekick, Moe Kamiji, aka Burnin. She was relatively young, only twenty-five, but she had worked at Endeavor's agency longer than anyone else.

Endeavor was famous for having a high turnover rate of his sidekicks. He currently had thirty, but many of them only stayed a year or two before branching out to start their own agencies or moving on to work with other heroes. Burnin was the single exception to that rule. She had entered Endeavor's agency straight out of UA at age eighteen and she never left. She was well respected by everyone in the agency and served as Endeavor's right-hand man.

In person, Burnin was certainly impressive. Her hair flickered and flared around her head like pale yellow flames. She wore a grey jacket that fell to mid-thigh. She had on black stockings with huge circles cut out revealing her outer and inner thighs. The look emphasized her curvy figure, but Katsuki wasn't fooled. She had a lot of muscle under those curves.

Her collar, belt, and wrist guards were black with a small red line through the middle of them. Her belt also had a temperature gauge on the front and a fire extinguisher on the back, and she had on short black combat boots. Her face mask was black, similar to that of Katsuki's, covering only the top half of her face. It was held in place by its connection to a red headband she wore in her hair.

She had big, orange eyes and pointy teeth, which she flashed as she picked them up. She was only five foot six inches tall, which was two inches shorter than Katsuki and about Izuku's height, but she owned the room as soon as she entered.

"Things aren't pretty right now," Burnin said darkly, hands on her round hips. She spoke with almost military-like precision. "The filth on the streets will sense our weakness and crime will spike. We have to stay sharp! Communication is key in times like these. I have sidekicks working on arranging Endeavor's transport back to the agency." She zeroed in on Todoroki. "Your sister has already been informed. She's taken over preparations for the funeral. She's asked us to bring you home to help." Her eyes flicked to Katsuki. "In the meantime, it's our job to make our presence known on the streets and do patrols. Show those bastards that Endeavor's Agency hasn't fallen apart and is still a power to be feared! So gear up. There will be no hand-holding and coddling from here on out. You don't like it, then there's the door." She pointed sharply to the open doorway.

Katsuki met her eyes and didn't move.

"Alright, you newbies." She flashed a vicious, sharp-toothed grin. "We've got work to do. Let's go."

They left by helicopter with no time to say goodbye. Burnin spread out maps on the floor of the copter and had them crouch over them. She marked the boundary of Endeavor's territory, pointed out the nearby police stations and smaller hero agencies, and then drew out the patrol routes. There were ten.

The sidekicks would rotate between patrols and desk duty, which involved screening requests from citizens as well as the police and completing paperwork. Patrols were always to be done in pairs or threes. Some moved in clockwise patterns while others had a counterclockwise pattern. It was complex and intricate. If any part failed, the whole system would crumble.

"We already have people from the media ringing the phone off the hook," Burnin yelled over the roar of the helicopter motor. "They want to know if Endeavor Agency will be dissolved or if help will be called in. Endeavor was the number two hero. The size of his territory reflects that. The civilians in that territory are frightened, worried they aren't safe. Everyone's demanding answers. If you were only a little closer to graduation, Shoto, we could've held it for you, but none of us, not even me, could keep up Endeavor's pace for the two and a half years it will take for you to graduate."

A brief moment of pain flashed in her eyes before her reckless grin was back. "That man never slept, I swear! He'd patrol ten hours a day by himself and never failed to push out any other hero agency who tried to move in. All the while he still solved crimes and traveled to disaster areas when he was requested."

Her expression turned serious. Her orange eyes seemed to glow at Todoroki in the gloom of oncoming night. "The best we can do is keep the core of your father's territory, but we will need other agencies to take the rest. Endeavor built this agency from the ground up. He made himself number two without any help from anyone. You're his masterpiece, Shoto. It will be up to you to reclaim your father's glory and show the world that his strength lives on."

As Todoroki stared back at her, eyes cold and unemotional, Katsuki was so disgusted he could spit! Burnin was blinded by her worship of Endeavor. She'd lost sight of the fact that Endeavor was a human being with weaknesses and flaws. Big ass ones! And that inability to see reality for the fantasy disgusted Katsuki. She was a grown-ass woman, and she was holding on to her hero-worship like an elementary school kid. Pathetic!

Burnin noticed his glare, of course. She gave him a sneer, her eyes challenging him, but Katsuki wasn't stupid. This wasn't the time or place to punch her dumbass face in. So with a sneer of his own, he looked away and braced himself for the helicopter's landing.

They touched down on the roof of Endeavor's skyscraper and Burnin leapt out, striding to the door without looking back. Katsuki followed with Todoroki. Riding the elevator down to the ground floor, they stepped out into chaos, but it was a controlled chaos. Sidekicks ran around with purpose. The phone was ringing nonstop. The lobby was full of anxious people.

"What d'we have?" Burnin asked as she rounded the reception desk.

A sidekick in all black except for the image of flames rising from his ankles and up his legs answered immediately. "Averaging two arrests per patrol, ma'am. Three off duty police are supporting us and helping answer calls. Media is still waiting for a statement."

Burning nodded. "Alright. Who's up for patrol next?"

"Ember and Blaze."

Burnin turned her orange eyes on Katsuki. "Have Ember take the intern as support. I'll take Shoto home so he can check in with his family."

The sidekick saluted. "Yes, ma'am!" He gave Katsuki a smile. "Come on. Ember's in the locker room getting geared up."

Katsuki followed.

The locker room was next to the little cafeteria. The sidekick who'd been manning the reception desk when they'd first arrived sat on the bench pulling on an orange costume. The friendly smile from earlier was gone, replaced by a dark scowl.

"Ember, Burnin said you're to take the kid with you."

Ember looked up, blue eyes flat with anger. "Yeah?" A dark smile spread across his face. "Fine by me."

Katsuki crossed his arms and leaned against the locker, waiting. Ember finished buckling his boot and stood up. He was a good three inches taller than Katsuki and leanly muscled. A female sidekick in a black and yellow costume came around the corner. Her eyes were red-rimmed.

"The baby's tagging along," Ember told her.

She nodded. "We're behind schedule. Let's get a move on."

Katsuki followed them as they made their way to an exit door that let them out into the alley behind Endeavor's building. They turned left and marched at a steady pace.

"Keep up or you'll be sitting desk duty for the rest of the week," Ember threatened with a glare.

Katsuki glared back. "I'll keep up," he promised.

Before they had gone a block, five people had stopped them to ask about the agency or to demand details on how Endeavor had died. Ember told them that they were currently on patrol and they should stay alert for a media announcement this evening. Katsuki was impressed. Every time they were stopped by gossipy idiots, Katsuki wanted to growl, but Ember kept his cool and calmly repeated the memorized sound-bite.

Two hours later, they were on the last leg of their patrol when Ember got a call. "On it," the sidekick said sharply and hung up the phone. He began to run, Blaze and Katsuki following close behind him. No one tried to stop the sprinting heroes as they charged down the street. It wasn't long before Katsuki could hear the siren. They turned a corner and saw a jewelry store with the glass windows shattered inward.

"Primus, go around the back," Ember ordered. "We'll send the civilians your way. Get them to a safe location and protect them. Don't let them leave. The police will want their statements."

Katsuki snarled, hands itching to blow up a villain, but he didn't argue. He sprinted down an alley and careened around the back. He found a door to the jewelry store. He tore it open. Only a few seconds later, he saw a terrified man in a suit come running down the hallway.

"This way," he barked and held the door open. "Stay close to me." Two women, an old man, and another man in a suit came running out. "Is this all of you?" he demanded.

"Yes," one of the woman said through her tears. "This is all of us."

Katsuki slammed the door shut and placed a blast strategically over the hinges. The door warped in the frame, denting inward with a loud CRUNCH. The women screamed and one of the men bolted down the alley. Katsuki cursed under his breath, but he'd achieved his goal. The door wasn't coming open without extreme force.

"Hey! Get back here!" he yelled after the man. Glaring at the terrified people from the jewelry store, he told them to go to the end of the alley and wait for him, then sending blasts from his hands, he flew after the idiot who'd run away. He caught him in a second and tackled him to the ground. "I said stop running, asshole!"

The man stared up at him wildly, breathing hard.

"The police have a few questions for you," Katsuki growled and lowered his face to the idiot's. "You're going to answer them. Aren't you?"

The man nodded frantically.

Glaring, Katsuki climbed off the coward and took him back to the others. They were all waiting where he'd said. He stood guard by them. It took ten minutes before Ember and Blaze subdued the villain and another five for a police officer to spot them and come over. Katsuki gave his statement and went to find Ember.

The sidekick was at the front of the store talking to a cop. He had a busted up eye and a split lip. Blood dribbled down his chin, staining his costume. Tied up at his feet was a villain with burns and singed clothes. He was struggling like mad but couldn't get loose.

"Where's Blaze?" Katsuki asked, ignoring the screaming villain at his feet.

Ember jerked his head to the side and Katsuki saw the girl sitting on the curb. An EMT was with her, shining a light in her eyes. Half of her face was covered in blood and her arm was clearly broken.

"She got hit by a falling beam. The villain punched a wall trying to get away, and half the ceiling came down on our heads. Must have been a load bearing wall." Ember sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "She'll be taking the ambulance to the hospital. Head wounds can be nasty."

While Ember finished up with the police, Katsuki waited with his arms crossed, glowering at the gawkers who had stopped to see the action. None of them dared approach him to ask about Endeavor or the agency. Finally, the hero came back to collect him.

"Come on. We still have to finish the patrol."

Katsuki followed, glad to be away from the crowd. Fortunately, the rest of their patrol passed peacefully. They returned to the agency and hit the showers in the locker room. Katsuki pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, his costume too filthy by this point to put back on. One of the cleaners employed by Endeavor's Agency assured him it would be cleaned within the hour. Katsuki was placed at a desk and Ember turned on the computer.

"What's this?" he asked, irritated.

"You've got three hours of desk duty to put in and then we'll do one more patrol," Ember said with a smile. "Even a baby like you can handle it. Just answer emails and the phone using this script." A bound stack of papers was dropped in front of him. "If a question comes up that isn't in the script, come find me before answering. Enjoy!" And he walked away.

Katsuki scowled at the computer screen, opened the script, and got to work.

There were emails reporting extortion and asking for more patrols in their area, several requests asking Endeavor to speak at special functions, dozens of sob stories about sick kids wanting to meet Endeavor in person, and at least one hundred arson cases where someone wanted Endeavor to figure out what started the fire. There were even a few missing person reports. Katsuki's eyes widened when he even read two anonymous requests for Endeavor to burn down a building or two. For "righteous" reasons, of course.

He was falling asleep at the desk when three hours later Ember came by to collect him for another patrol. Katsuki drank down the bitter coffee the sidekick gave him and changed back into his now cleaned hero costume. It was nearing midnight, so the streets were blessedly quiet. They didn't run into any trouble.

Katsuki walked into the room he'd been assigned and didn't even make it to the bedroom. He collapsed on the couch and passed out.

…

An alarm jerked him out of sleep. Katsuki was on his feet, hands up and sparking, before he was fully conscious. "The fuck?!" he snarled and stormed to his door. A guy was rushing past and Katsuki grabbed his arm. "The fuck is happening?" he demanded.

"I heard Endeavor's kid is losing it on the top floor," the guy told him and yanked away. "He's burning everything!"

"Shit." Katsuki ran to the elevator. He slammed his fist against the call button. It took forever, but the doors finally opened.

"What floor?" the female robot requested.

"Top floor," he ground out.

"You don't have access," the robot told him politely.

Katsuki glared at the corner he knew had to have a camera. "Get me to the top floor so I can calm the bastard down."

Thirty seconds. Then forty. Just before Katsuki was about to lose his shit, the robot voice said, "Access granted."

"About damn time," he snarled and crossed his arms as the elevator rapidly accelerated all the way to the top floor of the high rise.

The doors opened and a wave of heat and light hit him in the face. The huge office didn't have much to burn, but everything that could was on fire. The curtains that hung beside the huge windows, the desk and chair, the potted plants strategically placed around the room - They were all burning furiously. Smoke hung dense and heavy over his head, but the ceiling was so high it wasn't a danger yet. Todoroki stood screaming in the middle of the destruction, his left side awash in flame, streams of fire pouring from his outstretched hand.

Burnin was sitting on her ass, her face etched with utter shock as she watched Todoroki fall apart. Katsuki grabbed the tablet from the woman's limp hand. A video was on the screen and Katsuki pushed replay. Stain appeared. The image quality wasn't great, but it was unmistakably the Hero Killer. He was standing over a lump that had to be Endeavor. His voice came tinny but just as obsessed over the small speaker as he denounced heroes and accused them of all being fake. A woman appeared on the screen. She was in some kind of home studio and had a red cloth wrapped around her forehead.

_"__Details of Stain's victims have been purposefully kept from the public. They don't want us to know the truth! That Stain's mission is actually Just! I've been digging around and found out Native has a huge gambling problem, and his agency has been helping to pay off his debts for years! Is that what our money is going to? Pick-Ax was a secret drug addict! Two people died on one of his missions because he was so high he made mistakes! And as for Endeavor, this wife hasn't been seen in almost ten years! We all know the hero was famous for his temper, what if…"_

Katsuki dropped the tablet in Burnin's lap. He'd seen enough. "Hey!" he yelled and strode forward.

"I hate him!" Todoroki roared. He spun to face Katsuki, his two-colored eyes wild with fury. "I HATE HIM!"

"So the fuck do I!" Katsuki said, unimpressed, and crossed his arms. "You don't see me blowing shit up!"

"HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Todoroki screamed in anguish. Fire flared from his left side, the heat was overwhelming. Katsuki was drenched in sweat already. "Mother! My brother! My childhood! And he died before I could show him! Show him how horrible he was! HE DIED BEFORE HE PAID US BACK!"

Katsuki grimaced and let his arms fall. "Shit, Shoto," he said tiredly. "You think that asshole was ever going to say sorry? You think he could ever make it right?"

"I know that!" Todoroki snapped. The flames erupting from his body sputtered and went out. Tears instantly flooded the teen's eyes and coursed down his cheeks. "I know he wouldn't," he said again and sank to his knees. "I thought…" Arms wrapped around his chest, he looked up at Katsuki in agony. Flames still burned around the room, crackling and consuming the furniture hungrily. "I thought mother would come home. Once he was gone. I thought we'd be safe and happy, but she had a panic attack when I told her she could leave the hospital."

Katsuki went forward and sat heavily on the floor next to his friend. He ruffled his blond hair in frustration, not knowing what to say.

Todoroki grabbed his hand tightly, painful words tumbling from his trembling lips. "Natsuo came home. I thought…" Todoroki's words hitched on a sob. "I thought we could finally be a family. I told him he could come back, but he said he'd rather die than live in that house. I asked where Toya was… Fuyumi, she said… She said father killed him ten years ago. Burned him so badly during training that he died. My brother died and no one told me!"

Rage burned in Katsuki's veins. He remembered what it felt like to be at his mother's feet. His chest caving in, unable to breathe, and only seeing hatred in her eyes.

"Father told the police that Toya's quirk went unstable. That it was an _accident_," Todoroki sneered hatefully. "But it was Father! It was Father! He killed him and lied and everyone believed him because he was the number two hero! He put mother in the hospital and sent Fuyumi and Natsuo away! He killed Toya! He made me train until I puked, until I thought I was going to die! And no one stopped him! NO ONE SAVED US! He hurt us so much and NO ONE CARED!" He flung his hand out at the tablet in Burnin's lap. "And now, because of Stain, they want answers. They want to know what Endeavor really was. AND I CAN'T TELL THEM THE TRUTH!"

"Why the fuck not?" Katsuki demanded.

"You don't understand," Burnin said dully. She had tears streaking her own cheeks. Her hands shook so badly they jumped and spasmed in her lap. "People will be terrified if they find out. They'll turn on all heroes. They won't know who to trust."

Katsuki gave her a cold look.

"I'm not trying to protect Endeavor," she snapped, her glare returning as her hair flared around her head. "The League of Villains is no joke. They infiltrated UA and attacked the USJ! Look what happened at Hosu!"

"What's that got to do with this?" Katsuki demanded hotly.

"Something really bad is coming. People are on edge right now, and with Stain's video gaining popularity people are already losing faith in the heroes and the police." Burnin's expression turned pleading. "There's a bigger picture. Going public about Endeavor right now would do a lot of damage."

"Maybe it's not a bad thing that people look closer at their heroes," Katsuki argued, furious at this bullshit. "Maybe the League has so much traction because people have gotten lazy and complacent."

"I hear you." Burnin climbed clumsily to her feet. "But tearing everything down the moment before a national crisis isn't the answer! People are going to get hurt, Bakugo!" She looked down at the tablet. "Endeavor wasn't the hero I thought he was," she said tearfully and looked up. "But Shoto can be."

Todoroki stood there panting, his head hanging, sweat dripping down his face. Flames flickered into life around the left side of his face over the horrible burn scar. He was trembling - with pain, with rage. Katsuki made a disgusted sound.

"That's the kind of thinking that got us into this sorry fucking state to begin with." Rage, hot and powerful, pumped in his veins. "You think hiding the truth is the fucking answer? We're fucking heroes! We don't need people to cheer for us or worship at our fucking feet! So what if it makes us unpopular for a minute? It won't stop us from doing our job!"

Burnin leapt to her feet, stormed over, and grabbed Katsuki by the shirt, yanking him to his feet. She pulled his face close to hers. "You ignorant little shit! That fancy costume you're wearing? And the school you attend for free? And the paycheck you're looking to get when you graduate? All that comes from the people, you moron! Heroes can't function without the government and the people's support! The criminals will only get stronger and more well funded as their reign of terror goes unchecked. The heroes will only grow less well equipped. It won't be long before heroes are killed by the dozens. That includes you and your friends! It's not impossible for criminals to be in charge, Bakugo. This safe little world you grew up in isn't a guarantee! Japan could descend into anarchy and chaos! Into some kind of feudal lord era once more! Just think what would happen if quirk laws disappeared! You really want that to happen?"

Katsuki hit her arm, knocking it away. Voice low and dangerous, he said coldly, "So you want Todoroki to go out there and tell the world that the asshole who abused him was a great father? Just to keep the people complacent? Because you're scared that a little conflict will completely demolish society as we know it? Is society really that _weak_!? What the hell kind of world are you protecting?"

"Stop." Todoroki's voice was quiet, but it was hard as steel. Katsuki and Burnin both turned to look at him. Lifting his head, he met their eyes. "Stain is a serial killer, and it is our duty as heroes to stop him. He may have been right in his judgement of my father, but he wasn't right about others." Todoroki's fists clenched and he said with a conviction that Katsuki only ever heard from Izuku. "I will not reinforce his conviction that he is right to act as judge and executioner, but as soon as Stain is captured, I will tell the truth about Endeavor. I will not allow myself to become a part of the manipulation and corruption that is infecting our society."

Burnin gave a nod, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Shoto."

"Well, shit." Katsuki's shoulders dropped. "Looks like you made up your mind."

Todoroki gave an exhausted smile. He looked at the office burning around him and ice spread from his foot. It swiftly coated everything, smothering the fires and putting them out. He swayed, near collapse.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Katsuki grabbed his friend by the wrist. "You can crash in my room."

Todoroki followed without argument.

Burnin didn't say anything as they walked past her. She stood facing the destroyed room, the tablet hanging from her hand, her shoulders slumped with defeat.

Todoroki slumped against the elevator wall as they rode it back down to the third level. Katsuki watched him, a frown on his face. He wasn't sure he agreed with his friend's decision, but it wasn't his to make.

They passed two people in the hall. They both looked at Todoroki like he would explode any minute. Katsuki shot them threatening glares and they quickly scampered away. "You want something to eat? Drink? The room came stocked with the basics," he said, shutting the door behind him.

"I just want to sleep," Todoroki answered, voice flat.

Katsuki led the way to the bedroom. "I got a t-shirt and some sweatpants you can sleep in." He was already in sweats and a tank top, having been pulled out of bed by the sound of the alarm.

As Todoroki used the bathroom to change, he grabbed the extra blanket from the small bedroom closet and swiped a pillow from the bed. He dumped them on the couch. Todoroki came out of the bathroom. His eyes were red-rimmed and he looked exhausted, but his eyes were clear.

"Hey, Bakugo," he said softly. "Think Midoriya can draw up another tattoo?"

Katsuki tilted his head. "You know he can."

Todoroki nodded. "I just… I don't want to forget. I'm not stupid. I know how easy it is to start telling lies, to start telling yourself it's for the best. I know how hard it is to stop once you start." His arms came up to wrap around his chest. He looked smaller and younger out of his school uniform and hero costume. "I don't want to become like them. All the adults who get so lost thinking they're doing good while they lie and hurt others for their own convenience. I don't want to forget how much the truth matters."

"I won't let you forget," Katsuki promised with a challenging grin. "I'd kick your ass 'til you came to your senses."

Todoroki's expression softened with a laugh. "Thanks."

Expression turning serious, Katsuki said, "But yeah. Text Izuku what you'd like and he'll sketch a few things for you."

A sudden yawn overtook Todoroki and he stumbled toward the couch.

Katsuki held up his hand. "No. You're taking the bed. I gotta get up in an hour for patrol anyways."

Todoroki bowed his head contritely. "I"m sorry. You must be exhausted."

Katsuki glared at him. "Are you calling me weak? I'm fucking fine. Now get your ass into bed before you fall over."

"Of course you are." Todoroki shook his head and obediently took the bedroom.

Katsuki fell face first onto the couch and buried his face into his pillow, but thirty minutes later there was a knock on his door. Katsuki looked at his watch, saw he still could have slept another twenty minutes, and muttered something foul under his breath.

He swung the door open with a furious scowl only to freeze. A young woman stood on the other side. She had white hair with hints of red that fell past her shoulders and big grey eyes. She looked almost exactly like Todoroki's mother.

"Good morning," she said in a soft voice. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm looking for my brother Shoto."

"Come in," Katsuki said grudgingly and held the door open wider. "He's asleep in the bedroom. I'll get him."

She stepped inside, her hands folded demurely before her. "I'm sorry if he gave you trouble last night. I heard he started a fire."

"The office was hideous anyway," Katsuki said with a shrug. He slipped past her and headed to the bedroom. "And you don't have to be fucking sorry for everything." He opened his bedroom door and leaned inside. Todoroki was burrowed under the covers, only the top of his head showing. "Your sister's here."

The teen mumbled something and shifted under the blankets.

Katsuki scowled. "Hey, shithead, you up?"

"M'up," came a muffled answer.

Katsuki went back to the living room. Fuyumi was standing by the couch, clearly unsure if she should sit on it with the blankets flung across it. Katsuki snorted and went over to her. He pulled the blankets off and dropped them in the corner before heading to the kitchen.

"You want tea or something?"

"That would be lovely," she answered with a smile. "One for Shoto, too, if you have enough."

Katsuki scratched the back of his calf with the opposite foot as he turned the electric water heater on. "Milk? Sugar?"

"None for either of us, thank you."

By the time the water boiled and he poured it into the waiting cups, Todoroki came out with his hair sticking up in all directions. He still looked half asleep. He sat next to his sister and accepted the hot cup of tea. Katsuki sat in an arm chair and watched them.

"I hate to get you up so early," Fuyumi said softly, "but we have that custody meeting today at seven thirty and I figured you'd want to shower and dress properly."

"Oh, yeah." Todoroki ran his hand through his hair. "Do you think there'll be any problems?"

"You're old enough to choose your own guardian and I have a clean record, so there should be no trouble."

"You're going to be Todoroki's guardian?" Katsuki asked curiously.

"I know I'm only seven years older than him, but we're family. Family should look out for each other." Fuyumi gave Katsuki another sweet smile. "Thank you for always looking after my little brother. You're always welcome at our home."

Katsuki shrugged and sipped his tea. "It's no problem."

"Did Natsuo leave?" Todoroki asked, frowning down at his cup.

"No," she reassured him, putting a hand on her brother's knee. "Not yet. Don't forget he's only nineteen. I'm taking custody of him as well, so he'll have to stay at least as long as it takes to get that finalized."

Todoroki looked happy to hear that. "I was hoping we could spend more time together."

Fuyumi reached over to smooth a lock of Todoroki's hair that was sticking up. "He wants that, too. You'll see. He'll be back more than you think."

Todoroki looked uncomfortable with the affectionate gesture. He cleared his throat and stood. "Thank you for the tea and letting me sleep here." He gave Katsuki a deep bow to show his gratitude.

Katsuki scowled. "Don't be stupid. It's your building, so this is all yours anyway."

Todoroki straightened, smiling at Katsuki's annoyance. "I am still grateful."

"We're fucking friends, aren't we? Cut that out," Katsuki snapped and stomped over to the door, opening it for them.

Fuyumi turned and gave him a bow before stepping into the hall. Katsuki inclined his head back, annoyed. He shut the door a little harder than he had to. There wasn't enough time to go back to sleep, so with a scowl he went to get dressed for the day.

…

Katsuki had been paired with Ember again, but the second sidekick he didn't know. He introduced himself as Blackfire. As his name suggested, he wore all black. Literally. He looked like an old fashion ninja. Even his face and head were covered with a black cowl and mask. He also apparently didn't like to talk. After saying his name, he didn't speak again for the rest of the patrol, which suited Katsuki just fine. He wasn't exactly the type to enjoy small talk.

The three of them walked an hour and a half north-east and were about to turn back toward the agency when they caught sight of suspicious movement in an alley. "Stay here," Ember snapped and made his way inside. Backfire followed at his heels.

Taking an aggressive stance, Ember called out, "This is the Endeavor Agency! State your business!"

"Just on my way home," a man's voice answered. He took a step out of the dim shadows. Katsuki could see he was in a suit, but it was wrinkled and stained, the tie hanging sloppily around his neck. His black hair hung greasily over his forehead and around his eyes. "Long night, long night," he said with a chummy smile.

"Who's that with you?" Ember demanded.

Katsuki couldn't see far enough in the alley to make out the second person.

"No one there," the man assured Ember. "Just the shadows. Been a long night, hasn't it?"

Katsuki straightened alertly as Ember yawned. The hero's posture slumped slightly. Blackfire back-stepped until he was beside Katsuki.

"Step in to the street so I can see you," Ember ordered, but the last words slurred almost drunkenly.

"Of course. Nothing going on here," the man said genially. He began to walk toward Ember. "I'm just heading home after working all night."

Ember sank to his knees.

Growling, Katsuki lifted his hand and activated his quirk. The BANG was sharp and loud, more sound than heat or force. It was enough to make Ember jump and the man to startle backward, his friendly expression melting into a threatening snarl.

"Freeze!" Ember yelled. "You're under arrest for illegal quirk use!"

The man took off running deeper down the alley.

"Call the police," Ember barked and took off after him. Backfire leapt upward and disappeared onto the roof.

"Shit," Katsuki spat.

He fucking hated this internship bullshit. He wasn't allowed to help with anything. Without a hero license, his job was to observe and support only. He dialed the police, gave a concise explanation of what he'd seen and gave their location. A can of coffee hit him in the back. He spun to see a college-aged man with three buddies standing across the street.

"Stop pretending to be a hero!" the asshole spat.

"Endeavor's trash!" one of the other ones called.

Katsuki noticed they all wore red scarves. Burnin wasn't exaggerating when she said the people were now crazy about the Hero Killer. What fucking idiots. Empty of any original thought, they were spewing whatever rhetoric that caught their fancy. They had no real conviction. No idea about the realities of the world yet they thought they had the right to make judgements, to fucking condemn him just because Katsuki worked at Endeavor's Agency.

Katsuki's glare went nova with rage and they quickly made their way down the street, pounding each other's backs as if they had fucking accomplished something. Katsuki swallowed his anger and waited for the police. It didn't take them long. By the time Katsuki finished giving them his report, Ember was back.

"I lost him," he said with a frustrated growl. "Blackfire's going to keep looking, but we have to finish the patrol and head back."

Katsuki eyed Ember from the corner of his eye. The hero's expression was calm, but his hands stayed fisted at his sides for the rest of their patrol.

…

Katsuki cracked his neck and stood up from the computer. He'd been on email duty for three hours. It was all the same shit as yesterday, although there were fewer requests and more demands to know about Endeavor and the future of the agency. It was going on one in the afternoon and he had a one hour break for lunch before his last patrol.

Katsuki grabbed some rice and fried chicken from the cafeteria and found a corner table. Taking out his phone, he sent a text to Izuku, _On break. How's it going? _He'd eaten half his food by the time Izuku answered.

**Izu**

Hi, Kacchan!

Gran Torino is teaching me a lot about the way I think about my quirk

He's helped me with meditation, too. Toshinori isn't very good at that.

I can't wait to show you what I've learned

I think you'll be surprised

Katsuki smiled a bit_._The weight sitting heavy in his chest suddenly felt a little lighter.

**Izu**

How's Todoroki?

He texted me earlier about a tattoo

.

**Katsuki**

It's pretty messy over here

People're treating Stain as some kind of hero

Ran into a group wearing red scarves today

Fucking idiots

Because of them Candy Cane can't tell

the fucking truth about you know who

.

Rage surged in his chest, burning so hot that Katsuki shoved the rest of his food away. Jesus, the world really pissed him off.

There was a long pause before Izuku answered him, and he knew Izuku had a sense of how furious he really was.

**Izu**

I've seen a few people wearing them

We have to remember they don't represent everybody

Most people are just trying to live their lives peacefully

and are counting on heroes to help them do that

There're still people out there who're grateful for what heroes do

.

Katsuki knew Izuku was right, but he just didn't care about those faceless people the way Izu did. The masses were so fucking ungrateful and prone to petty evil, but when they needed help they were suddenly so fucking helpless and desperate. It pissed him off!

Katsuki's hand clenched around his phone as he felt the snap of the belt against his back as if someone standing behind him had swung full strength and hit him with it. He flinched hard enough that the table rattled as phantom pain bit sharply into his skin. It felt so fucking real!

_You're no hero. You're a fucking villain, Katsuki. _His mother's voice, cold and terrifying and so full of certainty. _It's who you are._

He hadn't known it then, but the older he got the more Katsuki realized that his mother was right. He did have the propensity to become a villain. Truth was Katsuki didn't have Izu's bleeding heart or Todoroki's sense of duty, and he thought people in general were pathetic and weak and they pissed him off, which was very unheroic thinking, but his mom was also wrong because villains pissed Katsuki off even more, and Katsuki _refused_to become one.

**Katsuki**

I'm going to want a tattoo too

.

**Izu**

Really?

.

**Katsuki**

I can't be the only one without one

No way I'll let you, Candy Cane, and Glasses be more badass than me

.

**Izu**

You'll always be more badass than us

Why really?

.

Because he didn't care that his mother was actually right! Didn't care about fucking fate! Villains thought they were strong just because they could hurt people. All they could do was break and destroy even with all the power they were always so fucking proud of. He wasn't going to become like that no matter the rage he had inside him. He was going to become a fucking hero!

So what if most of the people he saved were assholes and idiots who wouldn't even be grateful for long? Like he'd told Aizawa at the start of school he knew what true strength was. True strength was being able to protect something, and Katsuki had Izuku. Izuku — who tried so fucking hard and cared so fucking much — who experienced the darkest evils in the world and yet still believed in kindness — who knew about the violence and rage in Katsuki's heart and still looked at him with so much goddamn love and pride in his fucking eyes — Katsuki _would_protect him.

And as much as Katsuki hated people in general, there _were_those out there who deserved to be saved. Who were targeted simply because they were weak. To protect those people, to protect Izuku, Katsuki was going to fucking _smash_every villain he fucking came across and show them how fucking pathetic they really were. And he had Todoroki now, too. Todoroki would need help reshaping society so that true justice existed for all. Even for heroes and their families. And in order to do that, in order to protect Izuku and stand by his friend, Katsuki was going to defy his fate and his rage and become the number one fucking hero in the whole goddamn world!

That's why he wanted the tattoo. Like Izu said, a tattoo couldn't be taken or removed. It was a permanent reminder, and Katsuki never wanted to forget what he wanted to protect. Because if he did, he knew what his mother had seen would come true. His rage at the idiots and pathetic assholes of the world would win, and he'd become a villain.

No way could he put all that in a text, so after a long minute where Katsuki sat hunched over his phone, trying to slow his racing heart, he wrote a quick, _Tell you later._

A pause.

.

**Izu**

Okay

Love you

.

A rush of warmth at Izuku's easy acceptance burned through him. God Katsuki loved him.

**Chapter end.**

**Coming in the next chapter — The Internships: Izuku**

**A/N: **I hope it's not getting boring. I promise next chapter will be the last about the internships.

.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/n:** And we're done with the Internships. Sorry Izuku's part came out so late. There is A LOT of exposition! It took FOREVER to write. And on top of that, I think this is the longest chapter yet.

Hope you enjoy it and it isn't too much talking! Let me know what you think! ;p

**.**

**The Internships: Izuku**

After the police finished getting their statements, Aizawa instructed Izuku to call his mother. Unlike Todoroki, who technically didn't have a guardian at the moment, and Kacchan, whose guardian was Aizawa, Izuku needed permission to stay and finish the work-study and he dreaded it.

Head low and eyes on the ground, Izuku used his crutches to move down the hospital hallway. His cell phone's battery had died an hour ago, so he'd have to use the phone at the nurse's station. His heart pounded with anxiety as he remembered the last conversation he'd had with his mom. What would he do if his mom said no?

"Can I help you?"

Izuku looked up and saw he was already at the nurse's station. He gave a wane smile. "I'd like to use the phone please."

"Of course," she said with a distracted smile. "Press nine to make an outside call."

He almost felt like he was going to be sick as he dialed the number. As the phone began to ring, Izuku realized with a spike of nerves that it was half past three in the morning, but despite that the line clicked open after only two rings.

"_Hello?" _

"Hi, mom," he said as evenly as possible. His hand gripped the counter so hard his fingers blanched white. "It's me. Sorry for calling so early."

"_Izuku? Are you okay?"_

"Yes. I'm fine. I have a cut on my ankle with a few stitches, but that's it. Kacchan and Todoroki are safe, too. The only one who got hurt was Iida, but they say he's going to make a full recovery."

"_Oh, Izuku…"_ she said anxiously. _"Have you seen the news? Hosu looks like a war zone."_

Guilt made tears sting his eyes, but Izuku did his best to swallow it down. "The danger is over. All Might and the other heroes stopped the attack."

"_Are you coming home?"_

Izuku bit his lip. "Actually, I was hoping you'd let me finish the work-study? I promise I'll be super careful."

There was silence on the other side of the line. Izuku's stomach plummeted to his feet and his blood pumped loudly in his temple. Then, finally, his mother said a quiet, _"If that's what you want, Izuku."_

"Thanks, mom. I'll call you as soon as I arrive at Gran Torino's," he said with desperate relief. "I love you."

"_I love you,"_ she answered sadly.

Izuku hung up the phone with a trembling hand. He was going to have to resolve things with his mom when he got back, but honestly he was glad he could avoid it for a few more days. He just didn't know what to say or how to fix things between them. He loved her so much and he hated that he was hurting her, but this was who he was and he'd made the decision to stop looking back!

Upset but trying to hide it, Izuku used the crutches to return to the hospital room only to find that it was still empty except for Iida sleeping on the bed. Frowning, Izuku turned to go look for Kacchan and saw All Might walking toward him in his deflated form. He had their suitcases and rolled them along behind him. He looked exhausted and there was terrible bruising on his jaw.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked in concern.

"I am well, young Midoriya," his mentor answered with a tired smile. "Superficial wounds only."

"Is it okay for you to be here?" Izuku darted an anxious glance at Iida. No one from class 1-A besides Kacchan had seen All Might in his true form.

"He shouldn't wake up for another hour or so. They gave him strong pain killers to help after his surgery." Toshinori gave him a serious look. "Did your mother give you permission to go to Gran Torino's?"

Izuku gave a nod. "Yes, sir."

"Then we should be off." Toshinori gestured to the two suitcases. One of them was Izuku's. "The first train will depart in forty minutes. Traffic is likely going to be challenging."

"One minute." Izuku turned awkwardly and crutched over to where he'd left his papers. He shoved them in his pocket. "What about Kacchan and Todoroki?" He asked as he returned to All Might's side.

"They've already left for the Endeavor Agency," Toshinori explained. "I'm sure they will contact you after they arrive."

It had been ten hours since the attack and things at the hospital were beginning to calm down. Nurses and doctors walked around normally instead of running, and there was no longer the sound of crying and hysteria coming from the waiting room.

They called a taxi and rode it to the station. As the sun began to rise, Izuku looked out the car window, feeling like more than glass separated him from the scenes outsides. People walked around looking at all the damage or just stood in small groups. It was as if everyone was in slow motion. Even the train station was quieter than normal when usually at this time it would be packed with people heading to work. In fact, they were the only two on their train car.

Underarms beginning to chafe from the crutches, Izuku took the seat closest to the doors. Toshinori heaved the suitcases up onto the rack above their seat and sat next to him. He stretched his long, thin legs out in front of him as the train pulled away and began to accelerate down the track. The city of Hosu soon disappeared, replaced by the rice farms that surrounded it.

"How are you holding up?"

Izuku blinked his eyes a few times, pulled from the hypnotic sight of the country passing by. "What?"

Neon blue eyes watched him solemnly. "How're you holding up?" All Might repeated. "We haven't had a chance to talk after everything happened."

Izuku didn't feel much at the moment. Numb really. And tired.

"Are you angry at me?"

Izuku frowned. "Why would I be?"

"I sent you on ahead even though I knew it to be dangerous."

Izuku shook his had rapidly. "No! Of course not! Those nomu were destroying the city! People were in danger!" His shoulders straightened and he met his hero's eyes. "You made the right call. Together, Kacchan, Todoroki, Iida and I were enough to handle the Hero Killer."

All Might's eyes widened and he smiled. "I"m glad to hear you say that."

Izuku reached forward to put his hand on his mentor's. "I know I've been full of doubts lately, but I made a promise to stop looking back. I'm going to move forward from now on. No matter what."

All Might studied Izuku's eyes for a minute before his expression softened into a look of affection. "I'm sure you will. I'm proud of you. You've come a long way."

Izuku ducked his head, his cheeks flushing at the praise.

All Might pulled his legs toward himself and planted them firmly on the floor. He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his thighs. "I've been meaning to speak with you, young Midoriya." Taking a deep breath, he turned and faced Izuku. "It is time you learned how our quirk began."

Blond hair hanging long beside his thin face, All Might began a dark and tragic story.

"The story begins more than two hundred years ago, back when the first quirk manifested itself. At first, society didn't know what to do. They studied the children with quirks, and some more rigid and fearful countries even had them killed, but the change was coming and there was no stopping it. To make matters worse, some of those children became criminals and were nearly unstoppable. Society as a whole began to breakdown.

"Into this chaos, a certain boy was born. He had the most extraordinary quirk the world had ever seen. He was able to take quirks from others and use them as his own. He was also able to give quirks to those who didn't have one. Because he could wield an unlimited amount of quirks at the same time, he took the name All For One, and he became a symbol of unity by removing powers from those who did not want them and giving powers to those who did."

All Might's voice dropped and became ominous. "But All For One had ulterior motives. While he spoke about acceptance of those with quirks and a new society where all could co-exist, behind the scenes All For One encouraged the fear and paranoia of society. He wanted quirk users to be forced to flee to him for safety, all so he could collect more interesting and powerful quirks. Those who resisted his will were killed."

"Didn't anyone realize what he was doing?" Izuku asked, wide-eyed.

All Might shook his head sadly. "When All For One suddenly had an amazing quirk and the original user went missing, they just assumed he'd been asked to take the quirk so the person could live a normal life."

"That's terrible!" Izuku whispered.

All Might's neon blue eyes met his own and pierced Izuku to the core. "But there was one who caught on to All For One's murders. His younger brother."

Izuku gasped, his heart suddenly beating faster. "Daisuke," he breathed.

"Yes." All Might gave him a fond look. "Although, we did not know his name before you recovered it."

Izuku smiled, tears forming in his eyes, glad he was able to bring that knowledge back.

"When Daisuke confronted All For One and demanded answers, All For One revealed his plan to become a god on Earth. He believed it was his destiny to bring order to the world and he needed as many quirks as possible to do that. Those who died, well, in the great scheme of things, they didn't matter, did they? Only power mattered. Daisuke tried to make All For One realize how evil such thinking was, but it was useless."

All Might turned sorrowful eyes out the window. "You see, All For One believed that without power, one did not have the right to assert their ideals, and it just so happened that his little brother was quirkless. In All For One's eyes, his brother's opinion was worthless because of this. Daisuke tried to appeal to his brother's sense of justice, but All For One did not believe in justice or morality, claiming those concepts were nice philosophies, but they didn't actually conform to reality and so were not practical."

"Justice isn't practical?" Izuku repeated, unable to wrap his mind around that idea.

All Might sighed and turned tired eyes to Izuku. "Remember All For One was born about ten years after the first quirk manifested. Only a quarter of the population had quirks. As you experienced growing up, those without quirks are at the mercy of those who did. It isn't fair, but that is the reality. This led All For One into believing that the only truth in the world is power, the having of it or the not having of it, and he possessed a quirk that granted unlimited power."

Izuku swallowed hard. Back before Kacchan was his friend, he'd been powerless in a world where everyone he knew had amazing powers. It hadn't stopped him from trying to reason with the bullies who used that power cruelly, but if it had actually come down to a fight, Izuku never won. He'd always ended up on the ground with cuts, bruises, and burns. It wasn't until Kacchan stood at his side that the bullies had melted away, unable to match Kacchan's strength or ferocity.

Power did matter. If you wanted to make a difference, you had to have it, but it was also true that there are different types of power, and power without justice was empty. It was a show of strength with no connection to anything substantial. Power without community was insignificant because it didn't create anything that would last.

"All For One became obsessed with obtaining as much power as he could," All Might continued, voice low and intense. "He was unable to resist taking a quirk once it piqued his interest, much like a hoarder, and with all the quirks he possessed, there was no one strong enough to stop him. Even if someone had a powerful enough quirk to try and stand up to him, All For One could just take their quirk for himself and defeat them easily. He was invincible, but his younger brother continued to try and stop him."

Izuku braced himself, knowing something terrible as coming. "Did All For One kill him?"

All Might shook his head. "No. All For One did care for Daisuke, albeit in a condescending manner. He forced Daisuke to take on a power accumulation quirk. He told him, 'Maybe someday this will give you the strength to stop me. Until then, be satisfied.' He said this thinking his brother could never accumulate enough power to defeat him." All Might grinned, fierce and proud. "Little did he know that his little brother already had a quirk and it was similar to All For One's. Daisuke didn't have the ability to take quirks from others, but he did have the ability to pass them on. So when All For One gave Daisuke the stockpiling quirk, it merged with Daisuke's transference quirk, creating One For All."

"But how could Daisuke know he could do that?" Izuku asked, wide-eyed. He was hanging on All Might's every word.

All Might looked thoughtful at this. "Well, it's hard to know for certain. Maybe you can ask Daisuke yourself one day, but I always thought that he could feel it. It's possible it was just a miraculous fluke, though."

Izuku frowned, his analytical mind racing. "You mean, he could have accidentally passed it on?"

"This story has been passed down from user to user, so it may have gotten distorted in the telling, but the story as it was told to me was that Daisuke worked hard to become strong, driven by his brother's words: 'Maybe someday this will give you the strength to stop me.' Meanwhile, Daisuke was forced to stand helplessly by as All For One accumulated more quirks, gained followers, and killed more people.

"Then, when Daisuke was almost out of time due to an illness, he challenged All For One. He was beaten down, but he refused to yield. In disgust, All For One tried to take back the quirk he had given his little brother, but he was unable to do so. Because Daisuke's transference quirk gave Daisuke the ability to pass on his quirk, it blocked All For One from taking it by force. It could only be passed on when Daisuke activated the transference."

"That means that One For All is possibly only quirk in existence All For One can't take, which means the person with One For All is the only person in the world who has a chance at actually defeating All For One," Izuku reasoned.

"Exactly," All Might said with a proud smile. "All For One realized Daisuke's new quirk was a threat to him and tried to kill his brother, but Daisuke was driven by a new goal. He had to pass on his quirk. He was not strong enough to stop his brother, but someone else might be. Somehow Daisuke managed to escape that fight, and he found someone who believed in justice as much as he did."

"What happened to him?" Izuku asked in a whisper, already guessing the answer.

"Whether it was due to the wounds he suffered in his battle with All For One or the act of giving away the strength he'd stored within his quirk, Daisuke died after transferring One For All to the second holder."

Izuku closed his eyes tight. "He was so young. He fought so hard."

All Might continued, tone heavy and his expression grim. "All For One realized what Daisuke had done and devoted all his power to tracking down the second holder. He eventually found him and killed him, but not before the second holder had found a successor of his own. The second holder fought All For One as hard as he could, but he was killed.

"Believing he had put an end to One For All, All For One gave up the search, and the third successor was able to train in secret. In that time, he found the fourth successor. When he felt he was ready, he passed on One For All and then attacked All For One. For the first time, All for One was injured, but the third successor was not strong enough to win and he was brutally killed."

Izuku's heart began to race and his tears dried up. When All Might had begun the story saying this took place two hundred years ago, he had thought this was a story about the past, but as he looked into All Might's eyes, he began to realize that this wasn't the case.

Seeing the understanding dawn in Izuku's eyes, All Might gave a slow nod. "One For All was passed on from one person to the next and with the quirk three missions were handed down to each successor. The First: never let One For All end. It must be passed on without fail for it is the only hope of Justice surviving in the world. The Second: build up One For All, cultivate it, for Justice must be protected with Strength. The Third: defeat All For One no matter what it takes." All Might sighed and held Izuku's eyes. "And now I am entrusting you with these missions."

"But how is he still alive?" Izuku demanded.

"It can only be assumed he's come to possess a Longevity quirk of some kind. He stopped aging in his thirties."

Izuku felt faint.

"All For One has been behind great evil. He has killed hundreds of people, stealing as many quirks, and he has nearly toppled the government. After his plan fell apart because of the third holder, All For One disappeared for awhile, working underground to achieve his goal. He has been the mastermind behind dozens of criminal organizations. Almost all of the One For All holders have tried to stop the villain, but all have failed."

"Did you fight him?" Izuku asked, intuitively knowing that this was the fight All Might had kept secret, the fight that had nearly killed him and had given him the debilitating wound in his side.

All Might leaned forward again, a terrible look of anger on his face. "The seventh user, Nana Shimura, was my mentor. She came closer than anyone to defeating All For One, but in the end All For One killed her." All Might took a long breath, pain in his eyes. "After her death, I made a vow to be the one to finally stop him. I could never forgive him for killing her."

All Might sighed and rubbed at his face. "Six years ago, I was at the peak of my strength and I thought nothing could beat me, so I went out to challenge All For One and finally take my revenge. But I broke the first covenant of One For All and did not pass on my quirk before the challenge. I was very, very lucky to escape that fight alive. I honestly thought I killed him. I was bleeding out, dying, but so was he. I passed out, and when I woke, I was at a hospital. They went to look for the body, but the building we had fought in had exploded from the damage. We thought the body had been destroyed in the fire and didn't think much of it. I'm still not sure how he survived his injuries."

Izuku stared with wide eyes. "Then why do you think he's alive?"

"Never before All For One has a person been able to wield more than one quirk, and yet that is exactly what these nomu are able to do. There is something unnatural about them, and I sense All For One's hand at work."

All Might turned so he was facing Izuku and placed his hands on the teen's shoulders. "I know this is a heavy burden, and I had hoped that the holder of One For All could continue on into the future without this weight, but All For One must be stopped. He is an extremely dangerous villain with immense power. His end goal is to rule over this country and then the world." Voice rough, All Might's hands tightened on Izuku's shoulders to the point of leaving bruises. "As the next holder of One For All, you too will have to face him."

Izuku's heart raced in his chest. He waited to feel the anxiety and panic he'd felt when All Might had ordered him to show the world that he was here at the Sports Festival, but it never came. Subconsciously, he reached his hand into his pocket. The feel of paper against his fingers made adrenaline dump into his veins. The conviction he found with Iida, Kacchan, and Todoroki burned in his chest.

All Might's expression creased with curiosity as Izuku pulled out the pieces of paper he'd grabbed from the hospital room.

Izuku stared down at the image he'd sketched and felt calm. His heartbeat slowed. Lifting his eyes, he met his mentor's gaze. "I'm not afraid. All For One sounds really strong, but I knew there were strong villains out there when I chose to become a hero. All For One doesn't change that. It's my duty to stand against evil no matter what the form and to keep people safe. Daisuke, and all the holders…" Izuku hesitated, looking up at All Might carefully, "… even you… Everyone has fought alone." Eyes glinting with determination, Izuku declared, "I am not alone. I have you and Kacchan and everyone else. Together we can do anything. Even stop All For One."

Tears glittering in the corner of his eyes, All Might pulled Izuku in for an awkward hug. "You never cease to impress me, kid." Pulling away, he ruffled Izuku's wavy hair.

Izuku blushed and looked up at him shyly through his bangs. "Thank you. For trusting me. I'm really glad we don't keep secrets from one another anymore."

All Might gave him a tired smile. "Get some rest. We still have half an hour before we get to Gran Torino's."

Izuku nodded. He put the tattoo sketches back into his pocket and curled up on his seat. He was exhausted, but true sleep alluded him. All For One… Daisuke… Izuku remembered Daisuke telling him he'd been a bad younger brother, that he hoped he'd be a better older one. How painful had it been to see his older brother go down a terrible path and not even realize it was terrible? How hard was it to devote himself to his brother's end regardless of how bad that brother was?

Izuku's hands curled into tight fists. He had to master meditation. He couldn't let Daisuke stay alone in the dark, not when he finally was able to communicate. And if they were going to take on All For One, then Izuku had to get stronger. He wasn't alone, but that meant he had more to protect, too. He had to get much, _much_ stronger!

…

One hour later, Izuku was sweating from effort as he used his crutches to swing down the street. He had a crumpled hand-drawn map in his hand. All Might had given it to him and had sent him on ahead. He said he had to pick up a few things from the grocery. Izuku paused to look at the map again.

"Maybe I read it wrong?" he mumbled and looked up at the building.

The building he'd come to was four stories. It had three rows of five small square windows with a cross-work of dark black metal bars over them. The railing at the roof was broken and hanging down. The grayish paint covering old red brick was peeling and coming off. In fact, more brick showed than paint.

A yellow construction barrier served as a type of fence around the building. Six steps led up to two wooden front doors. Above the front doors was a sign that read Hero Agency, but it was also half falling down and broken. There was even some rude graffiti along the first floor walls. If it had been dark, Izuku would have been too scared to enter and would have waited for All Might.

Izuku looked again at the map, but no matter how many times he looked, it seemed this was the place. Taking a deep breath, Izuku carefully crutched his way up the stairs. He knocked on the door and then carefully pushed it open.

"Hello! I'm here from UA High. My name is Izuku Midoriya…" he called nervously. "Nice to meet… you…"

His eyes fell on a small form crumpled on the ground. The room was dark, so he flung the door wider open, letting sunlight pour in, and saw a white and black checkered tile floor, a small old man with gray hair in a yellow cape, and a pool of red blood under him.

Izuku flung his crutches to the side and put himself against the wall, eyes darting around. One For All filled him and his skin took on a pale yellow glow with red glimmering veins snaking over him before it faded into green static that ran over his body.

Izuku couldn't hear or see anyone. He rushed forward, staying low. He kept his attention on the room as he reached down to check on the old man. His senses registered the tangy sweet smell of ketchup just as his hand touched a surprisingly hard, warm shoulder.

The old man bolted up, screaming, "I'm alive!"

Izuku leapt away from him in reaction, heart slamming hard against his chest. He stared, wide-eyed, his quirk still activated as Gran Torino slowly got to his feet. Izuku saw now that the man was wearing a hero costume. Large yellow boots that went up to his knees and a white spandex suit with a yellow belt, large yellow gloves, and yellow cape. He also had a black mask that covered the top half of his face like Kacchan and a wooden walking stick. His voice shook with age when he spoke.

"When I was carrying a string of sausages with ketchup poured over them, I fell!"

Izuku frowned, but he slowly let go of One For All. The old man walked, trembling slightly, to the wall and flicked on the lights. Izuku saw the room was large with walls painted green. Old fliers and papers hung on them. On the floor, right in front of the front door, was a large red smear of ketchup, a few links of sausage, and broken glass.

"Who are you?" the old man asked.

Izuku came to attention. "I'm Izuku Midoriya from UA."

"What?" Gran Torino lifted his large gloved hand to his ear.

A little louder Izuku yelled, "I'm Izuku Midoriya."

Gran Torino nodded and set both hands on the top of his walking cane. He gave Izuku a smile, trembling, and asked again, "Who are you?"

Izuku's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but before he could say anything, Gran Torino fell backward onto his butt. Izuku instinctively moved to his side, reaching out to support him.

"I want to eat," the old man said carelessly.

"Okay," Izuku agreed calmly before reaching into his pocket for his phone. "Let me make a call first."

The old man laughed. "Can't get much by you, can I? Guess Toshinori wasn't wrong when he picked you. Not bad, kid. You've done everything right. Except you let go of One For All. I could be the villain, you know." Standing, Gran Torino got nimbly to his feet and discarded his cane. He was no longer shaking. "All right." He gave Izuku a sharp look. "Fire off One For All. I wanna know how well you can handle it."

"I can't attack you without knowing your abilities, sir," Izuku countered, still wary and worried about the man's mental health.

"In that case…"

Gran Torino sucked in a huge breath of air and then was airborne. He bounced off the walls with incredible speed. He was so fast it looked like there were more than one of him. The old hero created a lattice work of blurred after images around the room as Izuku stood there gaping. Then, with an abrupt stop, Gran Torino hit the wall above the front doors and hung there.

"Come at me with everything you have," the old man said, voice steady and ominous. He gave Izuku a terrifying grin. "I watched the UA Sports Festival on TV. You were good, but you were also clumsy. The way you used your power was so limited. Toshinori is called the Symbol of Peace and the Number One Hero, but that justice-obsessed boy is worse than a novice when it comes to teaching. So I'll teach you. Now, come at me."

Izuku gave a closed-mouth smile, heart thumping with anticipation. One For All filled him with power, green static covering his entire body before fading into a faint glow. "Is it really okay?" he asked, making sure. "If I connect, I don't want you to get hurt. And what about the building? Walls and furniture won't stand up to One For All's power."

They were standing in a pretty open space, but not far from them was the sitting area with arm chairs, couches, and a tall bookcase filled with books. There was also a small kitchen area in the corner with cupboards, appliances, a table, and chairs. All of it could be broken.

"Good grief. You worry too much." Gran Torino took a deep breath and launched himself into the air again. "I'm losing patience."

Izuku was flung forward as Gran Torino launched a kick to his back. Izuku hadn't even seen him coming! Izuku rolled forward, his ankle giving a scream of pain. He'd have to be careful not to tear his stitches if he hadn't already. The sound of Gran Torino bouncing off the walls filled him with adrenaline as he came up on a knee, trying to track the hero's movements. A gloved hand slapped him across the face. It stung.

"I can't believe the ninth holder of One For All is such a wet blanket," the old man taunted. "All Might really is terrible."

Izuku ignored him. He'd finally figured out the pattern! Izuku grit his teeth and spun around just as Gran Torino was coming for his back again. He lashed his hand forward, hoping to grab hold of the old man's arm to stop his movements, but Gran Torino somehow dodged in midair. The old hero kept coming forward and a yellow glove filled Izuku's vision as Gran Torino grabbed him by the face and slammed him to the floor onto his back.

"Good analysis and prediction," Gran Torino acknowledged. "However, you're stiff and limited in your thinking. That's why it ended up like this."

"I thought I had you," Izuku admitted. The gloved hand still pressed into his face and the back of his head throbbed from hitting the floor.

"The way you used One For All in the calvary battle and the tournament, and the way you used it now, is stunted. Your admiration for All Might and your sense of duty are like shackles." Gran Torino lifted his hand and poked Izuku in the cheek. "Do you understand?"

Izuku sat up as Gran Torino backed off.

Gran Torino crossed his arms and regarded Izuku solemnly. "Time and enemies won't wait until you get stronger. You have to utilize the strength in your grasp now at one hundred percent, but you don't. You're thinking One For All as less than it is."

"Then what should I do?" Izuku asked desperately. "Help me."

Turning his back, Gran Torino walked to the front door, picking up his walking stick on the way. "Think about the answer yourself. I'll go buy some grub." He left, closing the door behind him.

Izuku sat near the puddle of ketchup and stared at his hands. "I'm thinking of it as less than it is?" Confusion welled but Izuku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could figure this out. He could!

At first, he'd only allowed One For All to fill one part of his body: his arms and legs. Because that's how he thought All Might used it, but he'd figured out that he was thinking of it wrong because of Daisuke's help. He'd learned to let it flow through his entire body, but maybe he hadn't taken that thought far enough? He still mostly favored All Might's fighting style. All Might was his hero, as Gran Torino had pointed out. Was that still effecting how he saw One For All?

Izuku got to his feet, hand lifting and pressing to his lips. Limping, he made his way to the kitchen to gather cleaning supplies to clean the floor with. He always thought better when his hands were busy.

Shackled by his admiration for All Might? Okay. He had to break it down, then. Why did All Might have super strength? Toshinori said he'd been quirkless before accepting One For All. It was a stockpiling quirk, right? The only reason All Might had super strength was because all the strength of the previous users were trapped within One For All, so when All Might activated it, all that strength flooded into him. But could seven people with normal strength really add up to the sheer force All Might was able to create? Izuku didn't think so. So what did that mean?

Wincing as his ankle gave a nasty twinge, Izuku got up from the floor. The ketchup was mostly cleaned up. Hobbling over to a kitchen chair, he sat down, mind still racing. What else did he know about One For All? Strength - Stockpile - The sudden image of the moon came to him. It had boosted his birth quirk, too!

All Might's story came back to him. All For One had given Daisuke a quirk. It had merged with Daisuke's birth quirk and created One For All. Izuku's eyes went wide, his mouth fell open. It _merged_ with Daisuke's birth quirk! That's it!

To create the power All Might displayed, a strength quirk had to have been merged into One For All! And that quirk had gotten boosted just like Izuku's birth quirk! That's why All Might was so strong. That meant there might be other quirks inside One For All that he could learn to use!

"The expression on your face says you've come to an answer," Gran Torino said with a doubtful look. "But is it the right one?"

Izuku looked up to see the front door had opened and Gran Torino had returned without him noticing.

All Might was standing behind his former teacher with a sheepish smile. "Sorry if he scared you. He demanded to test you."

Ignoring this, Izuku blurted out the answer he'd come to, mind still racing. "There's more than just super strength in One For All. Right? I still think of All Might when I think of One For All, and I shouldn't because there's more than just strength inside the One For All quirk."

Gran Torino grinned. "You're a quick thinker, I'll give you that." He hit All Might with his stick. "You're a much brainier successor than I expected Toshinori to choose."

Toshinori grimaced down at his previous teacher. "I chose the most worthy as I was instructed to do."

Izuku knew better than to argue or dwell on the topic of worthiness. A big part of him still believed he didn't deserve it, but he wasn't going to keep looking back. Worthy or not, he held One For All and he was going to give it his best. "But how am I going to know what those abilities are, let alone figure out how to use them?" he asked, looking from one man to the other.

"Meditation and hypnotherapy," Gran Torino answered and jerked his thumb up at Toshinori. "Something this one is utterly incapable of."

Toshinori ruffled his blond hair sheepishly.

With a roll of the eyes, Gran Torino returned his attention to Izuku. "The strength facet of One For All came ridiculously easy to him. He hardly even needed to train, but he was never able to access any other quirk no matter how hard I tried to teach him."

Toshinori actually paled as he remembered those training sessions. He forced a smile and tried to pretend he hadn't just started sweating. "But I'm sure you'll get it, young Midoriya! I have faith in you."

Izuku got to his feet and gave a nod, his green eyes shining. "Yes, sir! When can we start?"

Gran Torino laughed. "Go put everything away, Toshi. The young one and I are going to begin."

Izuku was taken to the third floor of the building. The room was filled with a large square pool. It was ten feet by ten feet, lined with tiny white tiles. The sides of the pool was only two feet tall and came to just above his knees.

"This is a sensory deprivation pool," Gran Torino explained. He went to a white cabinet on the wall and took out strange headphones and a muzzle that would cover his mouth and keep his jaw from opening. "You're going to strip and put your clothes here. Then I'm going to give you a paralytic and get you set up in the pool. The paralytic will keep you from moving, but your thoughts and sense of your body will be left completely untouched. This will help you push past your consciousness and will make it easier for you to slip into a deep trance."

Izuku stared at him with wide eyes. "Okay," he said, trying to be brave.

Gran Torino gave him a very serious look. "It's going to be weird at first, and it's only going to get more terrifying as you go. I'm not going to lie. This is often used as a torture technique, so be prepared. It's not uncommon to hallucinate or have flashbacks as your brain struggles with the lack of stimulus. It's okay to scream or cry. No one is going to judge you."

Izuku swallowed hard.

Softening, Gran Torino offered him some comfort. "I've been told you've been able to reach a deep trance before, so you might be able to do so again and it won't be so bad. We've only got three days, which is why we must go to these extremes. You need to be able to enter a deep trance at will and we only have three days to lay a strong foundation."

Izuku braced himself. "I understand. I'm ready," he said quietly.

"Then get naked."

Izuku took off his clothes and folded them with shaking hands. He remembered being in a fever dream after Hitoshi had brainwashed him. He had been desperate to get into the dark closet, so he knew blackness had to be a legitimate way for him to learn how to go into a trance, but it was still terrifying.

Gran Torino had him sit on the edge of the pool and gave him two pills. Izuku hesitated, but then he swallowed them dry. He sat still as Gran Torino strapped the white muzzle to his face. It was soft and supple, feeling like leather but also not. Once it was on, Izuku could only feel it touching his face when he tried to open his jaw and couldn't.

"Once you're in the pool, I'm going to step outside and monitor you from another room. I can't stay in here because the lights will be shut off to blind you and I need to be able to see. Don't worry. You'll be safe. I won't let anything happen to you. You have to have trust, Midoriya."

Izuku gave a nod, and without drawing things out further, Gran Torino put the headphones on his head. Instantly all sound was cut out. Izuku's heart raced in his chest. His breathing came loud and fast through his nose. Sound wasn't just muffled. He was completely deaf.

Gran Torino gave him a minute to adjust, but then he pushed insistently. Wide eyed, trying to take in as much as he could, Izuku let himself sink into the pool. The water was exactly his body temperature, neither hot nor cold. It was very hard to sense it around him, and as he was guided to float on his back, all sense of gravity disappeared.

The feeling of nothing to hold on to made his limbs flail, but Gran Torino held him still. It didn't take long for the paralytic to kick in. Izuku couldn't move even if he wanted to. Gran Torino let go and left him. Tears streamed from Izuku's unblinking eyes as they darted this way and that, but all he could see was white. White tile, white water, white ceiling… and then the lights went out. Utter blackness.

Izuku screamed and flailed, but his body didn't react to his panic. He was utterly trapped - blind and deaf - with no sense of body or direction. It was like falling through a void with nothing to hold on to, but panic could only last so long. Eventually, Izuku's heart began to slow. His soundless sobs gentled into whimpers as his breathing evened. He was alone. No one was there with him. Nothing was touching him. There was no sound or sight or touch, and suddenly Izuku found that as a comfort. No one could hurt him in this empty place, and as he sank into the lack of sensation, he remembered what he'd come for. Daisuke. All For One. The secrets of One For All.

His brain spat out spasms of color. Memories flashed brightly behind his blind eyes, the phantom sound of waves crashed in his ears like static, but Izuku pushed those away and sank backward, looking for the black door. He found several and each opened to a memory or some imagined monster. Izuku screamed in frustration. Where was it? Why couldn't he find it? He tried to curl up, but he couldn't feel his body. Frustrated and alone, he began to cry. He cried for hours until finally even his brain went silent. It felt like dying.

Arms wrapped around him. "Izuku? You feel different."

Izuku jerked, disconnected in his own body, and blinked wide, staring eyes. "D-Dais-suke?" he stuttered in a confused whisper.

More worried now, Daisuke held him tighter. "I'm here. What happened?"

Izuku tilted his head back and saw the thick, white hair of his friend, the curve of his jaw and lips. "Daisuke…" he whispered in soul-deep relief. "Daisuke…"

"I'm here, Izu. I've got you," Daisuke promised, cradling Izuku's body to his chest.

Izuku wept. His arms were jerky and stiff as they clumsily lifted to hold Daisuke back. Eventually, his tears came to an end and he pulled back to look into Daisuke's face. "I found you," he rasped hoarsely, trying for a smile.

"What happened?" Daisuke asked again, lips turned down into a frown. His hair fell over his forehead, hiding his eyes mostly from view. Izuku only caught glimpses of pale green.

"Training," Izuku said simply and pulled away completely. "Trying to learn how to go into deep trance on command."

"That takes years, Izuku," Daisuke scolded. "There's no reason to push yourself this hard."

"But there is a reason," Izuku argued. "All For One."

Daisuke went still. "Toshinori told you, then."

Izuku nodded. "You couldn't talk about it until he did, right? It's like there's a limit to what we can talk about. Only if I have the conceptual map for it to begin with can you say anything. That's why the other holders can't talk to me. I don't have the context to understand."

Daisuke whole body posture went limp with relief. "I was afraid you would think I betrayed you or was keeping secrets or manipulating you."

Izuku flung his arms around his friend. "Daisuke! I would never think that! Even if you were manipulating me, I would know it was because you were trying to protect me. You've always taken care of me. You could easily have manipulated me then, but you didn't. You helped put me back together." Pulling away, tears in his eyes, Izuku gave the young man a big smile. "I'll never doubt you. We're brothers, remember?"

Daisuke reached up to brush away tears of his own. "Thanks, Izuku."

"So tell me about All For One now that All Might's told me about him." Izuku sat cross-legged in front of his friend and gave him his full attention. "It must have been really hard."

Daisuke sighed sadly and folded his legs under him, his butt resting on his ankles. He lowered his head so most of his face was obscured. "Quirks weren't common when I was alive. Many people were scared of them. There were whole groups who thought people with quirks weren't human and called for their imprisonment and extermination.

"My father had a quirk. He could manipulate people's energy levels. He could make them feel super energetic or make them really tired. It was an easy quirk to hide, so no one outside our family knew, but he was always afraid of being discovered. Add on a sick kid who was expensive and needy and it was too much for him. He left us. He just never came home from work. Sosuke was ten and I was only four. Mother had to work to support us, but it was barely enough and we were very poor. Because she was working, I was left in Sosuke's care."

Daisuke took a deep breath. "I felt so guilty over breaking up our family. I really tried my best to be obedient and pleasing, but I think I went overboard. When Sosuke saw the protests and debates on tv, he got these radical ideas and I never really addressed it. I just agreed and went along, and that gave him more and more confidence. Only a few years after father left, he realized he could take quirks for himself." Daisuke fell silent, lost in memory.

"How?" Izuku asked softly, knowing the story had to be told.

"Sosuke had always had a sense of who had a quirk and who didn't. We were at the park and Sosuke saw these three teens. He just knew one of them had a quirk. Sosuke was always so fearless. He overheard them bashing quirk-holders and asked the teen with a quirk why he'd do that when he had one, too."

Izuku winced and Daisuke nodded.

"It didn't go well. The guy was furious. He called Sosuke crazy and pushed him down. I was so scared he would really hurt Sosuke that I put myself between them. The guy pushed me down, too, and my arm broke when I landed badly. Sosuke knew I was hurt and he got so angry. He shoved the guy down with this sudden strength and leapt on him. He put his hand over the guy's face and said, 'You don't deserve to have a gift,' and suddenly the guy arched his back. Sosuke's whole face went slack. Back then I thought he was in shock or in pain, but now I know it was pleasure that flushed his cheeks. It was over in a few seconds. Sosuke got up and wind whipped around him and blasted the other two teens, nearly knocking them off their feet. He'd taken that boy's quirk and used it so easily.

"Of course word spread. Some people actually sought Sosuke out, asking for their quirks to be taken. At first, Sosuke kept what he could do a secret, but the more quirks he took, the more he wondered why he should be the one in hiding. I saw what was happening, but I was too scared of making him mad or hurting his feelings. This was the brother who protected me and took care of me. I was genuinely in awe of his ability and power.

"Sosuke enjoyed collecting quirks. It was like playing with new toys, but by the time he went to college, he was beginning to grow bored. He began to actively seek out people with more powerful quirks. He was supposedly recruiting them to his equality campaign, but he'd subtly emphasize how hard it was to have quirks in a society that feared them and they eventually gave them to him. When they didn't… Well, I didn't realize he was killing people until he'd graduated college."

Izuku watched helplessly as tears dripped from Daisuke's jaw.

"By then, Sosuke was obsessed. There was no turning him away from his path. He was handsome and charismatic, and his platform was picked up by a politician. He was given funding to research quirks and to help integrate quirk users into an equal society. He began to give quirks to others who would be loyal and useful to him. He was creating a movement and he was rising in power.

"Then our mother died in a robbery by a quirk user. I moved in with my brother, and he took up my medical bills. I was so grief-stricken and apologetic, but he acted like the bills were nothing, and he was very casual about Mother's death. He even said something like 'she wasn't strong enough to fight back, so of course she died' as if it made sense to him. I grew suspicious and began to actively try and figure out what Sosuke was doing. He kept as much secret as he could, but I began to catch on that he was actually behind a lot of those crimes."

Daisuke's hands fisted on his knees. "He was using the funds to help his campaign. I confronted him. I demanded to know if he had organized the bank robbery that Mother had died in, and he admitted that he had. He hadn't known she'd go to the bank that day, but he couldn't regret it. She was a part of the society that kept quirk users down. 'Only the powerful survive', he said. I asked him how I was alive, then, as I was the weakest of all, and he told me that it was his will that I live and he was powerful enough to enforce that will, so I did not need to be afraid. That was the right of the powerful."

Izuku closed his eyes, struck to the core.

"I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to help him," Daisuke rasped, heartbroken. "I knew fundamentally my brother was wrong. That his thinking was evil. He'd killed our mother! But he still loved me. In his eyes, he needed power to justify his position as leader, to earn the right to enforce his will, which gave him the ability to protect me. It was all so twisted! When I realized he was killing people for their quirks, I knew I had to do whatever it took to stop him."

Tears ran freely down Daisuke's cheeks. "I confronted him again. I told him that he was evil and cruel. told him that I would do whatever I had to to stop him. That's when he gave me a stockpiling quirk. He told me to get stronger and see life from the top and then tell him that he was wrong. He thought for sure I'd see things from his point of view, but I couldn't accept his cruelty or his obsession with power even as I grew strong for the first time in my life. I learned to fight and grew as strong as I could, but even though I felt better, my disease was still working against me. I waited as long as I could and then I attacked him."

Daisuke lowered his head even further. "He was so betrayed and heartbroken, but I refused to back down. Of course I stood no chance, but I had to make a stand. I didn't have much time left. In a fit of rage, he tried to take back the 'gift' he had given me, but he couldn't. I felt him try to take it, but he could not. He was shocked. There had never been a quirk he hadn't been able to take. Even ones he had given others he could always take them back again without problem. That's when I realized, deep in my core, that the quirk was mine now, that something inside me had changed it, and only I could give it away.

"Because he was distracted, I was able to escape. I spent the last few weeks of my life searching for someone I could pass on all the strength I'd accumulated to. By that point, there were others who were suspicious of my brother. It was among them that I searched for my successor, and once I found one I could trust to do the right thing above all else, I told them my story and gave my successor everything I had. Literally everything. It cost me my life and, somehow, along with the quirk, my soul was passed on as well."

Daisuke's head came up, pale green peeking through the white of his bangs. A half smile rested on his lips. "At first, it was like dreaming. I only caught flashes of the lives of my successors, but as One For All was passed on and on, bits of each holder's spirit was passed along as well. It bolstered my own and I grew more aware. I began to know things as experiences and memories bled from my successors spirits into my awareness. Then Toshinori passed on One For All to you."

Daisuke's smile was bright with happiness. "No one before had possessed a psychic quirk, let alone one that resonated with the energies of the dead and dying, that reached across time. It created an anchor and a bridge, linking my mind to yours. In a way, it has granted me a second life."

Tears burning his eyes, Izuku smiled back. "I wish I could do more."

Daisuke shook his head. "No. No one should cross that line. My human life is over, Izuku. I'm grateful that I am able to be a part of your life. It is more than I could ever ask for, and I am so sorry that I have passed on the burden of Sosuke to you."

Izuku shook his head hard and flung himself forward, wrapping Daisuke in his arms. "No! I'm the one who's grateful! You saved me, Daisuke! I would have gone crazy from my visions if it weren't for you. You put me back together when I've literally fallen apart. Even with your help, I'm a mess, but I can't even imagine what would have happened to me without your support."

"To be fair, you only had a handful of visions a year, and they were spaced out," Daisuke corrected, holding Izuku secure against his side. "It is because of the amplification of One For All that you have dozens in a single night now. No one's sanity could withstand that. Even you who were born with this ability."

Izuku nodded. "I know, but think of all the people it's been able to help, Daisuke. I don't regret that."

Daisuke smiled and kissed the top of Izuku's head. "I know you don't. That's what makes you more heroic than anyone I know." He gently pushed Izuku away and gave him a smile. "So how did you manage to enter a deep trance so fast? It usually takes years of mental training."

Izuku made a face. "Sensory deprivation."

Daisuke stiffened. "That's dangerous, Izuku. Yes, it's easier to enter a deep trance when you weaken your hold on reality and your sense of consciousness, but too much mental damage can render you literally insane. Some damage is irreparable, and your psyche struggles under a great burden already."

Izuku's stomach dropped. "All Might's teacher Gran Torino recommended it. He said it's crucial for me to learn to access the other quirks within One For All because All For One is gearing up for something really big. All Might thinks he's behind the nomu and the League of Villains."

"That's not good," Daisuke agreed, but he took Izuku's face in his hands. "That doesn't mean you should shatter your mind trying to stop him. I don't want you sacrificed unnecessarily. When I passed on One For All, I knew it would take decades for One For All to be able to match the unlimited power of my brother. Confronting him every generation was never my intention. I want good people to build up the quirk's strength, to create more facets, and then when it is all that it can be, One For All can finally challenge All For One and win. Your life is precious, too, Izuku."

Izuku bit his lip. "But he's hurting people."

Daisuke sighed and dropped his hands. "I know, but what does going up against him and dying do for anybody? Preparing One For All is just as worthy a goal."

Izuku lifted his chin. "I'm not planning on rushing out and confronting All For One right now, but I'm going to be a hero, Daisuke. That's always been my goal - All For One or not. Because people are going to get hurt if we don't help them. People who can't or don't know how to fight back. They need us, Daisuke, and we're going to be there to help them as much as possible."

Daisuke lifted his head enough that one pale green eye peeked out at Izuku and it shone with admiration and affection. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Izuku flushed and ducked his head shyly.

Standing, Daisuke reached down and offered his hand to the teen. "Come on. We need to work on getting your mind flexible and focused enough to reach a deep trance without such extremes. A totem might help."

"A totem?" Izuku took his hand and stood. As he followed Daisuke into the dark, he had no idea where they were going or even if they were going anywhere. They could be walking in place for all the difference it made to Izuku. They were surrounded by perfect blackness.

"Yes. You learn to focus on that object to the exclusion of all else, which helps you break away from your consciousness. It takes longer than sensory deprivation, but there is a lot less risk of shattering your mind completely."

"I really didn't know it was that dangerous," Izuku protested.

"You trusted your teacher," Daisuke acknowledged, but his tone wasn't happy. "I'm sure he's monitoring you."

"He is," Izuku assured him.

It was clear Daisuke wasn't satisfied with that meager protection. Izuku squirmed, but Daisuke had mercy and changed the subject. "Of course, just making it to the deep trance isn't enough. There are levels to your subconscious and this is just the surface. If you want to reach the spirits of the other holders, you're going to have to meditate on who they were and what they believed in. Then you're going to have to try and resonate with those ideals if you're going to be able to tap into their abilities."

"What about All Might?" Izuku asked curiously. He loved studying the mystery of quirks. "Gran Torino said he was never able to go into a trance or learn to meditate."

"Your subconscious is constantly working whether you visit it or not," Daisuke answered with a laugh. "Toshinori's spirit already resonated near perfectly with the spirit who had the strength enhancer quirk. They were very similar people. Very flashy and dedicated to saving people no matter the risk. For them, the world is very black and white." Daisuke looked over at Izuku. "You're similar, especially your passion to help everyone, but you don't see everything as black and white as they do. You understand the complexities of the world, so you're not quite a perfect match. That explains why you're not able to wield as much physical strength as Toshinori. Of course, your body isn't fully prepared to channel such a physically demanding quirk, either, so that's a factor, too."

This made sense to Izuku. "Then why did it come to me at all?"

"Well, like I said, you are similar enough to resonate with that quirk, but more importantly, you saw All Might using that strength and expected One For All to perform the same for you. That expectation made your subconscious work on accessing that aspect of One For All."

Suddenly they were in an open space. Izuku realized he was in a round room. The same room he'd seen before. The images and two shadows of the eight holders of One For All stood before him, all smiling slightly.

"I have another holder in mind for you." Daisuke guided him over to a tall, muscular man who looked to be in his thirties.

The man had a square jaw, small eyes, and no eyebrows. He was bald, but he had a very short black beard cut close to his jaw. His hero costume consisted of dark leather clothes and stylish goggles that he wore on his forehead. The leather jacket hung open over his chest, revealing he was shirtless and only wore a bandolier underneath, which was basically a strap of bullets that ran diagonally across his chest.

"I can't tell you what you don't already know or can extrapolate yourself," Daisuke explained. "So I can't tell you his name, but he was the fifth holder and very much like your Kacchan." His lips quirked. "But a bit less angry."

Izuku smiled, warmth rising to his cheeks as he thought of his boyfriend.

With knowing eyes, Daisuke continued, "I feel like his personality would be very understandable to you. He focused more on immobilizing the enemy while simultaneously increasing his own mobility, which I think resonates very well with you. You're very flexible and already use the strength aspect of One For All for mobility more than Toshinori did. In that sense, Gran Torino will also be a big help."

Izuku nodded and looked up at the muscular man. He was taller than Daisuke by several inches and taller than Izuku by almost a foot. "Hello," he greeted and gave a respectful bow. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. I look forward to working with you."

The man gave him a grin and reached forward to clasp Izuku's forearm in a tight grip. "You better not use my quirk the wrong way," the man taunted. "It's a kick ass, top notch quirk. So you better use it to it's fullest potential!"

Izuku held his dark eyes and gripped the man's forearm back. He recognized a challenge when he was given one. This man may say it with a smile, but he could hear those same words coming out of Kacchan's mouth accompanied with a glare, and he knew exactly what Kacchan would expect him to say in response.

"I'll work my ass off to deserve it," he promised.

The man laughed and Izuku had a brief flash of black tendrils lashing the air. With a gasp, Izuku staggered backward. Daisuke put his hands on Izuku's shoulder to brace him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Izuku answered, but his head was pounding painfully. Black spots streaked across his vision as he tried to catch his balance. He lifted his hand to his nose expecting to find blood, but there was nothing there.

"Time for you to go," Daisuke decided and took him by the hand. He led Izuku back into the darkness, away from the other holders.

"Good luck, my young friend!" the fifth holder called out and tossed him a cocky wave.

Izuku smiled and waved back. "Thank you!"

…

"… doriya! … Midoriya!"

Izuku blinked open his eyes and groaned as a stab of brutal pain skewered his brain.

"What were you thinking?!" All Might yelled from right next to him, making Izuku curl up into an agonized ball. "He's just fourteen! You can't put him into a deprivation pool without any training!"

"Shhh," Izuku begged, covering his eyes.

"My deepest apologies, Izuku," All Might said in a bare whisper, but tension still ran through his voice. "Are you well?"

Izuku groaned in answer.

Eventually Gran Torino and All Might were able to get him off the tile floor next to the pool. Izuku threw up twice, but eventually he was taken down to the second floor and tucked into bed. A towel had been thrown over the bedside lamp to dampen the glow. He was given a cool glass of water and ice was placed over his forehead and eyes. After a while, Izuku slept. When he woke, All Might was still sitting next to his bed.

"All Might?"

Toshinori put aside his book and knelt by his bed. He put a gentle hand on Izuku's head. "I'm here."

"He was trying to help, and it worked. I saw Daisuke. I talked to him about a lot of stuff."

Toshinori helped him sit up and handed him another glass of water. "It was unnecessarily dangerous," the hero stated firmly.

"Daisuke told me a little more about his brother. His name is Sosuke. And he explained how the quirks in One For All work. When someone passes on One For All, a bit of their spirit is captured as well as their birth quirk and is transferred over. If you resonate with that spirit's personality, then you're able to tap into those quirks. He also said I should try mediation with a totem. He wasn't too happy about the sensory deprivation pool, either," Izuku admitted sheepishly. "And he said I should ask Gran Torino to help me with my mobility."

"That's a good idea," All Might agreed. "But we can do that when the sun comes up. You should rest, Izuku."

"But I leave soon," Izuku protested.

"You were only in the pool for six hours. It took about an hour to bring you around and you've been sleeping for less than four. Not to mention you hardly slept in Hosu and had a very draining fight with a super villain. I am not asking you. I'm telling you. Go back to sleep."

Hearing this accounting made Izuku feel suddenly very tired. "Okay," he said and fell almost instantly back to sleep.

…

"It's all about being creative," Gran Torino announced.

The three of them stood at the mouth of an alley. The sun had risen barely an hour ago. Izuku had one full day and half of the next before he had to return home. He was determined to make the most of it and practically inhaled breakfast.

"Thank about all the surfaces around you. Gauge your strength! Landing or pushing off too hard will break your surface, which will likely piss people off, but it will also throw off your trajectories as well as potentially trap your foot inside something."

Izuku nodded. "Got it."

"Then try and keep up, you newbie," Gran Torino said with a grin and launched into the air. He bounced off the walls of the alley in a zigzag back and forth, increasing his speed and sending him flying over the rooftop.

One For All singing in his veins, Izuku took of in pursuit, leaving All Might behind.

Izuku was used to launching himself off the ground, so the concept wasn't too foreign, but walls and pipes and billboards were all a lot less sturdy than the ground. Izuku create craters, snapped pipes, and launched himself straight through a billboard. Gran Torino screamed at him in frustrated rage.

"Softly! Be precise! Concentrate!"

By the end of the fourth hour, Izuku began to get a handle on things and Gran Torino stepped up the pace. Not only did he go faster, but he started to launch himself off of even weirder things. All concept of up and down began to disappear. Izuku began to see the world in terms of surfaces he could use and manipulate. Signs, cars, walls, ceilings, roofs, ledges, pipes, poles, trees, doors - anything with a solid enough structure was fair game. By dinner, Izuku was flying around the city, swinging off things, leaping off walls and flipping through the air like some kind of monkey.

"You did good," Gran Torino acknowledged as they landed on the stoop of his rundown agency.

They found All Might in the kitchen.

"Did you hear that?" Izuku asked, buzzing with adrenaline. His whole body ached from the work out, but he felt amazing! "Gran Torino said I did good!"

"Good work, young Midoriya. It is not easy to win Gran Torino's praise," All Might acknowledged, setting the last plates on the table.

"Maybe not for you, but your successor is not so inept," Gran Torino grumped.

Izuku grinned as All Might shook his head with red staining his cheeks. "Yes, sensei. Now come on. It's time for dinner. Using your quirk all day is hard work and you need the calories."

"Thanks, All Might!" Izuku practically fell on his food. "You should've seen us! We swung around this flag pole and landed on a roof peak only a few inches wide to launch up to the top of a movie theater!"

"You've mastered the basics," Gran Torino admitted. "Not bad for a single day's work."

"Thank you for everything," Izuku said sincerely and then grinned. "I can't wait to show Kacchan everything I've learned."

All Might actually winced. "Can you please make sure he doesn't destroy a gym as he tries to keep up."

Izuku laughed.

That night as he got into bed, he saw that Kacchan had texted him. About five hours ago, Todoroki had also texted, asking about a tattoo for himself. Izuku left that unanswered and sent a text answering Kacchan. He kept the deprivation pool a secret. If Daisuke and All Might were upset about it, Kacchan would blow a gasket. Izuku would save talking about that for when they were in person. Besides, he wanted to know more about Todoroki, anyway.

.

_Kacchan_

It's pretty messy over here

People're treating Stain as some kind of hero

Ran into a group wearing red scarves today

Fucking idiots

Because of them Candy Cane can't tell the fucking truth about you know who

.

Izuku had seen more people than normal wearing red scarves, but he hadn't known it was about Stain. He quickly searched up the Hero Killer and found thousands of hits. He watched one of the shorter videos and felt a tired sigh escape his lips.

On the surface, Stain wanted heroes to be held accountable, which was admirable. Heroes like Endeavor should never be able to get away with doing such horrible things, but hunting down and killing heroes who were on duty and trying to protect people wasn't right, either!

And it wasn't just the heroes. Society held some of the blame for always looking away just because they 'liked' that hero or were 'fans'. The whole system and everyone involved need to make some changes, but most of the people supporting Stain wouldn't want to acknowledge their part and wouldn't be willing to make changes.

Of course, Kacchan knew all of this, and Izuku felt an ache of sympathy, knowing how frustrated at the futility and hypocrisy Kacchan must be. He wished he was there. He'd wrap Kacchan in a tight hug and cover his face in kisses. Instead, he had to settle for a text.

.

_Izuku_

I've seen a few people wearing them

We have to remember they don't represent everybody

Most people are just trying to live their lives peacefully

and are counting on heroes to help them do that

They're still people out there who're grateful for what heroes do

.

There was a long pause that sent anxiety spiking through Izuku's stomach. He always worried deep down that Kacchan would get sick of trying to be a hero for such a selfish, broken world, but then Kacchan surprised him and asked for a tattoo. Kacchan tried to play it off as wanting to be cool, but Izuku knew better. First of all, Kacchan honestly didn't care what people thought of him. He didn't care if he was cool. Kacchan wanting a tattoo was way more serious, but when Izuku pressed for the truth, Kacchan answered with a simple,

.

_Kacchan_

Tell you later

_._

Izuku smiled at that promise, feeling warm that Kacchan trusted him so much, and typed back an easy, _Okay. Love you_.

Izuku shut down his phone and turned off the light. They would see each other tomorrow afternoon. Izuku grinned into his pillow. He couldn't wait for Kacchan to see what he could do now. A giggle escaped his lips as he imagined the murderous glare was going to get followed by a scorching kiss. Izuku really couldn't wait!

**Chapter end**

**A/n: **Well? Too much talking? And also the next chapter we have TATTOOS! Woot! XD


	38. Chapter 38

**A/n: **Hello, guys! This is a shorter chapter, but it has the long awaited tattoos! XD

xxx

**Commitment**

Katsuki rode the train home to the suburbs that surrounded UA by himself. Todoroki still had a few things he had to settle with his family and planned on taking a later train back to the school. Tokyo wasn't far. It took less than an hour before Katsuki was striding out of the station carrying his duffle and the metal suitcase containing his hero costume.

Katsuki looked around at the familiar scene. The cars driving past and the people moving along the sidewalk hadn't changed, but… It felt so much smaller than he remembered, now that he could compare the district of Yuei to Hosu and downtown Tokyo. Instead of feeling cramped, however, Katsuki felt his shoulders relax. A smile curled his lips. He was home.

A horn honked. Katsuki saw a familiar black car waiting at the curb. He hadn't called Aizawa. He hadn't told him which train or what time he'd arrive, but all the same, Katsuki had known Aizawa would be there to pick him up. That Katsuki had been right filled him with a tangle of mixed emotions. Tightening his hand on the duffle strap across his chest, he made his way over to where his teacher sat waiting.

"How was your work-study?" Aizawa asked as Katsuki sat heavily in the front passenger seat.

"Informative," Katsuki answered neutrally and studied Aizawa's profile. His teacher looked tired but not as utterly exhausted as he'd appeared in Hosu. He must have at least gotten some rest in the four days between then and now. "You didn't have to pick me up. I could've made it to the house."

"I know," Aizawa answered easily.

Katsuki snorted and crossed his arms. "Just so you know, I plan on staying at Izuku's tonight."

Aizawa nodded his head, unsurprised, and they fell into a comfortable silence.

Fifteen minutes later, they had driven almost to the border of the school's property and reached Aizawa's house. Katsuki was glad to see that the windows were no longer boarded up. New glass shone in the late morning light.

"Did your insurance cover the damages?" Katsuki asked as he hefted his bag over his shoulder.

Aizawa walked a little ahead of him and unlocked the front door with a key. "Mostly."

The house was clean and uncluttered, but it wasn't obsessively so. Katsuki surprised himself when a sense of home washed over him. He clenched his fists and tried to push the emotion away. In fact, he was tempted to bring up the subject of moving into his own place just out of reflex because this wasn't his home. He wasn't even sure where exactly he stood with Aizawa or how permanent this would be. Emotionally, it was smarter to get out before he got in so deep that it would hurt him when it all fell apart.

But he kept his cool and his silence. Katsuki marched to his room to put his stuff away and then started a load of laundry. He wasn't about to confront Aizawa without thinking it through first. Aizawa wasn't just his guardian. He was the teacher in charge of Katsuki's education. It complicated things. Besides, Katsuki wasn't going to run away just because he was scared of being hurt. Anger didn't rule him, neither would fear. He would think about it some more before making a final decision.

"Have you talked to Midoriya much?"

Katsuki looked up from folding clothes on his bed. Aizawa leaned in the doorway to his room. His arms were crossed, but his expression was neutral. Brows lowering in the beginnings of a glare, Katsuki answered, "We've texted a bit." Aizawa didn't say anything for a couple seconds and he glared for real. "Why?"

Aizawa sighed, sounding resigned. "From what I've gathered, Midoriya's training with Gran Torino went well. All Might was very proud of his progress, but…" Aizawa trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

"But?" Katsuki bit out, getting to his feet. His hands curled into fists.

"Something must have happened," Aizawa admitted. "All Might sounded tense, and when I pressed, he said he was worried about Midoriya, said Midoriya wasn't sleeping more than an hour or two at a time."

Katsuki relaxed, a wave of relief washing through him. "Izu always sleeps poorly a week or two after the moon, so that's not unusual. Inko usually gives him sleeping pills when it gets bad."

Aizawa didn't look convinced. Dark, intelligent eyes met Katsuki's. "I'm available should either of you need anything. I didn't do well against Stain, so you have every reason to doubt me, but I want you to know you can rely on me."

Katsuki instinctively shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, his body preparing for a fight. Shit. He wasn't ready for this confrontation, but he couldn't back down when Aizawa was basically throwing down a gauntlet. He refused to look weak! "Rely on you…" he echoed, tone tense. "Sure, sensei, we can rely on you, but to what extent? Because you've been giving me some fucking mixed signals."

To Aizawa's credit, he didn't deny it or ask what Katsuki meant, but he didn't answer Katsuki's question, either. He straightened, coming out of his lean against the wall and dropped his arms to his sides. His expression tensed into a frown as he held Katsuki's angry glare.

Katsuki continued with brutal honesty. "It's only been seven weeks since school started, so I don't fucking know you, Aizawa. You've been a good teacher, taking me in and kicking ass at the USJ, but you've forced this thing between us. I trusted you with serious fucking shit and you promised you'd respect me, but you went behind my back and took fucking guardianship over me without even talking to me about it first. I feel like you manipulated me when you talked me into staying here during the Sports Festival instead of getting my own place. You were working toward this outcome all along. Considering my parents, I can understand that, but I wasn't on the same page. You deliberately kept me out of the loop. This is my life and my fucking future we're talking about, and I refuse to let someone take control away from me."

Aizawa opened his mouth to speak, but Katsuki's wasn't finished. He took an aggressive step forward and his voice dropped to a growl. "Now you're getting all involved with Izuku and taking a special interest in that Shinso freak. I don't fucking like it. This is dangerous. I don't know what you're thinking or what you're capable of, and Izuku and Shinso could be really fucking hurt if you make the wrong decision."

Aizawa sighed and closed his eyes for a long minute. His black lashes touched the top of the thick scar that ran horizontally under his right eye. He'd almost died at the USJ. It was a miracle he hadn't and that the damage to his eye had been repairable. He'd felt gutted when he'd seen that nomu slam Aizawa's face down on concrete. Shit. Things were so fucking messy between them.

Taking a deep breath, Aizawa opened his eyes and ran a shaking hand through his long, scraggily hair. "I apologize, Katsuki. I am not very good at communicating when it comes to emotional topics, and my experience with teenagers has made me very cautious to involve them in such serious matters. They do not often act rationally." A look of deep pain crossed Aizawa's face. "Two years ago, I had a student who was also being abused." Aizawa took an unsteady breath, eyes vulnerable. "She took her life instead of trusting me to help her with the situation. If I had acted sooner, if I had trusted my instincts instead of believing her when she insisted she was fine, she would still be alive today."

Katsuki had no idea what to say to that. It was a tragic fucking story, and he knew Aizawa was going to feel guilty for that for the rest of his life, but at the same time, Katsuki wasn't that girl, and Aizawa would be making a huge mistake treating Katsuki as if he were.

Aizawa sighed. "May I sit down?"

Katsuki scowled but nodded his head. He backed up to the desk and sat in the chair while Aizawa sat on the edge of his bed.

"I understand you are different from the average teenager, Katsuki," Aizawa said quietly. "You have a genius-level intellect and have demonstrated remarkable maturity, but you've also shown yourself to be highly emotional. You're right. I didn't want you living alone, but had I made that intention clear from the beginning, you would have refused. As you've said, we've known each other only a short while. I had hoped that, by delaying your move, we could get to know each other better and you would become more open to the idea of staying. Had you still wished to live alone after that period, I would have supported you and helped you move into a place of your own."

Katsuki crossed his arms. "I don't understand why you feel so strongly about the matter. I would be fine living on my own."

"Practically speaking, you are correct," Aizawa agreed, inclining his head. "But you're still a teenager, Katsuki. Socially, emotionally, you are still growing. It's not healthy for you to live by yourself and have no support to fall back on. To be responsible for your meals, managing the house, working to pay bills on top of your studies, having no one to seek neutral advice from - it is not easy to live alone when you are an adult let alone when you are still a child. I know from personal experience how hard it can be. I wanted to help you, Katsuki. You deserve every advantage that the other students have, including an adult who will act on your behalf."

"So it was pity and your sense of justice that motivated you to take me in?" Katsuki asked coldly, unimpressed.

"Understanding, not pity," Aizawa corrected. He held Katsuki's eyes without flinching, sincerity written across his face. "I have never pitied you." He leaned forward, putting his forearms on his thighs. "I should have talked to you about the DNA test and my desire to take custody from your parents. I was wrong not to. In my defense, you were about to be arrested and you had just told us the extent of the abuse, which included two murder attempts. I feared that you would reject my offer of guardianship if I were to ask, and that you would then be arrested because you denied my protection. If that happened, your hero career would have been over regardless of the verdict."

Katsuki crossed his arms. He hated it, but he did understand Aizawa's choice. It wasn't the right one, but honestly Katsuki was used to people making bad choices. "Well, you got your way. You're my guardian and I have to live here. I'm going to have to fucking deal with that, but I want to make one thing really fucking clear. Just because you won, it doesn't mean you get to use me to get to Izuku."

Aizawa sat straight, offended. "Midoriya is my student. Regardless of what happens between you and I, it is my duty to help him."

Katsuki cut his hand through the air sharply. "Yeah, but as you said, students don't tell you everything. There are fucking levels of intimacy that teachers aren't included in. You're trying to use your connection to me to get a deeper connection to Izuku. Otherwise, you'd talk to him yourself and be fucking stonewalled as a teacher should instead of coming to me and asking if I've talked to him."

Aizawa stared at him. He looked surprised. "That was not my intention."

Katsuki took an aggressive step forward, eyes glittering with anger. "Let me put it to you this way. Izuku's having some trouble with his mom. If we told you sensitive information about Izuku, would you feel obligated to include his mother? It would be your duty as a teacher to do so." His eyes narrowed with accusation. "You made that fucking clear when you told me I had to tell my parents about dating Izuku once you knew about it."

Aizawa blinked at that, frowning.

Hands clenching into fists to prevent a pop or spark, Katsuki demanded, "Or what if that pycho government institute tries to rip Izuku or Shinso from UA? If they strong-armed the school somehow, would you feel obligated to step aside and allow it?"

"I'd quit," Aizawa answered immediately and without any hesitation.

Katsuki was taken aback at the quick and firm answer. His hands relaxed and he stared at his teacher in surprise.

Eyes hard with determination, Aizawa repeated, "I'd quit in a heartbeat if Nezu said we had to step aside. I'd quit and hide Midoriya and Shinso away. I'd most likely be labeled a rogue in doing so, but I would use every connection I know to keep them safe. Most likely, the boys would have to be smuggled overseas if it came to that point. However, I assure you that Nezu would never hand them over easily. He is working hard to make sure they are protected, even from the government."

Aizawa sighed and ran a hand over his face tiredly. "As for Midoriya's mother, that is a harder question. She has rights as a parent. Midoriya is still a minor. If his mental health or life were in danger, I would be obligated to inform her, but as Midoriya's teacher and your guardian, I am also ethically bound to respect anything Midoriya tells me in confidence. It's a delicate balance, but I feel it's one that I can maintain." He gave Katsuki a worried look. "Hopefully things don't get that bad between Midoriya and his mother."

It was Katsuki's turn to sigh tiredly. He stepped back and sat heavily in the desk chair. "Nah. They'll be fine. She's just working through her own issues. Izuku will pull her out of it. He's good at that."

Aizawa smiled. "Good to hear."

Katsuki frowned over at his teacher. "I get everything you've said, and I'll fucking get over you taking custody of me, but that doesn't change the fact that you've been pushing me to move faster than I'm ready to go. I'm not ready to be that fucking close. I'm here, and I'm not fucking fighting it. Outside of that, I need some space and some autonomy."

Aizawa nodded his head.

Katsuki gave a wolfish grin. "And speaking of autonomy, I want to get a tattoo."

Aizawa's eyes widened. "What?"

"After Hosu, we realized some things. Things we don't ever want to fucking forget. Glasses didn't want to get the surgery so he wouldn't be tempted to act out of vengeance again, but Izuku talked him into getting a tattoo to remember instead. As for Todoroki, he took that asshole's death hard and wants to remember something personal, and Izuku…" Katsuki gave his teacher a considering look. At Aizawa's calm expression, he decided to open up a bit. "He needs to remember that he is worthy of being a hero. We made a promise, the four of us, to meet up this afternoon and get tattoos together. We've thought about it a lot, and it would really mean a lot to us. Glasses and Todoroki already got permission, and Izuku's going to as his mother when he gets in." Katsuki lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms, waiting.

"How big?" Aizawa asked. "And where do you want it?"

"We all want to be able to see it, so we chose our forearm." Katsuki put his left arm forward and drew a circle just below the inside bend of his elbow. The circle was a big one, covering almost half the underside of his forearm.

"That's a big tattoo," Aizawa said as calmly as he could. "How expensive is it?"

"Thirty thousand yen," Katsuki answered. "Glasses is covering Izuku and Todoroki is covering me. We promised to pay them back once we graduate. I've already called and made an appointment at a reputable tattoo parlor to make sure they had time for us. It's two train stops from here, halfway to downtown Tokyo."

Aizawa sighed. "You understand that a lot of people will be offended by you wearing a tattoo?"

Katsuki didn't bother to respond to something so stupid. Of course, he understood that. He also didn't fucking care. None of them did. This really meant something to them.

"Very well." Aizawa stood to leave, but he hesitated. "You didn't mention what the tattoo would mean to you."

Katsuki scowled. "No, I didn't."

Aizawa sighed and moved toward the door, but before he stepped outside the room, Katsuki said, "I fucking hate most people. They're fucking dumb as hell and petty. I don't ever want to forget what I'm fighting for. What made me want to be a hero in the first place. Because I know one day, probably sooner than I'd like, I am going to forget and the anger will win."

Aizawa turned. He placed a hand over his heart before bowing. "Thank you for trusting me," he said, voice soft and sincere. Straightening, he asked quietly, "What time should I pick you up at Midoriya's?"

Katsuki's heart was beating faster than it should be. "The appointment is at four thirty. How about three?"

Aizawa nodded and left him to finish his laundry.

…

Izuku pulled his phone out of his pocket to text Kacchan that he'd arrived and saw that it was just past one in the afternoon. He was thirty minutes late because of a delay on the tracks.

All Might set his long, skinny hand on his shoulder and grinned down at him. "There he is," he said, amusement in his voice.

Izuku looked up and saw Kacchan sitting on the stairs to the station. Izuku felt tears fill his eyes and before he could even think about it, he dropped everything he was carrying and dashed forward. Kacchan looked up and grinned his signature wolf's grin and stood, catching him. Izuku hit so hard they almost toppled over, but Kacchan outweighed him just enough that he was able to keep his feet.

"Damn, nerd," Kacchan laughed. "Miss me or something?"

Izuku would have blushed in embarrassment, but Kacchan was holding him just as tightly, his strong arms squeezing Izuku around the ribs. Izuku gave a tearful laugh and buried his face into his boyfriend's shoulder. "Something like that," he muttered.

All Might cleared his throat and Izuku looked up. People were giving them looks as they passed by - some curious but many were disapproving. Izuku blushed and pulled away. Kacchan didn't care about the looks, though. He slung his arm over Izuku's shoulders and held him close to his side.

"Aizawa-sensei is waiting with his car." Kacchan tossed his head, indicating the waiting car down the street. "He'll drop us off at your apartment and give Toshinori a ride home."

Izuku leaned into Kacchan and blocked everything out. His heart was beating strong and he could feel the sun on his skin, the breeze against his face, but the sensation he held onto the most was the feel of Kacchan's weight at his side.

Their stuff was stowed in the trunk and Kacchan pulled Izuku into the backseat. Izuku hummed happily, putting his head on Kacchan's shoulder. Words spilled from his lips in a comforting stream - about Gran Torino's quirk, his rundown agency, the rustic city the hero lived in, and Izuku's new mobility.

"It's more appropriate than ever that I picked a rabbit as the inspiration for my costume," he said with a soft laugh, picking his head up so he could look into Kacchan's eyes.

"Oh yeah?" Kacchan poked Izuku on the nose. "You still won't beat me."

Smiling, Izuku sing-songed, "We-eee'll see-eee."

Kacchan mock growled at him and tickled his side.

Izuku laughed and wound his arms around Kacchan's neck again. He pulled his boyfriend in and suddenly their lips connected. Kacchan's hand clenched in Izuku's hair and Izuku held so tightly to the back of Kacchan's shirt it almost ripped.

"We're here," Toshinori called out, voice higher pitched than normal.

Izuku felt their lips cling for a moment before they separated completely. Toshinori was blushing darkly and staring awkwardly out the passenger window, but Aizawa looked completely unbothered. He sensed Izuku's looking at him and he caught Izuku's gaze in the rearview mirror. He gave a small smile.

"I'll see you later, Midoriya."

"Okay," Izuku answered with a shy smile. "Thank you for the ride!"

Kacchan grabbed his hand once they got their stuff from the trunk and they walked together up the stairs to the apartment.

"So he said yes?" Izuku asked curiously.

"Yep." Kacchan's ruby eyes practically sparkled with anticipation. "I already made an appointment at four thirty. Glasses and IcyHot will meet us there."

Izuku felt his happiness pop like a fragile bubble. His stomach sank and sweat beaded his hairline. "Now all I have to do is convince my mom."

Kacchan squeezed his hand. "I've got your back, Izu."

Izuku smiled tightly. "Thanks, Kacchan."

Izuku stepped in first and as soon as his mother saw him, she got up from the couch and ran to him. Izuku's heart clenched, regret - love - anxiety. He held her tight, missing the days when hugging his mom had been easy and pain-free. After a long minute, he pulled back, hands resting on her shoulders. With a pang, he realized he'd finally gotten taller than her. His mouth curled into a sad smile.

"I'm fine, Mom," he said softly. "You don't have to worry."

Tears filling her eyes, she hugged him again. "Oh, Izuku, I'll always worry. The footage from Hosu was horrific So many people got hurt. It looked like a war zone! Endeavor was k-killed! I'm just so glad you're okay."

Her arms tightened around him and he could feel her trembling. Guilt stabbed into his guts and he closed his eyes tight, but then he felt a strong hand touch the small of his back. Taking a deep breath, Izuku gently pulled away from her hug. Taking her by the hand, he led her to the couch. He grabbed the box of tissues from the coffee table and sat next to her. Kacchan sat on the arm of the couch behind him, and Izuku leaned back against his thigh for strength.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, taking his mom's hands. "I know you didn't ask for this, and it's unfair. I would be beside myself with worry if our roles were reversed and you decided to become a hero, so I do understand, but I can't give up on this, Mom." He squeezed her hands. "I know it terrifies you and I'm being a bad son, but there are people out there who I can help. I have to keep going."

"I know." Inko pulled her hands away to cup his face. She tried to smile, but it wavered as tears filled her eyes. "I know, Izuku. When you called to get permission to continue on with your work-study even after everything at Hosu…" She took a breath, trying to be strong. "I knew you were going to continue your training to be a hero."

Izuku nodded firmly. "I am." He took a deep breath. "Mom, I've always wanted this, and you're probably right that there's someone better suited for One For All, but that's not how it happened. I have it, and I'm going to work really hard to deserve it. I can't keep looking back. I can't keep doubting myself and letting my insecurities get in the way. I know you love me, more than you had to. You sacrificed so much for me, and I'll always be so grateful, but…" He pulled her hands off his cheeks and held them again. "But it really, really hurts me when you doubt me."

"Izuku…" she said, frowning.

"I really struggle with self-esteem, especially when it comes to being a hero," Izuku confessed. His hands were shaking around hers. "Sometimes I just want to give up. Not just on being a hero but on everything. But after Hosu, I realized that that doubt was bringing me down and putting me at risk. I realized how many bad choices I'd made made because of that self-doubt." He looked up at Kacchan. "For example, I broke my arm and got myself burnt in a simple training exercise because I was so desperate to prove myself."

Looking back over at his mother, he saw she looked horrified. Izuku ducked his head, a blush of shame heating his cheeks. "At Hosu, I saw Iida doing something similar. He was denying a surgery that would fix him because he wanted to punish himself for his mistakes. I knew exactly what he was thinking because I think that way, too, and I realized for the first time what Kacchan was trying to tell me. That punishing myself doesn't fix anything, that taking unnecessary risks doesn't make me a better hero, it only weakens me."

Inko reached out a trembling hand and lifted Izuku's chin. "Izuku…" she whispered, heart-broken.

Izuku held her eyes as best he could, heart pounding in his throat. "So I've decided. I'm going to move forward. I'm not going to look back and keep questioning if I made the right choice. I'm not going to keep feeling guilty for having something I wasn't meant to have. From now on, I'm going to focus on getting strong and helping as many people as I possibly can."

Inko reached out and gently cupped her son's face. Tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Izuku. I should never have said that. You deserve this chance. You've wanted it all your life, and you're more heroic than anyone I know. I'm just scared, honey. You're my world. I'm terrified of losing you, but over the last week I've been thinking, too. I realized that keeping you home…" Her voice hitched, but she managed to smile through her tears. "It would keep you safe, but it would also put out that light I love so much. I never want to do that to you."

"Mom…" Izuku said, voice cracking. "Thank you."

Breaking the intense eye-contact, she hugged him. "I'm proud of you, Izu. Don't you ever feel like you're not a hero!"

Izuku buried his face against her shoulder and cried. When he got his breathing under control, he pulled away and wiped at his face. "Thanks, Mom. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she said with a watery laugh. She grabbed a few tissues and wiped her face. She looked past Izuku and met Kacchan's eyes. "Thank you. For always taking care of Izuku, and I'm sorry if I made it harder."

Kacchan put a possessive hand on Izuku's head, ruffling his hair. "Nothing I couldn't handle," he said with a cocky smirk.

"I have something I want to show you." Getting up, Izuku went to his backpack and pulled out his sketch book. He flipped past the designs for Iida's tattoo and showed her the page with his own.

"This is lovely," she said, tracing the drawing with a fingertip.

"I drew it to remind me to keep looking forward. To not let my doubts take over. It also symbolizes that I'm not alone. I feel like that's where so many heroes go wrong. I shut people out trying to protect them, but Hosu showed me that I'm not alone and that we're all so much stronger working together." Looking up at his mom, he said, "I know after a few weeks, Hosu won't be so sharp. My self-doubt will come back, and I'll push people out again. That's why I need to remember."

"What are you trying to say?" Inko asked, tilting her head.

Izuku took a deep breath and met her eyes. "I want to get this as a tattoo. So I can't forget, and so no one can take it from me."

Inko's eyes widened.

"I know it's extreme. I know it's unconventional," Izuku rushed to say. "But it really will help me. Sometimes I don't know what to think or believe, and I need a reality check. I don't want to keep making the same mistakes. It could be the difference between success and failure down the road." Making his eyes wide and pleading, he begged, "Please, Mom? It would really mean a lot to me if you would come with me and let me get this done."

"Izuku…" she said doubtfully. Looking down at the sketch, she took a deep breath. "At this point, a tattoo isn't that big a deal. I mean, you're going to be risking your life as a hero. A little art on your skin isn't anything compared to that, but have you really thought about this? This is permanent, and like you said, it's unconventional. There will be those who won't appreciate it."

Izuku smiled at her. "I'm sure. I know it'll be good for me because I usually wear ropes. Feeling them and seeing them against my skin really does help me feel grounded, so I know this will work to help me keep the promise I made to myself." Smile fading, Izuku looked down at the drawing and touched the corner of the page. "You have to understand. I watched Endeavor die. I tried everything I could to save him — "

Behind Izuku's eyes he saw Endeavor, standing bloody, blue eyes wide - saw the glint of metal push through his chest - and Stain standing behind him, grinning, eyes bright with madness.

"But in the end I couldn't." He looked up at his mother. Inko had her hands over her mouth, eyes bright with new tears. "I felt like a failure. It really broke me down. I denied the lidocaine they offered when they stitched up my ankle. I wanted it to hurt. I thought I deserved it."

"Izuku, no," Inko whispered, heart breaking for her son.

Izuku shook his head, lips curling up into a reassuring smile. "I know now that doesn't help. It didn't bring Endeavor back or make Todoroki feel better about losing his dad." He looked up at Kacchan with a smile. "And Kacchan helped me realize that although Endeavor died, I was able to save everyone else." He looked imploringly at his mother. "I _can_ save people, Mom. I'm not great at it yet, but I _have_ saved people. People who really needed help. I have to remember that and keep moving forward. This tattoo will help me do that."

"Then, yes," Inko said firmly. She wasn't going to keep doubting her son. "I'll go with you to get this tattoo."

Izuku threw his arms around his mother and hugged her again. "Thank you," he whispered fiercely.

Inko smiled and held her baby close. "I love you."

…

Todoroki and his sister were already at the tattoo parlor when Izuku, Kacchan, Inko, and Aizawa arrived. They were looking at some of the artistic designs hung on the walls. Todoroki's sister was blushing and looked uncomfortable, her thick white hair hung in choppy layers to her shoulders. Small, rectangular glasses sat on her nose, hiding her blue eyes at times. She wore a pink sweater over a white button down and a khaki knee-length skirt. She had a brown purse clutched tightly in her hands. Todoroki, on the other hand, looked excited.

Izuku opened his sketch book to show the artist, but he turned around as the bell above the door jingled. His eyes widened as he watched the Iida push a wheelchair into the room. Iida's older brother gave them all a tired smile. He looked exhausted. His skin sagged from losing too much weight too quickly, but his eyes were bright.

"Good evening. Sorry if we're late," the older brother said. "My name is Tensei Iida. Thank you for looking out for my little brother."

"I'm Fuyumi Todoroki." Todoroki's sister gave a bow. "Thank you for looking out for my brother as well."

"Inko Midoriya," Inko said awkwardly. She took a step closer to Izuku. "Thank you for taking care of my son."

"Shota Aizawa." Aizawa inclined his head. "It's nice to meet you."

Iida introduced Kacchan, Todoroki, and Izuku to his brother, and Todoroki did the same for Fuyumi. Inko had already met Iida, but Izuku introduced Todoroki. The tattoo artist introduced himself and explained how tattoos worked and how to care for them. Izuku held his breath, expecting some of the adults to back out, but the paperwork was all signed and payment was given. Izuku showed his sketches to the artist.

Finally, after nearly half an hour, Iida was put in the tattoo chair. They had all agreed he should go first. He was the one to inspire the tattoos in the first place. His brother sat next to him in his wheelchair and held his free hand.

"Don't ever forget who you are and what it means to be a hero again, little brother," Tensei said with a surprisingly firm tone.

"I won't," Iida declared, eyes bright with determination as the needle hummed and worked against his skin.

Izuku's hand slipped into Kacchan's. His chest felt tight with pride for his friend.

It took two hours. If the artist didn't have a quirk that allowed him to move his hands faster than the average person's, then it probably would have taken four. A detailed shield with gorgeous shading blazed on Iida's skin. In the center of the shield was the kanji for rebirth. Apparently it was also the kanji his brother used for his first name. To either side of the shield was a broken katana. The blade was drawn parallel to the right side of the shield. The hilt was drawn parallel to the left side. Katsuki recognized the serrated edge and tattered ribbons hanging from the hilt; it was Stain's sword.

"Ingenium is a shield, a protector, not an executioner," Iida said, voice tight. He looked around at them all and lifted his chin. His brother gripped his wrist, pride shining on his exhausted face as Iida stated boldly, "And I am Ingenium."

Tearfully, Izuku exclaimed over the beautiful work. Iida grabbed him into a rough hug. Izuku hugged Tensei as well and the man whispered 'thank you' in his ear. Izuku smiled and nodded.

Todoroki was next. Fuyumi held Inko's hand tightly as she watched nervously. The tattoo pen buzzed as the artist bent over the teen's arm in concentration.

Todoroki's tattoo was probably the most detailed. He had wanted a symbol that reminded him to use fire differently than his father. He also wanted truth to play a big part. That's when Izuku had though of the phoenix. They had discussed different styles for hours, with Izuku sending pictures of sketches via text, but eventually Izuku had been able to create something that Todoroki had loved.

He had chosen his left forearm for the tattoo, since it was the side of his body that produced fire. The phoenix wrapped around his forearm, the tail feathers covering the entirety of the back of his hand. Slender and graceful with wings outspread, the phoenix was inked in black, and above his wrist, framed by long feathers was the word TRUTH.

"That is so fucking badass, man," Kacchan exclaimed in awe once the piece was done two hours later.

"Thanks," Todoroki answered. He smiled for the first time since arriving. It looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "You ready?"

Kacchan nodded and took the chair.

They had been in Izuku's room, putting away Izuku's things when Kacchan had grabbed his hand and pulled him into a heated kiss. Breaking apart, Kacchan had rested his forehead against Izuku's and whispered his fears against Izuku's lips.

"I wanted to blast those guys to fucking pieces," he'd said, talking about those college jerks who'd thrown the can at him when he'd been on patrol. "For a second, I wondered what the fucking point was. Becoming a hero and saving assholes like them. The truth is I don't think most of the fucking idiots in this world deserve saving, but…" Kacchan had dipped down for a painfully sweet kiss. "But you do, Izuku. You remind me that as few as they are, there are people out there who don't deserve to suffer. I want it on my skin, so no matter what fucking happens, I can't forget that."

Izuku had kissed him long and hard. He'd known that Kacchan wouldn't believe any reassurances he tried to give, so he'd tried to put all his love and faith in that kiss. It broke his heart to know Kacchan had so much doubt in his own goodness, and it had made Izuku even more determined to put his own doubts behind him. Kacchan needed him, and Izuku was going to do everything in his power not to disappoint him.

Izuku hovered next to the artist's side for this one, watching like a hawk. Kacchan had wanted a compass with those flowers Izuku had given him. Izuku's chest had constricted at hearing that. He had worked on the sketch for hours; if it was for his love, he had to make it amazing! The tattoo sat on the inside of Kacchan's arm, almost taking up half of the underside of his forearm.

"How's it look?"

Izuku looked up into Kacchan's warm, red eyes and smiled. "Perfect," he answered. _Like you,_ he left unsaid, but Kacchan's lips curled up at the corners, so Izuku knew he had heard it loud and clear anyway.

Izuku looked at the clock. It was almost ten at night. They had been there almost five and a half hours now, but his tattoo would be much simpler than the others. The artist said it wouldn't take more than forty minutes at most.

Izuku got into the tattoo chair and offered the artist his arm. He held Kacchan's red eyes as the ink pen began to buzz and a burn started in his skin. The artist carefully inked two spider-lilies in profile. Unlike the others, Izuku wanted his flowers to be bright red. Around them, a little off center, was a simple circle to represent the full moon.

The spider lilies represented Kacchan of course, but they also reminded Izuku he wasn't alone, and that his connections to those around him would help him overcome the doubt and pain and defeat that the moon represented. For Izuku, the tattoo meant new beginnings and overcoming the past, something he dearly needed to believe in.

It was over before Izuku knew it. He looked down at his arm. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he thanked the artist sincerely. Kacchan pulled him up and gave him a hug.

"Looks good, Izu," he said softly before pulling away.

"You're a gifted artist," Iida told him. "Thank you for this." His fingers brushed reverently over the bandage on his arm.

"Thank you," Todoroki echoed, giving a heartfelt bow.

Izuku beamed at all of them, joy and hope filling his chest. "We're in this together. Nothing can separate us now."

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **I really wanted to show you the images of the tattoo inspirations, but I was having a really hard time uploading them on AO3, so I made a **SensiblyTainted Instagram account**just to show you. Go check it out!

You can look up the account of **SensiblyTainted**or the hashtags **#untothebreach**or **#sensiblytainted**.

I also posted FanArt from **Severely_Caffinated**. It's digital art of Izuku in middle school completely blanking out.

I'd love you guys to see the images and let me know what you think! XD


	39. Chapter 39

**A/n:** I'm so glad you guys liked the tattoos! Sorry I couldn't find better images for Izuku and especially Iida's tattoos. If anyone wants to draw them, I can post them now. XD

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Fun fact: My favorite color is green! ;p

Another short chapter, but it was fun to write. Fair warning, it gets M rated at the end. *wink*

…

**Get Ready, Get set, Go!**

Katsuki felt groggy from sleeping poorly. He sat at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee and watching Inko fuss over Izuku's tattoo, making sure it had enough healing ointment and that the bandage wasn't completely sealed as the tattoo needed air. Izuku was being patient, smiling as he spoke to her, but the circles under his eyes were getting darker. Something was up, but Katsuki couldn't put his finger on what.

Izuku had been talkative last night. They had kissed and cuddled, but they'd both been too tired from the long day to do much more than that. As they lay in the dark, Izuku had talked softly, jumping from topic to topic in a sleepy way. Katsuki hadn't thought much of it at first, but every time they were about to fall asleep, Izuku had jerked and started muttering again. He'd also rubbed his legs against the sheets in slow passes every few minutes. Izuku wasn't usually so restless.

To top it off, after only a few hours of sleep, Katsuki had woken to find Izuku completely rigid, his whole body tense and straining, his mouth open in a silent scream. Before Katsuki could wake him, Izuku had jack-knifed into a sitting position, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat. Katsuki wasn't unfamiliar with Izuku having nightmares, but this felt different, and on top of that, Izuku couldn't remember what he'd dreamed. Izuku always remembered his dreams.

"Are you ready?" Izuku asked as he got up from the table.

His face was paler than usual, but his eyes were bright and he had a happy smile on his face, so maybe whatever it was would pass in time. Izuku had just gone through the full moon, after all. Katsuki would let it go for now.

"Thank you for the meal," he said to Inko before following after Izuku.

"Have a good day!" she called after them.

Izuku chatted happily all the way to school. Katsuki didn't offer much in the way of conversation. He had a headache brewing behind his eyes. When they got to class and found almost everyone already there, Katsuki was relieved. They could deal with the hyper nerd and he could go sit in the corner and finally get some peace and quiet. Still, he couldn't help but hear some of the extra's stories.

Apparently Froggy had fought some smugglers on the sea. Much like Katsuki, rocker chick with the earphone jacks got to deal with a hostage situation, helping the hostages escape while the heroes dealt with the villains. Cheeks was really pumped up for some reason. She was doing martial arts in the corner, throwing punches. Katsuki had to admit her speed and impact were much improved. Katsuki snorted when he heard the pervert complain about how scary women were. Apparently Mount Lady had put him in his place.

"You and Bakugo went to Endeavor's Agency, didn't you?" the electric idiot suddenly asked, addressing his question to Todoroki. "Were you guys there when he, you know? At Hosu?"

The class went silent to hear the answer. Katsuki glared at the idiot and opened his mouth to tear the little shit to verbal pieces, but Izuku stepped in. Literally. He took a few steps the the side so that his body blocked Katsuki's view of the moron.

"Because we're minors, the news didn't want to put our names in it," Izuku explained patiently. "But Todoroki, Kacchan, Iida, and I were all there when it happened. Kacchan and and Todoroki were with Endeavor patrolling, and Iida was there because Manual's agency is located in Hosu. I was there because Gran Torino's town is on the same line as Hosu, and the train got stopped with the attack happened. I texted Kacchan to offer my help, and he sent me his location. We never expected to run into Stain."

"It looked really scary," Pinky muttered, face full of worry. "They're still trying to pick up the pieces."

"I heard it was an attack led by the League of Villains," the boy with extra arms said softly. "The same group who attacked us at the the USJ."

"Were they after All Might again?" Tape-boy asked Izuku.

"I don't think so," Izuku denied, holding up his hands. "It seemed pretty random, actually. I think their only purpose was to cause panic."

"That's not good," Ponytail girl chimed in. "Not if they have a villain of the caliber of Stain."

"The hero killer's terrifying," Pervert said with a shudder.

Kirishima sat on the desk next to Katsuki's. "I'm glad you guys made it out alive. Seriously."

Katsuki turned his face away with a bored expression, done with this conversation.

"Endeavor saved you guys, right?" the jock who chugged sugar for power asked. "Man, he was an amazing hero."

"As expected from the number two hero!" Pinky declared. "I don't think anyone besides All Might will ever come close to matching him."

Katsuki's fists clenched as he turned back to face the class. Kirishima shot him a worried look.

Todoroki dropped his eyes, but he said with perfect calm. "Yeah. He saved us."

Izuku rubbed the back of his head anxiously, putting on a big smile. "Well, I'm more worried about the nomu. They're the ones who did most of the damage."

"The heroes had a hard time stopping them, didn't they?" the boy with the thick tail asked worriedly. "I saw it on the news."

"Stain is way scarier," the pervert argued and shivered again.

"Did you see the video?" the electric idiot dared to ask. "I mean, he's totally evil, but he's also kind of tenacious. And, like, his message isn't all bad. You know, about getting rid of fake heroes. Doesn't it kind of make him admirable?"

"Kaminari!" Izuku snapped, but Katsuki had had enough.

He slammed his hand down on his desk and got to his feet. Everyone stared at him, their eyes wide. Glaring murder, he growled, "Stain is a deluded fanatic who justifies his fucking evil with empty, pretty words. If you're fucking dumb enough to fall for it, then that's your fucking business, but that sadistic shit-stain murdered IcyHot's father right in front of him. The asshole stabbed Endeavor in the fucking back like the pathetic coward he is and paralyzed Glasses' brother, so keep your goddamn moronic opinions about what's cool to yourself, fuckhead!"

The idiot looked so pale Katsuki thought he might actually faint.

"It's true the Hero Killer is tenacious," Glasses spoke up, breaking the silence. The teen looked serious, his eyes hard. "Not all that he said was necessarily wrong, but he chooses murder as a result of his beliefs. No matter what he thinks, that part is definitely wrong. In order to keep anyone else form turning out like me, to protect people from feeling the pain I have felt…" The teen suddenly flung his arm out and declared to the class loudly, "I will once again walk on the path to becoming a hero!"

"We all will," Izuku seconded, eyes shining. He put a supportive hand on Glasses' shoulder. "It's time to start class, guys. Let's all take our seats, okay?"

Earphone jack girl actually hit the electric blond upside his head as she sat down. The blond cowered, looking miserable. Good. The fucking twerp deserved it.

….

Izuku didn't have time to worry about the conflict that happened in homeroom. Aizawa had entered and had scared the crap out of all of them by announcing that their first semester final exam would be in two months while the practice final was only four weeks away.

The final would consist of a three hour paper test with questions on English, Japanese, History, Science, Math, and Hero Studies. In addition to this, there would also be a physical exam. That was bad enough, but there were real penalties if they didn't do well.

Should anyone fail the written test, they would have to go before a review board that would determine if the Hero Course was really the right place for them. After all, UA was famous for producing knowledgable and ethical heroes. The school would not pass or endorse a hero who could not meet UA's academic standards. And should anyone fail the physical exam, they would have to complete an intensive physical training program while the rest of the class went on a class trip over summer vacation.

Needless to say, a _lot_ was riding on these tests.

Morning classes were filled with their instructors outlining what would be covered on the test and making recommendations on how to study. Everyone was dead silent as they took notes. During lunch, Izuku took surveys of the class and began putting together study groups based on strengths and weaknesses. On the way to basic training, Kacchan gave him half a ham sandwich with a very unimpressed look. Izuku apologized and practically swallowed the sandwich in three bites.

He was excited. All Might was their teacher for basic training today. The hero had them gear up in their costumes and meet out at one of the training grounds. They hadn't been to this particular training ground yet, so Izuku had no idea what to expect.

All Might stood just outside the massive gate in his skin-tight hero costume, his muscles bulging and his hands on his hips. He boomed out a laugh as they gathered in front of him. "Long time no see, boys and girls! How've you been? Did you learn a lot at your work-studies?"

There were murmurs of agreement.

All Might grinned. "Well, we'll see for ourselves! Are you ready, my precious students? Today for basic training we will be conducing a rescue training race!" All Might leaned forward, his grin stretching impossibly wide. "That's right! I said race! This is Field Gamma!"

All Might swung his hand backward and the gate began to slowly open. The whole class took a breath. The field was densely packed with buildings and a maze of large pipes.

"As you can see, this field is a dense area filled with factories laid out like an intricate labyrinth. You'll be broken into four groups and will go through the field one group at a time. When I send out a distress signal from somewhere inside, the group will start at once from the outskirts of the city and come to my rescue! It's a race to see who can rescue me first!" All Might put up a finger and wagged it back and forth. "Of course, you'll have to keep damage to buildings to a minimum." He lowered his finger to point directly at Kacchan.

"I won't fucking break your buildings," Kacchan sneered, crossing his arms in annoyance.

Izuku covered his mouth to hide a giggle.

"All right, first group, get in place!"

Izuku's heart thudded as he stepped forward with Ojiro, the boy with the long, muscled tail, Sero, the boy with tape in his elbows, Mina, the girl with pink skin that could produce acid from her feet and hands, and finally Iida.

"Good luck, everyone!" Izuku called out to them with a smile. "Let's do our best!"

"I'll see you at the finish line," Iida yelled back.

Heart thudding with excitement, Izuku used the map he was given to get into his assigned starting position. He stood on what looked like a water reservoir. Huge pipes created an intricate maze above and around him, weaving in and out of factories of various heights and widths. Ojiro, Sero, Mina, and Iida were sent to other places around the edge of the field. All Might was in the center.

Izuku took a deep breath and stretched his arms and legs. One For All coursed through his bones and muscles, green static running up and down his frame. He couldn't help feeling excited. Kacchan was watching! This was a chance to show off just how much he'd learned with Gran Torino.

…

Katsuki stood on a huge purple stage just outside of Field Gamma. Before them was an enormous screen that was divided into five squares showing the contestants.

"Everyone in this group has great mobility," Kirishima mused at his side. "It's going to be a tight race."

"Perhaps Midoriya has a slight disadvantage," Ponytail girl said hesitantly. "He's strong, and he can use that strength to propel himself forward, but that is only effective when his path is straight. This course will require you to turn quickly and often to maneuver around obstacles."

"It's never wise to underestimate Midoriya," Todoroki disagreed.

Katsuki snorted at that, smirking.

"He also has a tendency to get hurt," Earphone jack girl added. "Can he risk more injuries before finals?"

"Deku's going to leave all those fucking extras in the dust," Katsuki told her with a glare. The nerd hated to lose almost as much as Katsuki did.

A horn sounded and the screen showed the five teenagers leaping into action. Tape-boy moved liked the old comic book hero Spiderman, using his tape to swing through the course. Pinky used her acid to practically skate down pipes at remarkable speed, but it became clear that strategy only worked when she had a downward incline. If she didn't, she had to run and climb like the average person. As for Glasses, the idiot was sprinting along at ground level, and Tail-boy launched himself forward like a high-jumper at the olympics. Then there was Deku.

Katsuki's breath caught as Izuku streaked along the course. He flipped and twisted, using every surface to propel himself forward in graceful, quick leaps. He really did look like a manic rabbit. It was breathtaking.

"He reminds me of you," Todoroki said thoughtfully.

Katsuki laughed and began to shake out his arms. "How many minutes was that?"

"Three minutes twenty-eight seconds," Todoroki answered, lifting an eyebrow. "Think you can beat that?"

Katsuki bared his teeth in a competitive smile. "Question is, can you?"

Todoroki's eyes brightened at the challenge.

Kirishima, who'd overheard their exchange, grinned a sharp-toothed grin. "I don't know about anyone else, but my money's on Bakugo."

Katsuki smirked as no one dared argue. Todoroki gave him a cool glare, which only made Katsuki's grin widen.

…

"FINISHED!" All Might cried as Izuku leapt and landed in a roll, coming up on one knee.

Izuku was breathing hard from the challenging sprint across the field. Sero landed right behind him.

"Congratulations, my boy!" All Might said with obvious pride as he placed a white ribbon over Izuku's shoulder. "You have come a long way. I am very proud of you."

Izuku unclasped his mouth piece and pushed his mask off his face, letting it hang behind him like a hood. He gave his mentor a huge grin, cheeks flushed with victory. "Thank you, All Might."

Iida, Mina, and Ojiro all arrived in a few minutes, and after being congratulated on their progress, All Might dismissed them. Apparently there was a tunnel that would take them back out to the entrance while the next group got in position.

As they took the stairs down, Izuku gripped Sero's shoulder. "You were really fast, Sero! I barely beat you!"

"I was so surprised when you flew past me." The boy brushed his short black hair off his sweaty forehead. He carried his white and yellow helmet under his other arm. "Did you learn that at your work-study?"

"Yeah!" Izuku smiled happily, still out of breath. "Gran Torino had me work almost exclusively on mobility."

"Well, it paid off."

Izuku caught Iida rolling his shoulders carefully and frowned. "How're you doing? Are you sure you're okay for physical training?"

Iida was wearing his gym uniform, his hero costume still damaged from the fight with Stain. In the absence of his armor, he had wrapped his arms in white bandages to give them extra support. "I'm well. There is only a little tenderness and stiffness. My surgeon was very skilled. As long as I don't do any heavy lifting for the next few weeks, I will make a complete recovery."

"That's great, Iida," Mina said and flung an arm around his waist, half-hugging him. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"How'd you get hurt?" Sero wanted to know. He gave Izuku a nervous look, expecting to be yelled at for the question. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Stain impaled me through the shoulders with his sword more than once. He also used knives to cut along my biceps and impale my hand. If it hadn't been for the surgery, I would have lost feeling in my left hand as well as most of its functionality."

Izuku caught the horrified looks on his classmates' faces and realized they hadn't really understood how dangerous or traumatic the fight in Hosu had been. They were still innocent in many ways.

They came out of the tunnel into the heat of almost summer. Izuku quickly looked at the screen. There was the sound of distant explosions, and on the screen Kacchan landed in a cloud of smoke, looking fierce in his costume.

"He just launched himself upward like missile and flew over everything," Uraraka told him as he joined the group on the stage. "That has to be cheating!"

"You know it's not," he corrected her. "The goal is to rescue someone in need, the faster the better. How fast was that?"

"Two minutes fifty-nine seconds," Hitoshi answered him. "About thirty seconds faster than you."

Izuku smiled even as he felt a stab of disappointment. He was still chasing after Kacchan. The blond really was amazing. Izuku gave a cheer for his boyfriend as All Might dropped the white sash of victory over Kacchan's shoulder. Standing next to the blond was a frustrated looking Todoroki. He'd come in only a few seconds after Kacchan.

"It always impresses me how he heads directly toward his target," Hitoshi said thoughtfully. "He never hesitates."

"Yeah. He's always been the straightforward type." Izuku noticed his friend still had circles under his eyes, but he seemed more relaxed than before they'd left for work-studies. "What did you do last week? Did you spend the whole time at school?"

"Yes." Hitoshi nodded and lifted a hand to the black scarf he was wearing around his neck. "When Aizawa returned, he trained with me every day."

Izuku's eyes widened. "How are you still standing?" he teased.

Hitoshi actually grinned. "He's a bit demanding, isn't he?"

Izuku laughed at the understatement. "Just a bit."

"It's worth it, though," Hitoshi said seriously, lavender eyes catching Izuku's. "He's making me stronger."

"Third group, please get into position!" All Might's voice came over the speakers.

Hitoshi tossed a wave. "Looks like it's my turn."

"Good luck!" Izuku called.

Hitoshi was competing against Uraraka with her antigravity quirk, Yaoyorozu with Creation, Aoyama with his navel laser, and Mineta with his sticky balls.

"I'm going to win a sash to match yours," Uraraka called as she went into the arena.

"Plus Ultra!" Izuku called after her flashing her two thumbs up and a big grin.

Hitoshi stood on the same water tank that Izuku had stood on. When the horn sounded, the scarf came alive just as Aizawa's did! The teen used it to fling himself forward and swing across gaps too big to jump as he ran across the rooftops.

Uraraka was doing amazing as well. She would sprint forward and activate her quirk. Her forward momentum would send her soaring. She'd cut her quirk and drop before her height became too high. Yaoyorozu was creating grappling hooks and tools to help her move quickly while Mineta bounced off his own purple balls. Aoyama faced backward and let his laser propel him. He crashed a few times, but he'd gotten much better at controlling his flight.

Izuku smiled as he felt Kacchan walk up beside him. "They're all so much better than when we started."

"Braindead learned a new trick," Kacchan noticed with a scowl.

Izuku nodded. "He said Aizawa's been training him all week. The scarf can't be easy to manipulate. He must have practiced non-stop to get this good so quickly."

"Forget him. I'll still kick his ass." Kacchan crossed his arms and smirked. "I won, Deku. You owe me."

Izuku's stomach did a fluttery roll and he flushed. "Yeah?" he said as casually as he could. He looked into Kacchan's bright eyes and gave him a heated look through his lashes, a smile curling the edges of his lips. "Do I owe you something hot or something cold?"

Kacchan's cheeks actually flushed, his pupils dilating, and Izuku felt a thrill run down his spine.

"Congratulations, Bakugo!" Kirishima called, coming up to them and hitting Kacchan on the back. "You had the fastest time of all the groups. Yaoyorozu just finished at four minutes. "

"Your group hasn't gone yet," Izuku pointed out, trying to get his heartbeat to slow down.

"We're all ground types in the last group," Kirishima admitted. "It's me, Koda, Hagakure, Kaminari, Sato, and Jiro. None of us can beat Bakugo's time, but I'll do my best to win the sash. It looks so manly!"

"Good luck!" Izuku called as their friend jogged into the maze, his fist thrust into the air.

Kacchan leaned forward and whispered, voice low and sultry, "See you in the locker rooms, Izu."

Izuku shivered as Kacchan strutted away. He caught sight of Yaoyorozu with the white sash coming out of the tunnel, Hitoshi behind her, and gave a smile, running up to congratulate them on doing so well.

…

Katsuki couldn't get his fucking mind off fucking Deku's stupid, sexy face. Those stupid freckled cheeks that had warmed with a blush, his fucking heavy-lidded dark green eyes, and that fucking suggestive tone when he'd said,_"Do I owe you something hot or something cold?" _Katsuki felt like he was going to explode!

The anger that always burned in his core sizzled with annoyance at all the fucking things getting in his way. All Might's stupid speech about how far they'd all come and stupid Kirishima jabbering away at him, flaunting the white winner's sash he'd won.

As everyone changed out of their hero costumes, Katsuki kept Izu in his peripheral vision. The nerd acted oblivious, but Katsuki knew the little shit was well aware of his lingering glances from the way the boy moved his body right when Katsuki looked his way. A subtle tilt of his head just enough to expose his throat, the cant of his hips, the way he held his legs, all meant to provoke him.

Katsuki's palms grew slick with adrenaline, his pulse pounding in his temple. Deku was fucking playing with fire. The nerd was cocky now, but Katsuki would have him falling to pieces at his feet. He refused to lose!

…

Izuku had only ever felt this ramped up before a fight. He'd never teased Kacchan this much, and the look in his boyfriend's red eyes both thrill and terrified him. He kept wanting to break out into nervous giggles, but he was able to just barely choke them down.

Izuku couldn't catch his breath, his heart racing in his chest. It took all of his self control to smile and act like everything was normal. He sat on the bench and fussed with his shoes, taking his time, while half of the other boys were already changed and leaving. Next to him, Aoyama pulled on his uniform jacket with a sigh.

"First class back and I'm already sweating. Thank heavens for air-conditioning. It's so humid!"

"I really need to work on my mobility," Kirishima said glumly, tying his tie by his locker.

Kacchan was standing next to him, leaning against his own locker with his arms crossed. The blond hadn't even bothered to start changing. He looked pissed. His chin canted down, his expression ominous. Even Kirishima had stopped trying to talk to him and was giving him space. Only Izuku was aware of the red of Kacchan's eyes flashing up, practically smoldering as they lingered on Izuku's frame.

Feeling insanely reckless and out of control, Izuku bit his lip and then muttered something about 'annoying shoelaces' as he bent over a little further. He was straddling the bench and canted his hips up just slightly as he fiddled with the laces, creating a sensual curve at the small of his back.

"You must compensate for it by gathering information," Tokoyami advised the redhead.

Kirishima looked thoughtful at this advice.

"That'll put me a step behind everyone," Kaminari sighed as he made his way to the door. "I'm jealous of guys like you and Sero."

Sero laughed and flung an arm around his friend's shoulders, "Don't worry. You…" The rest of what he was saying was cut off as the door to the locker room swung shut.

That left Hitoshi, Kirishima, Tokoyami, Todoroki, and Iida. Hitoshi was already dressed, so he was probably waiting for Izuku. Izuku looked over at him with a smile.

"I must be more tired than I thought from pushing myself to win that race. You go on ahead. I'm going to catch my breath. I'll meet you in the dinning hall for dinner."

Hitoshi nodded his head and made his way to the door. Tokoyami and Kirishima followed him.

"Get. Lost," Kacchan growled lowly when Todoroki and Iida remained behind.

Izuku's face flamed red in embarrassment and he ducked his head to hide it even as butterflies fluttered madly in his stomach. It was the same feeling he got when he went over a big drop on a rollercoaster.

"Are you two fighting?" Iida asked.

"Come on," Todoroki said, and Izuku saw through the concealing curtain of his bangs Todoroki grab Iida by the wrist and pull him to the door.

"But Midoriya…" Iida protested.

"Can handle himself."

The door swung shut behind them and suddenly Izuku was alone with Kacchan. Izuku fought to hide how fast his heart was racing. His eyes were probably huge in his face as Kacchan pushed off the lockers and stalked forward.

The blond had taken the grenade-shaped gauntlets off as well as the metal collar that held his charge cartons, but he was still wearing the black arm-sleeves that ran from wrist to bicep. His arms were lean and muscled, his hands strong and dangerous. The sleeveless tank he wore was skin tight over his chest and six-pack abs. The top of the tank had been cut away between the top two arms of the orange X that ran across his chest, revealing the sharp lines of his collarbone. Baggy, black cargo pants hung low on his hips and were tucked into his almost knee high combat boots. As intended when he'd designed the costume, he looked intimidating and powerful.

Kacchan stared down at Izuku with unblinking crimson eyes. Izuku looked up at him, his mouth parted slightly as he tried to quiet his panting breaths. Things were quickly spiraling out of control. They were still at school! And this was getting frighteningly intense. But for some reason Izuku couldn't stop. It honestly felt like he'd die if Kacchan didn't touch him. Right. Now!

…

Katsuki had no idea what he was going to do or say. He wasn't thinking at this point. He was just moving. He had a goal - seeing Izuku shattered beneath him in pleasure - and nothing was going to stop him from achieving that goal. Before he could make a move, however, Izuku's wide eyes became lidded again and he leaned backward on the bench bracing his hands behind him. He'd unzipped his costume to the navel before he'd sat to mess with his shoes, so the move exposed his bare chest and throat.

"Going to take what you won?" the nerd had the balls to ask, his voice only shaking a little.

Holy fucking shit. Katsuki's vision went red. He felt his lips curl off his teeth in a dangerous grin. Little Izu wanted to play, fine. He would play. "Put your mask on," he demanded, voice a hardly recognizable husky rasp.

At Izuku's soft gasp and shudder, Katsuki almost broke and jumped on him right then. Instead he clenched his hands and growled, "Your mask, little rabbit."

Izuku sat up. His eyes never left Katsuki's as he lifted shaking hands and pulled his mask up over his face. It hid his dark, green curls and left only the tip of his nose and mouth exposed. With predatory slowness, Katsuki reached forward and gripped the base of the rabbit-like ears.

His grip was brutal as he crashed their mouths together. Using the ears, he pulled Izuku's head back, opening Izu's mouth further as he hungrily devoured Izuku's lips. Not breaking the seal of their lips, Katsuki pulled Izuku up onto his feet so they could stand chest to chest. His free hand came up to hold Izuku's face, pressing as deep into Izuku as he could go.

…

Izuku shook and shivered, mouth open and wanting, kissing back for all he was worth. He felt almost delirious as waves of sensation ran through him. Tears soaked his mask-covered cheeks. His breaths came in harsh pants and sobs. He clung to Kacchan's arms, almost bruising them in his desperation.

Kacchan finally ended the kiss. Panting, eyes dark with lust, he pushed Izuku up against the lockers. The metal banged as his shoulders hit them. Then Kacchan was there, pressed against him once again. Izuku gave a soft cry of need and wound his arms around Kacchan's shoulders. Kacchan's mouth came down on him again as his hands slid harshly down over his hips, cupped the back of his thighs, and lifted him off the ground. Izuku's gasp was swallowed by Kacchan's lips as Izuku wrapped his legs tightly around the blond's waist.

Kacchan pulled their mouths apart and pressed his forehead against the lockers next to Izuku's ear. "Izu," he sighed sweetly.

Izuku shuddered. Moaning, he gripped the blond tight and, using the lockers as leverage, undulated with purpose. "Kacchan… please… more…" he sobbed, begging. "Katsuki…"

…

Katsuki gasped at hearing his full name fall from Izuku's swollen lips. He practically growled and began to snap his hips forward. Izuku gasped again and clung tightly to his hips and shoulders. Katsuki smiled and bit softly at Izuku's jaw and cheek. "My Izu," he said softly, breathlessly, against Izuku's lips. "You're so good for me. So sweet and perfect."

Izuku gave a low cry, his body arching gracefully. Katsuki's heart skipped a beat, eyes wide, as he felt warmth spill between them. Izuku folded around him, becoming soft and sweet, his head resting on Katsuki's shoulder. Katsuki softened his thrusts, but his hips still rocked forward. He had to hold Izuku up by his thighs, the teen's legs having fallen slack.

Izuku hummed contentedly in his ear. "Kacchan…" His trembling hand slid into Katsuki's sweaty hair and tugged. "Don't stop… Feel's so good…"

Katsuki lowered his head, hips working against Izuku's warmth. He bit Izuku gently on the shoulder. His thighs and abs were on fire. His legs were shaking from holding both of their weight, and shit if it didn't feel fucking amazing.

Spasming, his legs suddenly collapsed. Katsuki slid to his knees, panting and shaking and so fucking close it almost hurt.

…

Warm and languid, Izuku sat on his ass, his legs sprawled open with a trembling Kacchan on his knees between them. The blond's skin glistened with sweat, his cheeks flushed, his mouth open as he panted. Izuku hummed, after shocks still shivering through him, and reached forward. Kacchan's pants came undone, and Kacchan's breath hitched on a whimper that made Izuku arch his back, another bolt of pleasure striking through him.

Gripping his love's length, it was hot and swollen in his hand. He couldn't go all the way down, Kacchan's pants were in the way, but he pumped and squeezed the slick tip and top half of his shaft. Kacchan braced his hands against the locker on either side of Izuku's head, holding himself as still as possible even as his hips twitched and jerked.

With a sudden cry, Kacchan threw his head back and hot cum splattered Izuku's chest and up under his jaw. Izuku's hand froze, his eyes wide, but Kacchan's hand slapped around his and worked Izuku's fist hard up and down until nothing was left. Shuddering, Kacchan rolled sideways, his back hitting the lockers next to Izuku.

Izuku stared, his heart beating hard in his throat. Kacchan's face was damp with sweat, his eyes closed, blond lashes long against his flushed cheeks, his lips parted as he fought to catch his breath.

"You're so pretty." Izuku's eyes widened, not meaning to say it out loud, but instead of being offended, Kacchan smiled.

"Only you would think I'm pretty," he said, not bothering to open his eyes.

"But you are," Izuku insisted. He stroked his fingers over Kacchan's warm cheek. "When your face is soft like this, you look like an angel."

Kacchan's sleepy eyes opened and he pulled Izuku in for a slow, languid kiss.

…

Pulling back, their lips parting with a soft sound, Katsuki climbed unsteadily to his feet and made his way to the sinks. He pulled out several paper towels and got them wet with a little warm water and soap before bring them back to Izuku. Izuku reached up for the towels, but Katsuki just stood there, taking him in.

"Damn, Deku."

White cum was splattered across Izuku's bare chest and throat. His skin-tight green costume was barely hanging on to his freckled shoulders, held in place only by his green mask that still covered most of his head and face.

Izuku reached up to pull his mask back, revealing brightly blushing cheeks and sweat-damp, dark green hair. Katsuki felt a shiver run through him at the messy sight of his boyfriend and swallowed hard. Kneeling, his own cheeks bright red, Katsuki offered Izuku a few of the towels and used the rest to help him clean up.

When that was done, Katsuki helped Izuku stand and they got changed into their school uniforms. He laughed when Izuku made a face, balled up his underwear, and shoved them into his backpack. He had to pull his uniform pants on commando.

"Shut up, Kacchan," Izuku said with a pout. "What if we'd gotten some on my costume! The school cleans it, you know."

"Forget the fucking costume," Katsuki smirked. "Anyone could have walked in at any time."

Izuku's cheeks flamed almost tomato red.

Frowning, Katsuki bumped his shoulder. "Do you regret it?"

Green eyes peeked up through wavy bangs and a smile tugged at the corner of Izuku's lips. "No," he admitted, tension draining from his shoulders.

Katsuki grinned. "Good."

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **I found an image on google search that inspired the scene at the end of the chapter. If you want, you can see it on my Instagram. It's not my art! If anyone knows who drew it, feel free to tag them. :)


	40. Chapter 40

**A/n:** So this chapter is aptly named. A lot of conversations to be had! lol

…

**Talking**

Katsuki stood in the steam-filled bathroom as the bathwater drained away. He had a few bruises from his encounter with Izuku earlier that day, which meant Izu must be black and blue. Katsuki shook his head, knowing the nerd would be excited by that.

Pulling on sweatpants and a t-shirt, Katsuki did a quick wipe down of everything with his towel. Noise in the kitchen let him know Aizawa was back from school, and he called, "Bathroom's clear," before turning and heading toward his room.

"Katsuki. Come here for a moment, please."

Towel in hand, Katsuki padded down the hallway and found Aizawa sitting at the kitchen table. Katsuki paused in the doorway, seeing the frown on his teacher's face. His mind kicked into overdrive and he glared. Only two things would make Aizawa frown like that: Izuku or his shitty ass parents.

"What the hell now?" he asked as he dropped into the chair.

Aizawa sat straight instead of in his usual slouch. "I know how much you hate small talk and avoidance, so I'm going to cut to the chase. It's come to my attention that you and Midoriya were engaged in sexual activity at school."

Katsuki met his teacher's eyes. He thought about denying it, but Aizawa was right. He hated avoidance like the plague. It felt too much like weakness, something he'd never allow himself, so he gave a nod instead. "It wasn't planned, but it happened."

Aizawa's frown deepened. "You may already be aware, but it's important that you understand that at your age hormones are in an elevated state. This can lead to impulsive behavior, mood swings, physical changes…"

"I know about puberty," Katsuki snapped, annoyed.

"Knowing about it and being able to control it are two different things," Aizawa stated firmly. "It is strictly against the rules of UA to conduct yourself with improper decorum. At all times, we expect our students to act with the professionalism they will display while at work or in the community. I must insist that you immediately cease coupling with your boyfriend while on school grounds." Aizawa drummed his fingers on the table. "Which may be an impossible task. This is one reason I said it would be best if you and Midoriya were placed in separate classes. It would give you less opportunities to act on your hormone-driven urges."

Katsuki's glare went nova. "You're not taking Izuku or me out of class 1-A. We can handle our urges, okay? It won't fucking happen again. I give you my word."

Aizawa narrowed his eyes, unimpressed. "If that's the case, why did it happen in the first place?"

"I honestly didn't think we'd get caught," Katsuki answered tightly. "How _did_ you find out?"

Aizawa just stared at him. "I don't believe you have earned the right to know."

"Some kind of sensors in the locker room, then," Katsuki deduced from Aizawa's evasion. If it had been a student, he would have reacted with either a hint of anger or discomfort.

Aizawa sighed. "You really have a brilliant mind. Yes. There are infrared sensors in the locker room. Almost every inch of the school has sensors. It is a countermeasure for infiltration, but it also allows us to monitor student conflict and prevent bullying. Fortunately, Principal Nezu is the only one who monitors those readings, and he generously gave me this chance to correct your behavior instead of issuing a punishment. I promise you that should you be caught again, there will be real consequences."

"I understood you the first time," Katsuki bit out, flushed and angry.

Aizawa nodded. "I hope so."

"Are we finished?" Katsuki made to get up, but Aizawa reached out his hand and asked him to sit.

"There are other reasons besides professionalism to abstain from sexual activity, Katsuki."

"Are you talking about STDs?" Katsuki smirked at this and crossed his arms. "I'm pretty sure we're both clean."

"Eventually that will be a concern, yes." Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose before dropping his hand. "There are emotional ramifications to becoming so intimate. I know you are confident that such a relationship will not affect your performance, but I don't think you really understand yet the physical impact these emotions can have. Not only can it affect your judgment and performance, but these chemicals are powerful, especially during puberty. They can make you feel euphoric, but when they recede, they can make you feel extremely low. Even if you can handle such a potent physiological reaction, I am concerned about Midoriya who already deals with mental health issues."

Katsuki said nothing to this. He wasn't about to talk about Izuku and how he reacted when they messed around with Aizawa or anyone else. "I appreciate the information," he said as neutrally as he could while glaring at the man.

Aizawa actually glared back. "This isn't easy for me, either, Katsuki, but as your guardian, it is my responsibility to make sure you are informed and to help you make good decisions. Today you demonstrated a distinct lack of good judgment, so you will sit there and hear me out."

"Do you see me getting up?" Katsuki demanded hotly. "What the fuck else do you have to say?"

Aizawa took a deep breath. "This next part is probably the hardest," he admitted. "Almost a hundred years ago, the outbreak of the first quirks appeared and society ground to a halt. On one hand, all progress came to a standstill as society struggled to deal with this new reality. Experts have concluded that had quirks not developed, we'd have more advanced technology by this point and even have mastered space travel. On the other hand, the world hadn't been in a good place when quirks developed. There was an uneven balance of power between the nations, wars were common place, crime was prolific. The chaos of quirks put a stop to a lot of that as each country focused on how they were going to deal with the phenomena."

"You're avoiding the issue," Katsuki pointed out, growing irritated. He knew all of this. They studied it enough in history class.

Aizawa ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "What I'm trying to say is that progress toward certain things was put on hold as the world dealt with quirks. We haven't yet gotten back on track in certain areas."

"Still avoiding," Katsuki ground out, gritting his teeth. "Let me say it for you. Japan doesn't accept same-sex couples. If Izuku and I aren't careful, we could be shunned and socially ridiculed for our relationship. You want us to keep it secret. For our own good."

Aizawa just stared at him.

Katsuki sat straight and adopted a formal tone, just to prove he could. "Izuku and I will remain professional while at school. That's an acceptable expectation, and I apologize for not adhering to it today. However, while I do not plan on publicizing my relationship with Izuku, I also do not plan on actively hiding it."

"Katsuki…" Aizawa said tiredly.

Katsuki slammed his hand on the table, his temper flaring. "You said progress on certain platforms stopped with the emergence of quirks. Well, how the fuck do you think progress happens? It certainly won't happen with secrecy and shame. Personally, I'm not out to save the fucking world or advocate for gay rights, but I sure as fuck am not going to hide who I am because of ignorant assholes. And Izuku will never fucking support inequality in any form. Even if he'd fallen in love with a girl, he wouldn't stand for it. Izuku is a fucking hero." Glaring, Katsuki added, "And so am I."

Aizawa bowed his head. "I'm proud of you, Katsuki. You could really make a difference in this world." He lifted his head, eyes creased with genuine concern. "But I'm worried that you don't understand the cost of what you are suggesting. You aren't the first gay hero. Being open about your sexuality will be hard. The negative feedback is extremely challenging to live with. You'll face rejection and harsh criticism. You'll be labeled a pervert in certain circles. People won't want you to live in their neighborhoods and will find reasons not to rent or sell to you. Restaurants could mess with your food. Worse, jobs and opportunities will be closed to you. You'll be denied things you have rightfully earned."

"Then I will just have to make new opportunities," Katsuki answered coldly. "If you're trying to scare me, it won't fucking work. All you're doing is pissing me off even more. If they want to treat me like trash, then I'll be the best fucking hero the world has ever fucking seen! No one will be able to afford pissing me off."

"I hope you're right," Aizawa said softly. He reached across the table and touched the back of Katsuki's hand. "I'll help you in every way I can. Never doubt that."

Katsuki shifted uncomfortably with a scowl and took his hand back. "Yeah. Thanks. Are we done?"

Aizawa smiled sadly and nodded. "We're done."

Katsuki stomped to his room and slammed the door behind him.

…

Izuku came home after a quick jog around the neighborhood. He couldn't stop smiling. His heart raced still thinking about Kacchan. He couldn't believe he'd been so bold! Biting his lip, he stepped into the apartment and bent to take off his shoes.

"Mom! I'm back!" He saw his mom in the living room and smiled. "Sorry for yelling. I thought you were in the kitchen."

Inko smiled back, but it was awkward. Her hands fidgeted with her apron as she said, "Come sit with me for a minute."

Izuku padded across the room in his socks and sat next to her. "What is it?" he asked, eyes wide in concern. "Are you okay?"

Inko smiled. "I'm fine, honey." She took his hands and said very seriously. "I got a call from your teacher while you were out jogging. He said…" She cleared her throat, her cheeks darkening with a blush. "Well, he caught you and Katsuki… doing… well…" She flopped her hand uselessly.

Izuku's face went bright red. "Mom…"

Inko firmed her voice and held tight to Izuku's hands. "Honey, you know I support you and Katsuki-kun with all my heart, but you're still really young. I know you have all these feelings, but you're not even fifteen. I think you need to slow down a bit. You said you think Katsuki-kun is the one for you. That means you'll have all your lives together, so there's no rush."

"Mom…" Izuku was utterly mortified. If he could sink into the couch cushions he would.

She ignored him and pressed on. "And if something unforeseen were to happen, like one of you falling in love with different people, you don't want to have any regrets, okay? I know what it's like. I was only a few years older than you when I fell in love with your father. Honey, I know what it feels like to be consumed by another person, but when my head cleared, things looked very different, and I regretted how much I gave him."

Izuku's eyes widened. "Do you regret…?"

Inko gasped. "No! Izuku, of course not!" She grabbed his face in her hands, tears in her eyes. "You are absolutely the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have never, not even for a second, regretted having you." She pulled him into a hug. "No, sweetie, I'm talking about my heart. The deepest, secret parts of me. I wish I held some of that back. Losing him really broke me in a lot of ways. I know it's why I am so frightened and paranoid now, but just because I know that, it's not that easy to fix."

"Mom, you're amazing," Izuku denied, hugging her tight. "You're not broken."

"Thank you, honey." Inko pulled back and kissed his head. "Will you listen to me about this? Will you slow things down with Katsuki-kun?"

Izuku nodded, although it was a lie. There was no slowing things down. He had already given Kacchan all of his heart. There was nothing left to hold back, and he didn't want to! But he wasn't ever going to mess around with him at school again, that's for sure! He'd never been so embarrassed in his life!

"Good." Inko smiled and ran her hand over his hair as she stood. "I'll go in and finish dinner."

"I'm going to take a shower, okay?" he called after her.

"That's fine, but be quick. It's almost done."

"Okay. Thanks, Mom!" Izuku slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text to see if Kacchan was able to talk. _You there?_

x

Kacchan

_Yeah_

_No more messing around at school_

x

Izuku went red again and typed a quick, _I know. Aizawa called my mom. How'd he find out?_

x

Kacchan

_Infrared sensors in locker room_

_Only principal and Aizawa know_

x

Izuku felt like dying. _Oh, god_

x

Kacchan

_Sorry_

x

Izuku's eyes widened._ It's not your fault! I'm not mad, but we're never doing that again._

x

Kacchan

_Agreed_

_How'd Inko take it?_

x

Izuku

_She says I'm too young and need to slow down. _

_That if I'm not careful, if we break up, it could really hurt me._

x

Kacchan

_Too late for that_

x

Izuku smiled. _Yeah. I already love you with everything that I have._

x

Kacchan

_Same_

Izuku beamed happily. _See you tomorrow._

x

Kacchan

_Try to actually get some sleep _

_You're looking strung out_

x

Izuku frowned at that and looked in the mirror. His eyes did look really dark and his face was pale. _Okay. I'll try my best. If I can't, I'll take a pill this weekend._

x

Kacchan

_I'll stay over_

x

Smiling, Izuku put aside his phone and stripped out of his clothes. He carefully peeled the bandage from his arm. The bright red spider lilies seemed to glow against his skin, the moon insignificant behind them. He felt strength fill his soul and clenched his fist. He was going to make it. As a hero and with Kacchan. He wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that.

…

Katsuki waited for Izuku at the school gate. He usually just went inside and saw Izu when he got to class, but he didn't want him to walk in alone. The nerd was probably still embarrassed about Aizawa finding out about them messing around in locker room.

"Morning, Kacchan," Izuku ran up with a smile, cheeks rosy. The blush didn't hide the fact that the circles under his eyes were still there.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

"I did," Izuku denied, but Katuski knew from the way Izuku wouldn't meet his eyes that it was a lie.

Katsuki didn't know why Izu bothered. He could read him like a book. The nerd probably couldn't help it, always worried he was making others worry.

"Do you think Aizawa will say anything?" Izuku asked anxiously, twisting the straps of his backpack.

"Doubt it. He said plenty already. I think he's done."

"Morning, Deku!"

Katsuki turned to see Cheeks running up. She looked more frazzled than normal. Katsuki scowled, knowing he'd have to listen to Izuku fuss over her all the way to class.

"Morning, Uraraka! How are you?" Izuku asked brightly.

"Oh, I'm fine. Are you nervous about the practice test?"

"A little," Izuku answered. His voice became compelling and concerned. "Are you sure you're okay? You look a bit flustered."

"I was almost late to school." She tried to smooth her hair, her cheeks even redder than normal. "But I made it, so no worries!" She flashed the victory sign.

Katsuki huffed and looked away. There was clearly something more to it than that. Why couldn't she just say what was bothering her instead of making Izuku work at it? She was going to spill her guts in the end, so why waste time? This is why he hated people. They were just so goddamn annoying.

Cheeks tried to change the subject. "I'm sure you're not worried about the tests, Bakugo. You got the highest score on the entrance exam."

"And I'll get the highest fucking score again," he stated with absolute certainty.

Cheeks stuck her tongue out and pulled Izuku to the side. "There's Iida! Come on."

Katsuki watched them go with a scowl.

"Someone piss in your cereal this morning?" A heavy arm was slung over his shoulder. Kirishima.

Katsuki gave him a deadly glare. "You're lucky I didn't fucking fling you down on your back."

The redhead laughed, lifting his hands in peace. "I wanted to talk to you," the teen said, expression going serious. "Do you think you could tutor me a bit before the practice test? I'm having trouble in math and science."

"Can't your friends help?" Katsuki grumbled.

Kirishima rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm having a hard time studying with them. We just end up goofing off, you know?"

"Fine. I'll set something up," Katsuki gave in, but his glare sharpened. "Be ready. I won't put up with any slacking. You fucking annoy me and I'm gone."

Kirishima nodded. "Got it."

…

"Midoriya. Can I speak to you?"

Izuku's stomach dropped and he literally felt like he was going to faint as Aizawa put his hand out and stopped him at the door to the classroom. Behind him, Izuku could see Kacchan stand with a glare, but Aizawa shook his head and waved him back.

"Go on, Uraraka, Iida. I'll return him before first period."

The classroom door shut on the worried looks of his friends.

"S-sir, I…"

"This isn't about yesterday," Aizawa said, not unkindly. He put a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Come with me. I'd like to speak to you in my office."

Izuku swallowed hard. As class president, he'd been to the shared faculty office multiple times, but he'd never been to Aizawa's personal office. His hands shook and sweat dewed his hairline. Thankfully, the office wasn't far. It was dark, with dark walls and carpet, and it was cluttered. Izuku forgot his nerves as he looked around at all the artifacts curiously.

"Have a seat, Midoriya. You don't need to be nervous. You're not in trouble," Aizawa said as sat behind his big desk.

"Thank you," Izuku said politely as he took the chair opposite. "Then why do you need to speak to me, sir?"

"The therapist who All Might has found is ready to meet with you. Do you feel comfortable talking with her today after school?"

Izuku felt his stomach flutter nervously. "Oh, uh…"

Aizawa gave him a concerned look. "We can set up a different time, if it would make you more comfortable."

"No, it's not that," Izuku quickly protested. "Of course I can see her today."

Aizawa tilted his head. "What are your concerns about speaking with her? Maybe I can help?"

Izuku's hands twisted nervously in his lap. "I'm not really sure. I guess, I just don't know what she'll ask."

Aizawa leaned back thoughtfully. "I've spoken with therapists a few times myself. Generally they ask about your emotional and mental state. Their job is not to judge you in any way, but to help you work things out."

"Help me how, exactly?" Izuku asked carefully, looking through his fringe. "I mean, I'm doing okay. I have good grades and I think I'm doing okay as class president. I've struggled with using my quirk, but I don't think a therapist will help with that?"

"She might actually," Aizawa argued. "Quirk use is deeply connected to an individual's psychology." He sat forward, his voice calm. "No one thinks you are doing a bad job, Midoriya. You are an excellent student and I have no complaints as to your service as class president. You deal with things the average person doesn't have to face, and we'd like to make sure you have access to all the resources available to make the burden easier to bear. If she can help you handle things even a little, then it's worthwhile in my book."

Izuku nodded, a blush staining his cheeks. "Thank you, sir. I don't know why I'm so nervous about it."

Aizawa's expression softened with understanding. "The things you experience are very personal. I understand your hesitation, but I want you to know that Ivy-sensei is a professional. Anything you tell her will be held in strict confidence. She will not discuss it with anyone else, not me or your mother or All Might. And if you don't feel comfortable talking with her, you can say so. This is supposed to help you, not burden you further."

Izuku nodded, feeling much more comfortable. "Thank you."

"It's no problem." Aizawa gave him a rare smile. "Go on back to class. I'll make the call to inform your mother."

Izuku bowed respectfully. "Thank you, sensei."

…

"Is that a tattoo?" Tape-boy gasped from beside him.

Katsuki glared at the twerp. His whole body throbbed from the intense workout they'd just finished. His arms felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each, which was probably why he'd been so clumsy taking off his hero costume's sleeves. The bandage covering his tattoo had pulled off with it.

"What's it to you?" Katsuki sneered.

"It's a little girly with the flowers," Mineta opinioned.

Katsuki snarled, "Do you want me to blast your balls off?"

Mineta squeaked and practically dove behind octopus boy.

"Todoroki has one, too!" Kirishima exclaimed as Todoroki purposefully unwrapped the bandages around his hand and forearm.

Everyone gathered around to look at the large phoenix.

"We have one, too," Izuku admitted. He and Glasses both took off their bandages.

Instantly the locker room was full of pandemonium.

"Holy shit! Class President! Iida!" The electric idiot practically burst into surprised laughter. "You're such goodie two-shoes! I can't believe you guys got tattoos!"

"Woah!" Sero was really impressed with the detailed shield and broken sword now inked into Glasses' arm. "This is really good work."

Glasses nodded and blushed. "The four of us decided to get them after Hosu. Midoriya actually designed all of them."

"Aren't you worried it will affect your chances of getting hired with agencies?" Tail-boy asked worriedly.

"If an agency can't handle that I have a little ink, then that's their fucking problem," Katsuki dismissed. "It isn't going to stop me from doing what I need to do."

Done with the entire conversation, he rubbed down with a towel and began to pull on his school uniform. Of course, Izuku and Iida got bombarded with more questions. Wisely, everyone gave Todoroki and him space.

"Did it hurt?" "How long did it take?" "How much was it?" "How long will it take to heal?" "What do they mean?"

The boys were still clambering on about it when they left the room, so it wasn't long before the girls caught wind of what they were all talking about. Before they'd gotten halfway down the hall, Izuku and Glasses were both pressured into rolling up their sleeves and letting the girls see.

"That's so cool! My parents would never let me get a tattoo," Ear-phone jack girl complained. She loved rock music, so it wasn't surprising that she'd want one. "The color and detail of those flowers are amazing!"

"Thanks," Izuku said with a blush.

"You can't possibly want a tattoo," the little rich Ponytail girl protested. She was staring at Iida's arm in horror. "They're so vulgar. Todoroki, you got it covering the back of you hand? How will you hide it?"

"I believe the point is not to hide it," he answered cooly.

"Are they even allowed at UA?" she demanded with a blush.

"I'd want one!" The invisible girl pipped up, which was stupid as hell. How the fuck would the artist even be able to draw one on her? And if the ink did show, how stupid would that be?

"Me, too," Tsu agreed. At everyone's surprised look, she clarified. "A lot of sailors have tattoos. It's not that uncommon."

Katsuki tried to tune out the losers as they made their way back to the classroom to grab their school bags. He quickly grabbed his and made his way to Aizawa's office. He didn't bother knocking. The office was empty, so he dropped his bag on the floor and sat heavily in the chair across from the desk.

Hissing, he carefully rolled up his sleeve. The tattoo was itching like a mother fucker, and Katsuki quickly applied some healing ointment. The office door opened, and Aizawa slipped inside on silent feet.

"Where's Midoriya?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Dealing with the masses. They just found out about these."

"Ah." Aizawa sat on the edge of the desk and gestured for Katsuki to show him.

Katsuki lifted his arm up so his teacher could see the tattoo in the dim light.

"It's healing fast," Aizawa noted, examining the scabs that had just started forming. "Should be another week or so and it'll be completely healed."

A knock sounded on the door. Aizawa released his arm and opened it. Izuku stood on the other side. "Sorry I'm late," he said, shifting his bag higher up his shoulder. He'd clearly run to get there.

"You're not," Aizawa assured him and ushered him into the office, shutting the door behind him.

Izuku gave Katsuki a searching look and quietly asked, "Do you think your tattoo is too girly?"

Katsuki's eyebrows scrunched into an annoyed glare. "Don't tell me you believe those idiots? You did an amazing job on it. It's exactly what I wanted." Getting to his feet, he crossed the short distance between them. Izuku's eyes widened as Katsuki pulled him into a hug. "You sure you don't want me to come?" he asked gruffly.

Izuku melted into him, the tension in his shoulders falling away as he buried his face against Katsuki's shoulder. "I'll be fine." He lifted his head and included Aizawa in the conversation. "This is supposed to make things easier. If it doesn't work or I feel uncomfortable, I don't have to go again, right?"

"Exactly," Aizawa reassured him. He looked completely unruffled by them hugging.

"I'll wait for you here." Katsuki reluctantly let him go.

"Thanks, Kacchan." Izuku gave Aizawa a shy look and then leaned in to kiss Katsuki's cheek. "I'll see you in a bit, then." He gave a brave smile.

Aizawa didn't make a big deal about the kiss. He put a supportive hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Follow me. She's waiting in All Might's personal office."

Katsuki didn't let his worry show until the door shut behind them. Fuck, he hoped this went well.

…

Izuku took a deep breath and nodded. Aizawa opened the door and held it open, letting him step inside. All Might's office was more like a sitting room. Warm light spilled in through the floor to ceiling window. A couch was placed against the wall, a low coffee table sat in front of it. A small counter sat opposite with an electric water heater, a tea pot, and tea cups. For as bright and loud as All Might's costumes and hero personality were, his home and his office were decorated in neutral, calm colors with no extra clutter. He was actually a minimalist.

All Might in his dark yellow suit stood from the couch, grinning his hero's grin. "Midoriya! Thank you for joining us." His large hand swept sideways, indicating the woman next to him. "This is Ivy-sensei."

The woman looked to be in her thirties or forties. She stood and bowed to Izuku. Her soft, orange hair was cut short to her chin and was parted to the side. Her long bangs were swept to the side and covered the right side of her face. The eye that Izuku could see was amber in color and held a gentle look. She was tall and slender, close to six feet, and wore a simple, cream-colored shirt with three-quarter length sleeves tucked into black capri slacks. Her heels were maybe an inch tall if that and were a surprisingly bold red in color.

"Hello," she said with a soft smile. "I'm Ivy. It's nice to meet you."

Izuku bowed politely. "Thank you for coming. I'm Izuku Midoriya."

She gave him an earnest look. "It's really no trouble at all."

"Do you think you'll be alright here?" All Might asked Izuku. "All the sensors in the room have been disabled and will remain so while you two are talking. I guarantee this is a safe place. You have my word as a hero!" He struck a pose, flashing two thumbs up.

Izuku blushed at the dramatics. "It's fine. Thank you," he said again.

All Might nodded and clapped him on the shoulder as he passed. His touch always surprised Izuku for how gentle it was. "If you need anything, I have my phone. Don't hesitate to call!"

Izuku nodded and All Might and Aizawa left, shutting the door behind them.

Izuku turned awkwardly back to the woman. "So… um…"

She laughed. "This is a bit strange, isn't it?" She gestured to the couch. "Feel free to have a seat. I think I'll make us tea." She winked. "I don't think All Might will mind."

"I can do that!" Izuku offered hurriedly.

"That's very considerate of you. Thank you, Izuku."

Izuku gave her a smile, relieved he could be of help. She set him to the task of putting the tea powder into the tea pot while she filled the electric water heater.

"Is it okay that I call you by your first name? I'd prefer it if you called me Ivy, too."

Izuku blushed a bit at that but nodded. "I don't mind."

"Good." Ivy poured the hot water into the tea pot. "Take that to the coffee table. I'll bring the cups."

It took a few minutes, but soon enough they were both on the couch holding a cup of warm green tea. Izuku felt himself relaxing.

"So, why don't I tell you about myself and how I came to be here," she suggested, her eye sparkling with good humor. "It's a fun story. I think you'll like it."

Izuku couldn't help smiling along. "Okay."

"Well," Ivy began, leaning forward conspiratorially. "I actually wanted to join a support company when I was a girl. I had this thought when I was young; who helps the heroes who are always helping everyone else? It worried me, so I thought, I'll help them! That's why I joined the support division of UA, and guess what happened?"

"What?" Izuku asked, eyes wide. He found himself leaning forward in anticipation.

"Well, I found out I'm terrible at it! Their focus was more on gadgets and gear." She laughed. "It was definitely not for me. I'm so bad that I break at least three toasters a year!"

"Oh no." Izuku tried not to laugh.

"No, it's okay. It is funny," she assured him. "I should have done more research about what it meant to be in the support department. It ended up working out, though. I switched to the business division after my first year. I did well, but I didn't feel like it was where I was supposed to be, either. I graduated and then met a young man studying psychology at university. We dated for a few months, but it turned out I liked his books more than him." She gave a rueful smile. "I ended up attending the same university and studying clinical psychology."

"What happened with your boyfriend?" Izuku blushed, realizing too late how personal that was. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all," she assured him. "More tea?"

Izuku was surprised he'd finished his cup. "Yes, please."

Ivy continued her story as she poured them both a fresh cup. "Actually, we're still good friends. I helped him get his practice off the ground after he completed his degree." She winked. "Using all the business knowledge I got from UA. So like I said, it all happened the way it should have even though it didn't feel like it at the time."

"How'd you meet All Might?" Izuku couldn't help being curious. She was a great storyteller.

She tapped her bottom lip, her eye turned upward. "How did I meet All Might? Hmmm. I can't seem to remember. It must not have been very memorable," she said in an exaggerated voice.

Izuku laughed, and Ivy laughed with him.

"Actually, he probably doesn't remember meeting me the first time." Her voice became soft and affectionate. "He saved my sister from our burning apartment building about seven years ago. We lived together at the time, and I rushed home from work as soon as I saw it on the news. The police wouldn't let me in, of course. I was devastated, certain my sister was dead. She's such a heavy sleeper." Her expression brightened, her head tilting as she smiled. "And then here he came. All Might! He literally swooped in and carried all these people out. They were draped over him like laundry!" She laughed. "He set my sister down and she had the gall, covered in soot and in her night gown, to demand his autograph!"

Izuku grinned and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I did the same thing when I met him."

Ivy gave him a soft smile. "I'm not surprised. All Might really is incredible."

"The second time I met him was a few weeks ago. He said he was looking for someone who could help his student." She gave an almost embarrassed smile. "Like I said, I wanted to help the heroes who help so many. I loved psychology, but I couldn't forget my first dream, so I ended up sort of combining them. All Might got my name from Principal Nezu. I've worked with several heroes under his command. I actually specialize in trauma therapy."

"Oh." Izuku felt happy her dream had come true, but at the same time this reminded him why she was here. He'd actually forgotten for a few minutes.

"All Might seems to really care about you," she said softly.

"Yeah." Izuku fidgeted with his cup.

"I get the feeling this wasn't your idea," she said, studying him with an understanding look. "You know, we don't have to talk about anything you don't want to."

"I just…" Izuku didn't really know how to say it. He stared down at his empty cup in frustration. "I don't know… what everyone's hoping for. I mean… I guess I just don't know what they want to improve. I don't feel like I'm struggling."

"Hmmm." At the sound, Izuku looked up to see Ivy looking thoughtful. "That's a really good question. You should ask them what they're hoping for. Is it only All Might who wants you to talk to me?"

Izuku shook his head. "My mom, and Nighteye, and Kacchan, and Aizawa." He tilted his head. "And I guess Principal Nezu."

She looked at him curiously. "Kacchan? Is he your little brother?"

Izuku laughed. "No, it's just the first name I knew him by. We grew up in the same neighborhood and met in pre-school. That's what everyone called him back then. He's actually my boyfriend now."

Ivy's face lit up with delight. "Oh! I'm so happy for you."

Izuku smiled back. "Thanks."

"So what does he hope will happen if you talk to me?" she asked. "I mean, he must know you best."

A frown creased his face as he thought about it. "He'd want me to sleep more and with fewer nightmares. And he'd want me to be calm and not get freaked out and upset so often. I used to have panic attacks pretty often."

Ivy nodded. "That makes sense. Why does that make you frown?"

"Well…" Izuku felt something shifting. It was weird. Like doors opening and shutting in his brain. "I feel fine?" he asked more than answered. "I haven't had a panic attack in weeks." Even as he said it, he knew it was stupid. 'Weeks' wasn't that long a time, so why did if feel as if it was? With wide eyes, he realized his breathing had sped up and he was sweating again. His hands were fisted on his knees. He stared at them in surprise, as if they belonged to someone else.

"Izuku, does it feel like you can't remember these bad episodes clearly? Or it as if they never happened as long as you don't think about it?"

Izuku looked up, surprised. "How'd you know?"

Ivy tiled her head, her eye closed as she gave him a warm smile. "Well, because I talk to lots of people. I've met others who felt that way. It's okay. It's not a totally bad thing."

Izuku felt relief wash through him. "It's not?" Tears actually burned his eyes.

"No," she confirmed. "It's called compartmentalization."

Izuku scrunched his face. "What?"

Ivy laughed and the sound made him relax still further. "I don't who names these things." She put her hands out and encircled the air. "It's when you kind of keep certain things separate from each other. Like if you have a bad dream, you put it aside so that you can have a good morning. It's a 'not thinking about it' skill."

"Oh." That sounded about right.

"Doing this can actually be really healthy," she said supportively. "For example, let's say you have a huuuuuge test…" She drew out the word just to make him smile. "Well, constantly worrying about this test and picturing a failing grade can actually interfere with your studying, which will make your fear more likely to come true. If you're able to compartmentalize that worry, you're able to put it aside and it won't interfere with your studying. That way you're more likely to get a passing score because you studied more effectively."

Izuku was fascinated. "That doesn't sound so bad."

Ivy nodded sagely. "Some people are better at it than others, but anyone can learn to do it. All it takes is practice! In fact, heroes are actually taught to compartmentalize before they graduate. Let's say you get in a fight with your boyfriend. They don't want that to distract you from saving people in a burning apartment, for example." She winked playfully.

"So I'm okay," Izuku said in relief. He didn't need to talk to her, after all. Not that he minded talking to her, actually. She was really easy to talk to.

"Well…" Ivy picked up her cup. "There's a second part to compartmentalizing if you want to do it in a healthy way. Imagine this is full of milk." She showed him her cup. "I'm going to compartmentalize and set it aside." She put the cup on the table. "So far so good, right?"

Izuku blinked at her. "Yes?"

"That's right," she said with a smile. "I put it aside successfully, so part one went off with out a hitch. But what happens if a few days go by and the cup of milk just sits there on this table, forgotten because I put it out of my mind?"

Izuku winced. He knew where this was going. "It goes bad," he said quietly, looking down at his hands.

"Yes." Ivy touched him gently on the knee. "It's a good skill to have, but what you put aside doesn't disappear. You still have to face it and work through it or bad stuff can happen to you." Gently, she asked, "Maybe that's what Kacchan and the others are concerned about?"

"Maybe," he acknowledged glumly. "But what do you mean by face it? Do I just have to talk about the things that I try not to think about?"

Ivy took her hand back and folded them in her lap. "Talking is a start, but everyone's different. All I know is that whatever it is you're feeling, whatever mark it has left, together we can figure out how to deal with it." Almost shyly, she added. "That is, if you'll have me. I'd really like to help you, Izuku."

Izuku inexplicably felt tears fill his eyes. He wiped them away with his sleeve and gave her a trembling smile. "I'd like that."

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** What do you guys think? I went back and forth on Ivy's personality like a hundred times. I also couldn't decide if I wanted Izuku to open up right away or not. I hope you like what I ended up with.

If you want to see a pick of Ivy-sensei, I put the inspiration for her character on Instagram. :)


	41. Chapter 41

**A/n:** Hello, all! Got another chapter! XD

…

**Helping Others**

Katsuki looked up from the textbook he was studying. Izuku walked in almost three hours after leaving. He looked exhausted, but he gave Katsuki a smile. Katsuki was on his feet and at his side before he even realized he was moving.

"You okay?" he demanded.

"I'm fine." Izuku hugged him. "I really liked her. She wants to meet once a week. I'll probably need to take it easy after our sessions, so she thinks Saturday after school might be best."

"I'll drive you home," Aizawa offered.

"Thanks, sensei," Izuku said with a tired smile. He hadn't let go of Katsuki.

Frowning, Katsuki didn't even try to get free. All his shit could stay here overnight. He kept his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and held him close to his side as they made their way through the school. The sun had set an hour ago, so there was no one there to see, and even if there were, Katsuki didn't give a damn.

Izuku was unusually quiet as they made their way to the parking lot. Katsuki opened the door to Aizawa's car and Izuku slid in. Katsuki slid in after and shut the door. Izuku immediately put his head on Katsuki's shoulder. Heart twisting, Katsuki gently sank his hand into Izuku's curls to hold his head steady.

"Ivy said I'm compartmentalizing," Izuku finally spoke. "It's an important skill for heroes, but I might be doing it too well, and I don't deal with the stuff I put aside. It's probably why I have such a hard time sleeping. All that stuff's still working away at the back of my mind, and it only grows more sour the longer I force it away. She said the panic attacks and stuff were actually good signs. Signs that I was letting what was effecting me bleed through. It's one way of dealing with it, you know? But there are less stressful ways, and she's going to help me with that."

Katsuki's hand tightened as he felt tears wet his shoulder.

Izuku's voice hitched on quiet sobs as he continued. "I know she's right. I can't just not deal with things. You'd never do that, but it's like there are doors in my head, and I'm scared of what's behind them. What if I can't shut them again once we go opening them? What if I can't handle it?"

Katsuki shifted, turning so he could face Izu. He held the boy's face in his hands. His freckled cheeks were warm and wet, his eyes so fucking frightened. "You're not alone, remember?" he demanded, fierce and strong the way Izuku needed him to be. "I got you, I promise. I'm not going to let you fall. We can handle it together. "

Sobbing, Izuku flung his arms around Katsuki's neck.

Katsuki held him close, his veins burning with the need to protect the boy in his arms. He caught Aizawa's eyes in the rearview mirror watching them and he bared his teeth in warning. Aizawa actually nodded, his own eyes hard. They weren't going to let this beat Izuku.

Inko was beside herself when they walked in. She immediately wrapped Izuku into a hug. Izuku melted into her embrace and she cooed over him and told him how proud she was. Izuku didn't feel up to eating. Inko shooed him to bed, but when Katsuki made to follow, she caught his arm.

"Nothing more than kissing," she said firmly.

It took everything he had not to yank his arm away and snarl in her face. With superhuman self-control, he pulled his arm away with a tight glare and stomped off after Izuku. The hell did she think? He was going to force himself on Izuku? Or, what, did she think he was going to shove Izuku away if he needed comfort? Either way, she was out of her fucking mind. She didn't get to decide what they needed from each other.

"Kacchan?"

Tired green eyes lined in circles looked up at him worriedly. Izuku was sitting on the edge of his bed. He hadn't had the energy to undress. Katsuki forced his expressions smooth and offered his hand. "Come on. Let's get this off."

Izuku stood and let Katsuki strip him. Katsuki hung the uniform up while Izuku pulled on baggy boxers and a t-shirt. They took turns in the bathroom and Katsuki borrowed some loose cotton pants to sleep in. Teeth freshly brushed, they crawled under the covers, the air conditioner humming quietly.

"Do you think I'm a coward?" Izuku asked into the dark. His head rested on Katsuki's chest.

Katsuki pet his hair. "No, I don't."

"Then why am I still so scared of this?" Izuku's voice was tense. "I know it needs to be done. That I can't keep everything bottled up or I'm going to fall apart for real. I know you're there and Ivy. So why?"

"You're tired, Izuku," Katsuki reassured him. "Sleep deprivation can really mess with you. You'll feel more confident tomorrow."

"I am tired," Izuku confessed. Fresh tears dripped onto Katsuki's skin.

"I know. Hush. I've got you," Katsuki soothed.

Izuku cried for a while, but eventually his breathing evened out and he finally let himself fall asleep. It had been nine days since the full moon and Izuku hadn't slept for more than a couple hours a night since then. On top of fighting for their lives in Hosu, \ training with Gran Torino, and then being so energetic and upbeat at school, Izuku was running on fumes.

Katsuki stayed up as long as he could, stroking Izuku's hair and soothing him when he began to dream. It was almost three in the morning when he finally passed out. He woke up to Izuku gently running his fingertip down his forehead and bridge of his nose.

"Morning." Izuku was propped up on his elbow looking down at Katsuki with a peaceful smile.

"Morning." Katsuki smiled back and rolled so that Izuku was under him, his green hair splayed out on the pillow around his head. He leaned down for a kiss. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long. Fifteen minutes," Izuku answered, winding his arms around Katsuki's shoulders.

Katsuki glanced at the clock. It was a quarter after five. Izuku had let him sleep and extra fifteen minutes. More importantly, that meant Izuku had gotten nine solid hours of sleep without a single nightmare. Katsuki didn't know if it had been the exhaustion forcing Izuku to finally sleep or meeting Ivy.

"You're thinking too much." Izuku slid his hand up into Katsuki's hair and gently scratched at his scalp.

"What're you going to do about it?" Katsuki purred, pressing his body down against Izuku's.

Izuku kissed him.

Katsuki's eyes widened and then fluttered shut, melting into the warmth of Izuku's kiss. He didn't resist as Izuku rolled them or when Izuku's thigh slipped between his knees. Katsuki felt every thought drain from his head as Izuku slowly thrust down against him. The kiss never ended, Izuku's mouth claiming his with a gentle insistence that Katsuki felt down to his soul.

They hardly made any noise at all as Izuku moved slowly on top of him. Izu's reached down to tug their their pants out of the way. Katsuki broke the seal of their lips with a gasp as Izuku caressed his length, his hand slick and warm.

Skin on skin, Izuku rolled his hips in a steady rhythm that made Katsuki's back arch. With his forearm braced against the bed beside Katsuki's head, Izu's green eyes stared into his eyes from only a few inches away. The love in his expression was so pure, so powerful, Katsuki suddenly felt tears fill his eyes.

Feeling exposed, he turned away, but Izuku used his free hand to gently pull his face back around. His fingers were warm and slick against Katsuki's cheek and jaw, and Katsuki felt an erotic shiver knowing those fingers had just been touching them both so intimately.

"Don't look away, Kacchan," Izuku whispered sweetly, his hips never breaking their slow rhythm. "Wanna see you… So beautiful…" he breathed in awe. "Love you so much, Kacchan."

Katsuki's breath hitched on a sob. He clung almost painfully tight to Izuku's shoulders. He refused to look away, opening himself to Izuku's unblinking gaze and letting him see the tears that spilled down his flushed cheeks.

"I've got you, Kacchan," Izuku promised, kissing him tenderly.

As Izuku's body worked against his own, Katsuki actually sobbed. He pulled Izuku against him and buried his face against Izuku's strong shoulder as he came between them. It felt like it went on forever. Wave after after wave crashed over him, making him gasp and moan. Tilting his chin up, he instinctively exposed his throat and felt Izuku suck softly at his pulse.

Katsuki's hand slid up to the back of Izuku's neck, cradling it, holding Izuku's lips in place. Deliriously, he wanted Izuku to suck harder, to bite him and drink in his life's blood. He wanted to nourish Izuku's body, wanted to fill him and become one with him. Instead, Izuku pulled away and kissed him deeply, spilling his own pleasure between their bodies.

Slowly, slowly, the waves of pleasure receded. Katsuki's tears dried and his heart calmed. He smiled sleepily, body limp against the sweat-damp sheets as Izuku pressed soft kisses along his jaw to his ear where he sucked gently at his earlobe.

"What was that?" Katsuki asked, voice a husky rasp.

"Just love you," Izuku answered sweetly. He pressed up on his forearm again and traced his sticky fingers along Katsuki's bottom lip. "Love you so much."

"I love you, too, Izuku," he confessed and pulled him down for another slow, deep kiss.

A knock on the door made Katsuki's heart leap in his chest. "Izuku? Katsuki-kun?" The doorknob turned.

"We're almost dressed!" Izuku called, eyes wide. Katsuki turned his face into the pillow to hide a laugh. "Be out in a minute!"

"I'm heading to work. Breakfast is on the table," Inko answered from the other side. "You better hurry or you'll be late to school!"

Cheeks a bright red, Izuku poked Katsuki in the side with a cute glare. "Okay, mom! Love you!"

"Love you, honey!"

Katsuki retaliated by tickling Izuku. The teen collapsed in a fit of smothered giggles. Katsuki felt his heart clench, overwhelmed with love for this boy. "Come on, nerd. We've got to get cleaned up." He looked at the clock. "It's six thirty."

Izuku gasped and practically flew from the bed. "We're going to be late!"

Katsuki threw his head back and laughed.

…

Even though they had dressed as quickly as they could, eaten on the train, and ran to school from the station, they still were seven minutes late to homeroom. Izuku blushed bright red as everyone applauded when they entered. Katsuki simply gave them all a sneer and dropped into his chair.

"Sorry I'm late." Izuku bowed deeply. Straightening, he took position at the podium. "Has any of the study groups I've created met so far?"

Not many had managed to arrange time to meet, but Izuku encouraged them to take it seriously. The practice test was only three weeks away now and their final four weeks after that. There were some nods and some grumbles about this, and Izuku made a mental note to speak to those who needed a little extra push.

As the bell rang to signal the end of homeroom, Izuku noticed Uraraka put her head down. He scanned his memory and realized she'd been a bit flushed in the face while he'd been trying to motivate the class. Worried, he made his way to her desk.

"Uraraka? Are you ill?"

She picked up her head and gave him a smile and the victory sign. "Just a little tired," she denied, but her eyes were glassy and her cheeks were definitely red. I mean, they were always a little pink, but not this dark. Izuku felt her forehead.

"You have a fever," he told her gently. "Come on. I'll help you to the clinic."

"No. I'll be fine!" she insisted and sat up as if to prove she could. "I can't afford to miss class right now."

"I take really good notes, you know that." Izuku wasn't taking no for an answer. "I'll make copies of them in the teacher's lounge for you."

Iida who was hovering nearby added, "It would be more practical to go now for a few hours than be bedridden for a day or two later."

"Oh, fine." Reluctantly, she let Izuku help her up.

"Do you know what caused your fever?" Izuku asked as he let her lean on him.

"Not getting enough sleep, I guess," she admitted.

"Why?" When she didn't answer, Izuku frowned. "Uraraka, you're the one who made me promise to tell you guys if I have something going on. How can I do that if you won't do the same for me?" He gave her his best begging look. "You trust me, don't you?"

Uraraka's cheeks reddened further and she huffed. "I just didn't want anyone to worry." She looked away, clearly embarrassed by what she had to say. "You know how I told you how my parents were struggling with their business? Well, they officially had to close it all down. They're not getting any income at all right now, so they had to stop sending payments for my apartment. I had to get a job at a convince store to cover the rent. I work the third shift after school and don't get home until late. That plus studying and I've had to cut back on sleep a little." She lifted her head and tried to look cheerful. "It's not a big deal, really. I mean, lots of people have to work while they go to school. I'll be fine! I just have to get used to the new schedule!"

"You're really strong, Uraraka," Izuku said, deeply impressed.

She blushed and hit his arm. "Stop. Don't make it a big thing, okay?"

Izuku promised her he wouldn't, but he didn't promise that he wouldn't try to help.

Uraraka didn't return to class all during their morning classes, and Izuku felt more determined than ever to do something to help her.

"Yaoyorozu," he called with a friendly smile. "Can I talk to you for a minute? I wanted your opinion on a study regimen I was thinking of implementing next week."

As predicted, the rest of the class was uninterested in such a boring topic and went on without them.

"What were you thinking of?" she asked, interested. Of everyone in class, she loved studying the most, which explained when she did so well. She was constantly competing with Kacchan on every test. It pissed Kacchan off to no end that about half the time she beat him.

"Sorry for the misdirection," Izuku apologized. "I actually have something else I wanted to talk about."

She lifted an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"As class president and vice president, it's important that we make sure everyone in class is successful, am I right?" Izuku began. He didn't know Yaoyorozu as well as some of the other kids in class, and he wanted to feel her out.

"Yes," she agreed without hesitation.

"Well, I don't mean to betray Uraraka's confidence, but she needs some help."

Yaoyorozu looked genuinely concerned. "With what? Does this have to do with her fever?"

Izuku nodded. "She has a fever because she's been working every night to pay her rent. I'm worried how this will affect her health as well as her grades. I was hoping you'd have some ideas for how we can help support her."

Yaoyorozu looked horrified. "I would suggest paying her rent for her with my allowance, but Uraraka has a lot of pride. I don't think she'd find that solution acceptable."

"No. She'd be really hurt and angry if we tried anything that direct," Izuku agreed with a frown. "Not to mention in a few months, the second half of the school tuition will be due. She might be working so hard to save up for that as well."

"The school might offer scholarships," Yaoyorozu suggested hopefully.

"That's a good start," Izuku smiled at her. "You look into that. I'll try and find out if anyone is looking for a roommate. If she's sharing, it should help lower her rent."

Yaoyorozu nodded, her expression set and determined.

…

Katsuki shut his notebook with an annoyed sigh. They'd had another law and procedure class instead of basic training for their afternoon Heroics class. It was a lot of information and he noticed even Izuku looked overwhelmed. Suddenly, Aizawa appeared in the class doorway, knocking his fist against it to get attention.

"Midoriya. Come with me."

Izuku's eyes immediately locked on him. Katsuki shoved his things in his bag and got up, determined to go with him. Izuku gave him a smile and said goodbye to Cheeks and Glasses. He also shared a special nod with Ponytail girl. Izu had probably pulled her in on whatever was going down with Cheeks.

"Is everything okay?" Izuku asked nervously.

Aizawa nodded. "All Might's waiting in his office."

Katsuki frowned. It had to be about Izuku's quirk if Aizawa wouldn't mention the topic in the hallways. He gave Izuku a look and understanding dawned in his expression.

All Might wasn't in his hero form. He stood gangly and thin by the window. With him was Nighteye. Katsuki glared, but the man didn't even care. His golden eyes were locked on Izuku from the minute he walked in.

"Good afternoon, young Midoriya!" All Might greeted Izuku with a grin. He was clearly happy about something. "Have a seat. Mirai has something to show you."

Katsuki followed Izuku to the couch and perched protectively on the arm. He decidedly did not like Nighteye. He didn't like his cold attitude or his focus on Izuku's quirks. He wanted him to have nothing to do with Izuku, but All Might clearly disagreed.

All Might sat next to Izuku and opened a laptop that had been sitting on the coffee table. A window was already open with a video of a woman sitting in a police interrogation room. Katsuki couldn't see much of the detective sitting across from her, but his distinct square jawline gave him away. It was Tsukauchi. All Might pushed play.

"Have you ever seen this man before?" Tsukauchi's voice came over the small speakers. He showed her a photo.

"No," the woman answered. She had long, dark hair and big eyes. Her nose and mouth were tiny. She looked young, in her twenties, and seemed a little ditsy. "I was heading home from work and I heard something behind me. A clank sound. It scared me, so I started running. This guy came out of nowhere." She started crying and Tsukauchi handed her a box of tissues.

"I know this is difficult. I appreciate you coming in to give your statement."

She nodded and dabbed at her eyes.

"Can you tell me what happened after you started running?"

"I fell," she said hoarsely. "I thought for sure he was going to kill me, but then, I don't know, I just knew I had to fight back. It's all a blur really, but I remember kicking him and then grabbing his arm. I knocked him down." She shuddered, cowering in fear. "That's when I grabbed the crowbar…" She looked horrified at this. "He was on the ground… I'd never hit anyone in my life!"

"You were protecting yourself, Ms. Ishikawa," Tsukauchi said gently. "You do understand that, don't you? This man was going to hurt you, possibly even kill you."

She nodded, sobbing into her tissue. "Is he… dead?"

Tsukauchi patted her hand. "He's in the hospital for intensive care, but they think he'll recover."

The girl nodded again and All Might reached forward to stop the tape. He gave Izuku a large smile. "You did it, my boy. You saved her."

Izuku had tears in his eyes, but Katsuki was relieved to see they were happy ones. "I'm so glad," he said in relief.

"I was worried you'd be upset by her distress over attacking the man," All Might confessed.

Izuku shook his head, his eyes dark with knowledge he shouldn't have. "I've experienced being murdered. Trust me. It's a lot worse than being upset she hit a guy. At least this way she has time to recover."

"Well said," All Might said approvingly and clapped Izuku on the shoulder.

"I also found the rapist and rescued the two women he was holding captive. They should recover in time." Nighteye strode over and dropped a folder onto the coffee table. Izuku eagerly picked it up. "We also warned the president you saw assassinated. What he does with that warning is up to him. We're monitoring the pedophile. Unfortunately, we don't have enough evidence against him, but we'll catch him before he hurts another child and put him away for life. I also connected social services and they're now monitoring things with the abusive man. The apartment with he home break-in has a police officer surveying the house at all times."

Izuku flipped through the reports and pictures with wide eyes. "Thank you," he said softly. "I never imagined you'd be able to do so much with how little I gave you, and so fast!"

"You gave me plenty," Nighteye dismissed. He never once looked away from Izuku's face. "Do you understand what this means?"

Izuku blinked, confused.

"It means he can fucking save people," Katsuki said sharply. Finally, Nighteye's attention turned to him. Katsuki met his eyes, his own promising violence should he hurt Izuku.

"I told you I could," Izuku said almost gently.

Katsuki clenched his hands into fists. He had no idea what Izuku saw in this man that deserved compassion.

Nighteye turned his attention back to Izuku. "It's more than just changing the future," he said intensely. "You not only see the future and then can alter it from the present. You managed to possess someone _in_ the future and control their actions. She didn't even know she'd been possessed. Do you understand the implications of this?"

"Mirai," All Might said warningly, frowning.

"I could create a site of crucial information," Nighteye went on, completely ignoring the hero. "While you're in the future, you could use a smartphone and go to the site. The information you could bring back to us, the events you could prevent…" His voice dropped to an intense whisper. "You could change the future of humanity, guiding the entire world to a better future."

Izuku sat pale-faced as he stared up at the madman.

"No," Katsuki growled, rage boiling over. "Just because a fucking quirk can do something, doesn't mean it should. I mean, I could go out there and start executing criminals that the law hasn't managed to stop. I could be like Stain and wash the world clean using my blood-soaked hands." Voice rising, Katsuki stood and stared down the fucker who wanted to put the fucking fate of the world on Izuku's shoulders alone. "Izuku isn't responsible for the fucking world. The world is responsible for itself."

Nighteye gave Katsuki the coldest look he'd ever received. Like he was some bug under the man's microscope. Nighteye reached forward. Katsuki thrust his chin out, refusing to move, but Izuku suddenly jumped in front of him and pushed Katsuki back. Aizawa braced him as he staggered, his scarf writhing and his eyes red as he stared at Nighteye dangerously.

"What do you think you're doing?" Izuku demanded of Nighteye, furious. "Why would you use your quirk on him?"

"Mirai…" All Might was on his feet. He looked wounded. "You know the cost of this quirk. You can't possibly think it just to make him responsible for even more."

"His quirk is meant to help the most desperate," Aizawa said firmly. "That is all."

Nighteye looked at them arrayed before him and pushed his glasses up his nose. Without a word, he picked up the laptop and turned to the door. Katsuki expected him to slam it, but he shut it softly behind him. Aizawa's scarf went slack.

"What a fucking asshole," Katsuki spat, hands fisted to hide the small pops of his quirk going off.

All Might sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "He's just overwhelmed. Izuku's quirk is unlike anything the world has ever seen."

Katsuki scowled and slapped Izuku on the back of the head hard enough for the nerd to feel it. Izuku faced him with a wounded expression, holding the back of his head.

"Don't even think about it," Katsuki growled. "You're more than just a glorified future tv. You have shit to do in the present."

Aizawa nodded. "Overly focusing on one aspect of a quirk usually means under developing other useful aspects."

Izuku held up his hands. "I'm not going to obsess about the full moon or act like it's the only thing I'm good for," he protested. "But if I have the opportunity, like with the boy who was about to commit suicide, I had a chance to use his phone. If something like that happens, it might not be a terrible idea."

"Who gets to decide which stories get posted to this website?" Katsuki demanded. "What if someone hacks in and tracks down the people using it? You could put those people in danger. What if Nighteye tries to convince you to just let the people you see in your visions die? Convinces you that he'll save them before it happens? That it's more important to get him information? What will you do?"

Izuku just stared at him, eyes wide.

Katsuki's fury continued to rise in a flood that refused to be reigned in. Dozens of scenarios flashed through his mind and they all felt evil. Why couldn't Izuku see it? "That _asshole_ said he wants to guide humanity. No single human, no matter their fucking intelligence or good intentions, has the right to control the direction of the whole goddamn world! We have free will for a fucking reason. As much as I hate the way most shit heads use their free will, I still fucking know better than to try and take it away! To manipulate the entire system! People won't fucking allow it! The world won't! It'll end in fucking disaster!"

"Okay!" Izuku put his hands up. "Okay, Kacchan. I hear you." He moved forward as if to hug him, but Katsuki took a step back. He was too jacked up right now. Izuku dropped his hands, respecting his need for space, but he held his eyes with a serious look. "You're right. We shouldn't try manipulating my visions. We still don't understand the longterm effects of them or if my visions are going to continue changing. It's too risky."

Katsuki felt his shoulders relax and his hands uncurl. His heart rate slowed. He gave a nod and flashed his eyes over to All Might. "Just so we're all clear, I fucking hate that guy. He has his own fucking agenda, and it was never Izuku's wellbeing. Let's not forget he was raised at that fucking Institute place. Who knows where his loyalty lies? I think he should have as little contact with Izuku as possible."

All Might looked distressed at this, but Katsuki didn't give a rat's ass.

"I'm going to go work out in the gym," he said in disgust and slammed the door behind him.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **The chapter was short, but I figure fast updates balance that out. Unless you guys would prefer longer ones more spaced out? It's actually a good question. Let me know!


	42. Chapter 42

**A/n:** So updates will probably go back to once a week after this one, guys, but on the other hand, they'll probably be lengthier chapters.

Hope you like the chapter! :D

…

**Class Rivalry**

The next day, Izuku left Yaoyorozu in charge of homeroom and made his way down to class 1-B. Taking a deep breath, he knocked and opened the door. "Good morning. Sorry for interrupting. I was hoping I could speak to you for a minute, Kendo?"

The president of class 1-B stared at him with surprised blue eyes. She was at the front podium, talking to the class. Izuku wasn't sure what about. She had fallen silent when he'd opened the door.

"Of course," she said politely. "Look over the schedule, everyone. I'll be right back." She stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. "What's up, Midoriya?"

"Well…" Izuku gave her a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head. "I was actually wondering if any of the girls in your class rent an apartment alone to go to UA?"

Kendo tilted her head. "Is this a pervy boy thing?"

"No! That's what one of my classmates is doing, and I was hoping a roommate might make things a little easier for her?" Izuku gave her his most earnest look.

Kendo relaxed, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Oh. Well, actually Pony's a foreigner. She's being sponsored by the Tsunotori family, but she lives alone in an apartment they're renting for her."

Izuku felt his hopes rise. "Would she be interested in a roommate, do you think?"

"She might, actually, yeah." Kendo turned to the door. "Hold on a second."

A minute later she returned with a girl who stood just short of Izuku's height. She had longer arms than average and two huge curving, cream-colored horns on her head. Her face was round and her eyes were large and sky blue. Long, wavy blond hair fell down her back. Izuku bowed.

"Hello. I'm Izuku Midoriya from class 1-A. It's nice to meet you."

The girl smiled at him. "I'm Pony Tsunotori. It's nice to meet you." She had an accent, but her Japanese was pretty good.

"Pony, he's wondering if you were looking for a roommate," Kendo explained. "A girl friend of his has been living alone."

"Living alone?" Pony tilted her head. "No family?"

"Her family lives in another town," Izuku explained.

Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands. "Me, too. My family lives in England. It would be nice to have someone to eat with at night. We could study together!"

Izuku smiled, liking her upbeat personality. He had the feeling Uraraka would actually really like her. "Maybe you and Kendo can sit with us at lunch? My friend doesn't know I'm asking about this. She'd be embarrassed if she knew, but I'm worried about her. I want her to be happy."

Pony nodded solemnly. "I understand this."

Kendo put her hand on Pony's shoulder. "We'd love to have lunch with you."

"Great!" Izuku beamed at them and bowed again. "I really appreciate it. And if after lunch you don't think it would be fun to live together, you can forget I asked. No hard feelings!"

Pony looked confused by this.

Kendo waved him off. "I'll handle it. Go on. First period is going to start soon."

Izuku bowed again. "Thank you so much!"

…

Three days later, Kendo and Pony were still eating lunch at their table. The two girls really got along well with Uraraka. Even Kacchan, Hitoshi, and Todoroki, the more stand-offish of their group, seemed to like their company. Izuku was especially pleased because Pony had invited Uraraka and Kendo to stay at her place that night since they didn't have school tomorrow. Uraraka had accepted after some cajoling from Kendo. Things were going really well, and Izuku couldn't help humming a perky tune as he washed his hands in the bathroom.

"Well if it isn't the famous president of class 1-A."

Izuku looked over to see Monoma and another boy from 1-B, the one that looked a bit like a praying mantis, enter the bathroom. He sighed and turned to face the two teenagers, the water still running beside him. "I don't want any trouble," he began.

Monoma gave him a disdainful look. "Make sure we're not disturbed," he told his friend.

The green-skinned and haired boy gave Izuku a nasty smile before slipping outside the bathroom. Monomoa locked the door behind him. "You know, there's something really off about you. You and that rage monster who's always with you. I've never not been able to copy a quirk before, and how the hell is Bakugo still at school? He killed someone, for god's sake!"

"Don't do this, Monoma," Izuku tried to reason with him. "You could get in really big trouble."

"What? Like you did when you and your monster cornered that little guy from your class in a bathroom just like this?" Monoma batted his lashes with exaggerated innocence and laughed as Izuku's eyes widened. "Did you think you were alone in there?" He grinned almost playfully. "Do you think you're alone with me now?"

The room was plunged into pitch darkness. Izuku's throat tightened as his eyes went painfully wide, desperately trying to make out any light.

"Leave class 1-B alone, Midoriya. This is the only warning you'll get."

Izuku staggered, arms shaking violently as they waved about him. His mouth moved as he tried to speak, tried to beg the other boy to turn on the lights, but no sound would come. His breathing came in loud, harsh pants.

"Monoma? Something's not right…"

Izuku lurched toward the sound of that voice, desperate to make contact, to not be alone in the void. A terrified whimper tore from his tight throat.

"Is the mighty president of 1-A scared of the dark?" Monoma laughed from behind him. "Hilarious."

Izuku jerked around to face him and stumbled, falling on his hands and knees. He was wheezing. He couldn't catch his breath. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest. Warm water suddenly touched his skin, flowing around his fingers. That wasn't static he was hearing, it was running water! The water was rising all around him. Sheer, unadulterated terror swallowed him whole and he _SCREAMED._

…

"What is he doing?"

Katsuki followed Braindead's line of sight and saw some loser leaning against the boy's bathroom door with his arms crossed. "Is that the bathroom Izuku's using?" he asked tensely.

The teen nodded.

Katsuki stood abruptly and made his way quickly through the cafeteria, Braindead and Todoroki following in his wake. The fucker with the praying mantis face glared at him in challenge. Katsuki's palms went slick, but before he could say or do anything, a _scream_ tore through the air. The worthless insect spun to face the bathroom with wide eyes, but Katsuki was already blowing past him. He fucking _kicked_ the door open. The crash and splintering of wood was completely drowned out by Izuku's terror.

Katsuki took in the room: a sink overflowing - Izuku on his knees in a puddle of water - a blond kid from 1-B sitting against the wall with the broken door, head bleeding - another boy with white hair and pitch-black skin standing over Izuku. Katsuki lifted his hand but curled it into a fist before he could blast the stupid motherfucker into next year. Instead, he punched him in the face hard enough that the bastard went down.

Dropping to his knees, Katsuki yanked Izuku against his chest. A piercing scream tore from Izuku as he flailed his arms, knocking him violently away. "Fuck!" Katsuki hissed and got right back onto his feet. "IZUKU! Shut the fuck up!"

Green eyes snapped to his. Izuku's pupils were huge, his face bone white. He was breathing hard and fast, panting and gasping for breath. Katsuki crouched so they were more on level. He didn't try to touch Izuku again, but the eye contact seemed to be helping. Izuku had stopped screaming at least.

"I'm right fucking here," Katsuki said roughly as adrenaline burned through his veins. He wanted to punch something! Or blow something to little pieces! But he forced himself still, forced himself to concentrate.

Izuku was panting too hard to speak, but he reached out two violently shaking hands. Without hesitation, Katsuki grabbed them, dropping onto his knees for better balance. "That's right. I'm right here," he promised, never once breaking eye contact. It was as if that one point of connection was all that was keeping Izuku sane.

Air racing in and out of his heaving lungs, Izuku grunted and whimpered, shuddering as he clung tightly to Katsuki's hands.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Katsuki heard Todoroki say behind him. He had to be talking to the blond with the bleeding head. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"He just started screaming," the asshole answered, voice slurred.

Braindead came up and crouched next to Katsuki. "I can…" he started to say.

"No," Katsuki cut him off, voice hard and final, never once looking away from Izuku. "Don't you fucking dare. Not when he's like this."

The freak wisely didn't say anything. Instead, he got up and turned off the running water.

"You're okay." Katsuki listened as Izuku's breathing became less rapid. "I've got you."

"What happened in here?" It was a teacher's voice, low and resonate.

Katsuki ignored it, concentrating on talking Izuku down. The black-skinned boy he'd punched slunk past him. Katsuki let him go. Izuku mattered more right now and he could always find the three assholes later.

It felt like an hour, but eventually Izuku's rigid body slumped. Katsuki moved closer as Izu broke down into loud, broken sobs. When Izuku clung to him instead of pushing him away, Katsuki sighed in relief. He wrapped his arms tightly around his boyfriend's shivering form. Rocking back and forth, he spoke quietly into his ear. "It's okay, Izu. You're doing so good. I've got you. Everything's good. You're here with me."

Izuku wails slowly quieted into soft sobs. Katsuki pulled back and brushed damp green hair from his pale face. Exhausted eyes looked up at him, swollen and red-rimmed. Katsuki gave him a small smile, and Izuku curled closer to him in a show of absolute trust. Katsuki sat there, holding him protectively for a long quiet minute.

"We should get him to the infirmary," Aizawa said softly from behind him.

Katsuki nodded. His knees and legs were screaming in pain from kneeling so long.

"Oh, Izuku." All Might in his muscled form stepped around and crouched in font of Katsuki. With surprising gentleness for such a large man, he transferred Izuku's unconscious body into his arms and stood as if Izuku weight nothing. "I've got you, my boy."

Aizawa helped Katsuki stagger to his feet. Shocks of pain went through his legs and he grimaced. "What the hell happened?" he demanded, following close behind All Might as the hero carried Izuku to the clinic.

Aizawa sighed. "A few boys from class 1-B…"

"I know what they were fucking doing," Katsuki snapped. He wasn't an idiot. 1-B had beef against 1-A for being better and more popular. They were also scared of 1-A because of all the villain shit going down. It didn't take a genius to know they were pissed about their president and classmate hanging with them at lunch. "What the fuck triggered him?"

"Apparently Monoma turned the lights out so that another classmate who can travel through anything black in color could scare him a bit." Aizawa paused grimly as he said, "They didn't get that far. Midoriya began to freak out as soon as the lights went out. Monoma turned them back on when Midoriya screamed, but it was too late."

"The fuck? Izuku had never been scared of the dark before."

"I think I know what caused this," All Might said mournfully.

Katsuki lengthened his stride to come even with the massive hero. "What?" he demanded. All Might actually winced and shifted his eyes, unable to maintain eye-contact. Katsuki's stomach dropped and his palms began to sizzle. What the _fuck_ had the idiot done to Izuku?

"Gran Torino is a skilled and knowledgeable hero, so when he asked me to give him some time alone with Izuku, I agreed," All Might confessed softly. "However, I started to feel uneasy after a few hours and went up to check on them…"

Katsuki gave him such a murderous glare when he fell silent, hesitating. "What the fuck did he do?"

All Might's words came quickly, pleading for understanding. "I knew Gran Torino's training methods could be a bit extreme, but I never thought he would implement something so dangerous with Izuku."

"What. Did. He. Do?" Katsuki bit out, voice almost a growl.

"… He placed Izuku into a sensory deprivation pool…" All Might all but whispered.

"He what?" Aizawa stopped in his tracks and had to trot to catch back up with them.

"When I arrived…" All Might said mournfully. "Izuku was so still. His eyes were wide open, but they stared blindly up at the ceiling. It took me almost an hour to bring him around. I stayed with him the entire time after that and made him rest as much as he'd allow. He was driven, almost manic. He demanded that the training continue, and I made sure it was simple drills." All Might shook his head. "Before we left, I took the recording Gran Torino had made of Izuku while he was monitoring him in the pool. Izuku was okay at first, but after thirty minutes he began to panic and show signs of extreme distress. It is likely why darkness triggered him now."

"Why didn't he just get the fuck out of there?" Katsuki demanded hotly.

All Might lowered his head in shame. "Gran Torino administered a targeted paralytic. Izuku could not move his body, but his awareness was left unaffected."

Katsuki stopped, literally panting with rage. All Might and Aizawa turned to look at him, All Might with an expression of guilt and Aizawa with an expression of concern. Katsuki took a few deep breaths, his hands fisted and shaking at his sides. "Izuku told me that dying is worse than any torture he experiences in his visions. Worse than his bones being shattered. Worse than a canon ripping apart his intestines. Worse than being strangled or cut or burned…" His eyes blazed as they stared at All Might. "Because it feels like he's in a void of absolute nothingness… No body. No life. Nothing… Nothing but this horrific, soul-shattering cold."

All Might's arms tightened around Izuku. Tears filled the dark of his eyes.

Katsuki continued, remorseless, teeth bared in fury. "It's why he likes his ropes. It feels like something's holding him together, making him feel real and safe… And someone you trusted paralyzed him. Took away his hearing and vision. Took away gravity…" He took a deep breath, a rage burning like lava in his core. "And after you saved him… You stayed there and allowed Izuku to continue to be trained by this _motherfucker _who tortured him!"

"I — "

Katsuki's hands exploded. Smoke bled through his fingers and snaked to the ceiling, writhing his shoulders and head. "By staying," he snarled. "You told Izuku that it's okay to be _abused_ as long as it's in the pursuit of training his _fucking_ QUIRK!"

Aizawa grabbed him roughly by the shoulder. "Enough, Katsuki. Let's take this to the gym."

Katsuki almost refused. The only thing that stopped him was Izuku's unconscious form in All Might's arms. The loud bang hadn't even made his boyfriend twitch. Izu was utterly spent. Izuku didn't need any more fucking losers doing whatever they fucking wanted at the cost of what he needed, so with a snarl, Katsuki spun and sprinted through the halls.

He ran until his lungs and legs couldn't support him anymore. Until UA and the sprawling training grounds were behind him and he stood in some scraggily-as-fuck woods. He set his feet and faced both palms forwards. With a scream of pure fury, he triggered his quirk at full power. The explosion was so fierce he was launched backward through a massive cloud of smoke and dirt. Trees for a quarter mile in front of him burst into flames and were torn violently from the ground.

Katsuki landed hard enough to knock the air from his lungs. He rolled and tumbled until he found himself on his back, staring up at a painfully blue sky. His whole body screamed in pain, but at least the anger was gone. Wheezing, Katsuki closed his eyes.

…

Sunday morning Aizawa found himself sitting in a boardroom at school with thirteen of his colleagues. The massive table was U shaped. Principal Nezu sat on several pillows on a chair positioned at the bed of the U, his small paws folded elegantly before him.

He was one of the rare animals who had developed a quirk. In his case, a super-intelligence quirk. He appeared to be a combination of several different animals. He had the head of a mouse with circular black eyes. A large scar cut down over the right one. His ears were relatively square-shaped and slanted outwards from the top of his head. He had an elongated muzzle with a small round nose, and his fur was pure white. As for his hands, they were large, dog-like paws while he also had a thin tail like that of a cat. He wore a black business suit as usual and had a friendly smile on his face.

Gathered at the table facing him were all the teachers and employees who had any prolonged or significant interaction with class 1-A, or more specifically, Izuku Midoriya. There were thirteen in total: Recovery Girl, All Might, Present Mic (Midoriya's English teacher), Cementoss (his Japanese teacher), Ectoplasm (his Math teacher), Snipe (his History teacher), Power Loader (his Science teacher), Midnight (who'd observed him closely during the Sports Festival), Vlad King (class 1-B's homeroom teacher), Hound Dog (the school's guidance counselor), Ivy (Midoriya's current counselor), Gran Torino (who'd trained Midoriya during the work study and who was also a former teacher), and himself.

Aizawa sighed, knowing Katsuki was going to be furious that he hadn't informed him of the meeting, but there was no point in making him worry. There was nothing he or Katsuki could do. This meeting could not be avoided, and really it shouldn't be. Midoriya was a special kid. He needed special consideration, and the staff should be all on the same page. The problem was, would they all end up on the right page? Dismissal from the Hero Program was a slim possibility, but a possibility nonetheless. What would he do if it came to that? What would Katsuki do?

"Good morning," Nezu began. "I am truly grateful for your attendance to his meeting even though it is your day off. I have called you in because I truly feel this issue could not be postponed. For those of you who are not aware, three boys from class 1-B led by young Neito Monoma attempted to intimidate Izuku Midoriya from class 1-A in the boy's bathroom in the cafeteria. This resulted in Midoriya suffering a panic attack."

"Is he well?" Midnight asked, concerned.

Nezu inclined his head. "He is currently resting in the clinic with his mother, Inko Midoriya, and close friend, Katsuki Bakugo, in attendance."

"I don't understand," Power Loader spoke up. "You usually handle a conflict of this nature between the students and homeroom teachers only."

"This is the second such panic attack young Midoriya has experienced. He also had one after the incident at the USJ. It was severe enough that he was administered a sedative," Snipe informed the room.

"Are you saying that you don't think Midoriya should be in the Hero Program?" Midnight asked, eyes narrowed.

"I am simply stating facts," Snipe denied.

"Midoriya is young," All Might spoke up loudly. "He has not had the appropriate treatment…"

"And whose fault is that?" Recovery Girl demanded. "You refused to allow me to diagnose Midoriya, claiming his condition was confidential. I trusted you to see to it that Midoriya got the medical attention he needed, and yet his first session with a doctor was only this week. This is pure negligence!"

"Is the mother making accusations?" Present Mic wanted to know.

"Ms. Midoriya has been perfectly cooperative, but she is very concerned for her son." Nezu looked to All Might. "It is my understanding that she has considered taking Midoriya from UA."

"She has," All Might admitted.

"The boy is mentally unstable," Vlad announced. "No one wants to say it, but I will. It might be for the best if she does pull him out."

"He is not the only student with an anxiety disorder," Hound Dog stated with a lowered head. As his name suggested, he looked very much like a human-dog hybrid. "That is poor grounds for dismissal and a bad precedent to make."

"This is not a simple anxiety disorder," Vlad argued, slapping his hand on the table. "And this is not a condition that developed over the course of being exposed to hero work. He walked in with these issues. The trauma associated with the high-intensity and violent work of a hero will only make his condition worse! Ethically, can we support his place here when we know it will continue to damage his mental health?"

Nezu clapped his paws together. They made a soft whomp sound, but it was enough to silence all of them. "As you can see, there are several issues to consider. Before we continue this discussion, however, I do want to remind you all what UA stands for. Our motto is 'Plus Ultra!'. It is our job to motivate our young students to push past their limits. We not only help our students train their quirks and prepare them for their professional carriers, we seek to nurture truly heroic spirits within each and every one of them. Because of this, UA is the number one ranked high school for Heroics in Japan and is considered one of the top Hero Academies in the world."

Nezu's black eyes looked around the table at each of them. "Which brings us back to the topic at hand. There is some cause to question Midoriya's attendance in our Hero Program. I would like us to discuss this issue as a team. During this discussion, I want to focus on two important questions. The first, can Midoriya safely push past his limits? And, two, does he have a heroic spirit we can nurture? We will discuss these two points at length, and then I will make a decision. I ask that as a faculty you respect this decision and adhere to it. Now…" He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the desk and placing his chin on his paws. "I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter."

The arguments were as follows:

Hound Dog - It is UA's responsibility to care for the students' wellbeing. If Midoriya's anxiety is severe enough at this early stage, he might not have the mental fortitude to be a UA student.

Vlad - Midoriya's panic attacks could put himself or others in danger.

Snipe - Midoriya acted bravely and intelligently at the USJ. It was his plan that let himself and two other classmates escape an ambush. He also put himself at risk in order to save All Might, which demonstrates a heroic spirit.

Recovery Girl - Midoriya has a history of going to unhealthy extremes. He had three times done himself great injury in order to win, which could be symptomatic of an anxiety disorder or critically low self-esteem.

All Might - Two of the three times Midoriya had injured himself were in the pursuit of saving someone else. He was a late bloomer and still has not mastered his quirk. Since training at UA, these instances have decreased.

Aizawa - He acted bravely and intelligently during the battle against The Hero Killer Stain.

Recovery Girl - He also refused lidocaine at the hospital when he was treated for his wounds, which could be considered an act of self-harm.

Aizawa - He has handled his position as class president with remarkable integrity and empathy, unquestionably demonstrating his potential as a leader. For example, a student who was refusing treatment changed his mind due to his counsel. Without surgery, that student would have had permanent damage to his hand and arm.

Vlad - Both times Midoriya had a panic attack, he was unresponsive and immobile, which could prove deadly in the field.

Hound Dog - But did he evidence a panic attack after the conflict in Hosu?

Aizawa - He had an emotional reaction, but he was supported by his classmates and quickly recovered.

Hound Dog - Can you describe this reaction in more detail, please?

Aizawa - He fell to his knees and cried.

Present Mic - I see potential in the kid. Midoriya has consistently scored above average in his academic classes as well as in basic training.

Cementoss - He also came in second place during the Sports Festival.

All Might - He faced a villain that nearly killed him when he was only thirteen years old. This same villain escaped me and went on to almost murder his closest friend right in front of him. Just a few months ago, he and his classmates were in genuine danger of being killed by villains we allowed to infiltrate our facility, and he came close to death again when he faced The Hero Killer. These events are exceptional, and we should not penalize him for experiences we were supposed to protect him from.

Gran Torino - All Might believes it important that you all know that I submitted Midoriya to a sensory deprivation pool during his time with me. I felt it would greatly improve his quirk control, and although All Might did not approve of the method, it has done just that.

All Might - While under our care, Midoriya has suffered great hurts and it is our responsibilities as heroes to help Midoriya heal not to abandon him because he is difficult to deal with!

Vlad - We can continue to support him even if he is withdrawn from the Hero Program. As you've thoroughly listed, this child has undergone a myriad of severely traumatic experiences. Subjugating him to any more would put his sanity at risk. Are you really willing to put his mental health at risk in the hopes that therapy now will undo the mental damage he has suffered?

Hound Dog - There is also the option that he can re-enroll after successful treatment.

Nezu drummed his fingers on the desk and turned his attention to Ivy. "I would like your professional opinion, if you would be so kind, Ivy-sensei."

Ivy's orange hair fell over the right side of her face, but the single eye visible was warm with compassion. "I've only had two sessions with Izuku, one earlier this week and another yesterday evening after he'd recovered from the panic attack, so I can't make any definitive conclusions regarding his recovery and treatment. However, I can say with confidence that Izuku possesses remarkable mental strength to have coped as well as he has with the level of trauma he has faced." She ducked her head shyly. "I understand this is a very difficult decision. You have to think of what is best for the school as well as what is best for Izuku, but I think it would be a shame to dismiss him from the program before observing the results of his therapy. He is very passionate about becoming a hero."

Nezu nodded his head. "Thank you, Ivy-sensei. Thank you, teachers. I will take into consideration all that has been said and will come to a decision by Monday morning." Pressing his paws flat to the table, he sat straighter. "Now, if you would please excuse myself, Aizawa-sensei, and Kan-sensei, I would like to talk to them about a few disciplinary issues."

Aizawa met Vlad King's eyes. He hadn't liked the staunch anti-Midoriya stance the man had taken. They've known each other for years, and had formed a pretty solid friendship. He didn't know where this animosity was coming from.

"I'd like to move the discussion to Neito Monoma and Katsuki Bakugo," Nezu said and hopped down from his chair. "This is a bit formal for my tastes, but we shall make due. Come around and sit with me."

Aizawa got up and made his way around the table. Nezu set about pouring some hot tea for them as Aizawa sat side-by-side with Vlad.

The hero was taller than Aizawa by half a foot. He had a slight underbite and the canines on the bottom poked out above his lip like a reverse vampire. He was as muscled as a body builder with tan skin and short gray hair. His quirk allowed him to manipulate his blood, allowing it to act like whips or ropes or sharpen into hundreds of needles. That combined with his hard appearance made him an intimidating figure. However, Aizawa knew the man actually possessed a very warm and open personality.

Once the tea was poured, Nezu climbed into Vlad's lap, using him to hop onto the table and sit on the edge facing them. "Now," the principal began. "Competition between class 1-A and 1-B is inevitable and healthy. However, I'm concerned about the tone the rivalry has taken as of late. Instead of motivating Monoma and pushing him past his limits, the rivalry seems to be bringing out his worst. He's demonstrated concerning manipulative and malicious tendencies at the Sports Festival as well as yesterday in his attack against Midoriya."

"Monoma had no intentions of harming Midoriya," Vlad spoke up protectively.

Nezu looked at him with such sharpness that Vlad flushed and fell silent. "I am perfectly well aware of Monoma's intentions. While partially motivated by his desire to protect his fellow classmates, his methods are not those of a hero's. I am concerned that you do not appreciate the danger young Monoma is in. How will you appropriately address it if you do not?"

Vlad lowered his head in a respectful bow. "I understand, Principal Nezu. I apologize for speaking out of turn." He lifted his head. "I assure you that I am aware of Monoma's tendencies and my responsibility in guiding him."

Nezu sipped his tea. "I'm glad to hear it. However, I think part of the problem is the fact that you have allowed your own personal views to cloud your judgment regarding class 1-A. You and Aizawa-sensei have worked together successfully for many years, navigating the rivalry between your classes with expert precision. Can you explain your hesitance now?"

Vlad met Aizawa's eyes and rubbed a hand over his short hair. "I respect Aizawa, but I have concerns regarding the direction his class is taking. He is allowing his students more freedom than I feel is appropriate. Katsuki Bakugo, for example, has proven himself to be violent and volatile. He kicked the door to the bathroom down with such force Monoma was concussed, and he punched Kuroiro so hard his eye was completely swollen shut. During the Sports Festival…"

Aizawa tensed, his hands clenching into fists, and Nezu lifted a palm to stop Vlad.

"I do understand your concerns and I have spoken with Aizawa-sensei in depth regarding them. He is monitoring Bakugo very closely," Nezu assured the man.

Vlad did not look convinced. "Regardless, I am concerned that the kids in 1-A are dangerously uncontrolled. They've had some traumatic experiences, but I do not feel they are being addressed. Todoroki showed he had issues with his quirk before the loss his father, and it is likely he will lose control of it again. For such a powerful quirk, that is worrisome. Midoriya's quirk although very powerful has also proven to be unstable and dangerous to himself and others. The danger of Bakugo's quirk and personality I've already expressed my concerns on, but Aizawa has now taken in Brainwash, by-passing the normal procedures to do so. I am concerned Aizawa is taking on more than he can handle, and the result is an unstable mix of dangerous quirks in class 1-A."

Aizawa sighed. "This has been the most challenging class of my career," he agreed. "But I do not feel I have been negligent. I am well aware of the flaws and strengths of my students. Bakugo isn't the first rage hero. Our own Hound Dog is famous for his temper and yet he successfully works with students who need emotional and mental support, and Endeavor made it all the way to the number two spot. While Bakugo is different from these heroes, I do feel he has the ability to channel his anger and use it for heroic purposes."

"But…" Vlad began.

Aizawa lifted his hand, stoping him. "As for the bathroom incident yesterday, I do understand your concern, but I'd like to point out that he did not continue the confrontation with your students. Instead, he prioritized first-aid to his distressed classmate."

Vlad frowned. "That is true. I don't deny that I've witnessed heroic tendencies in the boy, but I am concerned. Especially considering the Sports Festival and his altercation with the twin villains earlier this year."

"Be concerned," Aizawa stated firmly.

Vlad's eyes widened in surprise, and Aizawa explained.

"It will not hurt these kids to have multiple people looking out for them. Like I said, this has been a challenging class, and I suspect your class this year hasn't been easy to guide, either. In fact, I believe this is the case for a reason."

"I must agree with Aizawa-sensei," Nezu said solemnly, joining the conversation. "There are signs, Kan-sensei, of upcoming conflict. Things may even escalate into another war. We need strong heroes in order to ensure a bright future for Japan and ultimately the world." He clapped his paws together. "To that end, I suggest you two work together!"

Vlad's mouth fell open.

"I suggest that during summer break you hold a joint-training camp!" Nezu beamed at them happily. "It will do wonders for your teamwork as well as bring your classes together, reminding them that they are fighting on the same side." Finishing his tea, Nezu hopped down from the table. "I'll leave you two to work out the details, but I look forward to seeing the results of your efforts."

Aizawa sighed as the principal cheerfully walked out of the room. "This should prove interesting."

Vlad stared at him for a minute and then threw his head back and laughed. "Interesting? How about impossible. How are we going to get our two misfit classes to work together? Especially after yesterday?"

Aizawa gestured toward the door with his head. "Walk with me. I need coffee."

Vlad followed him, a pensive frown on his face. "Perhaps a change in scenery?"

Aizawa led him to the nearest vending machine and put in money for two black coffees. He handed one to his friend. "The fastest way to unite opposing groups is to give them a common enemy."

Vlad's eyes lit up as an idea struck him. "We may need to outsource for this." And he began to outline a plan of attack.

Aizawa smiled as he listened.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** Well, that was a loaded chapter. Poor Izuku!

:D I found a cute picture through google search of Aizawa and Vlad King. I'll post it up on Insta.

Thank you for reading! ;p


	43. Chapter 43

**A/n:** Just their everyday school life in this one guys!

…

**School Days**

Izuku kept peeking glances at Kacchan from the corner of his eyes. They'd talked of course, but only about their studies, and for a good portion of the day Kacchan had worked out at the gym and Izuku had hung out with Hitoshi in his dorm. Izuku had needed the quiet. He'd had a lot to think about after talking with Ivy. He'd even done some drawing for fun and made up some schedules for study groups, but now he was wondering if Kacchan was mad at him.

_Of course he's mad!_ Izuku yelled to himself. _He cares about you, and you kept something from him that you knew he'd want to know._

"Kacchan," he called, grabbing the blond's wrist before he could walk out the clinic door.

Kacchan turned to look at him, his brows furrowed.

Earnest, heart pounding in his throat, Izuku said, "I was more effected by that pool than I realized and pushed it away so hard that I honestly didn't think about it again. I didn't mean to keep it from you on purpose, but I did and I'm sorry. I'm going to work really hard in therapy so that it never happens again."

Kacchan studied his face. "I know," he said shortly and pulled his arm away.

Izuku's heart dropped. "Are you mad at me?"

"Of course I'm fucking mad," Kacchan answered with a glare.

Izuku nodded, hanging his head. He deserved it after all.

Kacchan suddenly yanked him forward. With a gasp, Izuku lost his balance and crashed into Kacchan's chest. Kacchan hugged him almost painfully tight. "I'm fucking mad at the situation. I'm mad at fucking All Might and those fucking idiots from 1-B." He pulled back and looked into Izuku's eyes with the fearless honesty Izuku loved so much about him. "But I'm not mad at you, Izu. You really couldn't help it this time, so don't worry about it."

Izuku couldn't help frowning at this. "Of course I'm going to worry about it," he protested hotly. "I messed up. But I'm going to work on fixing it so I don't keep things from you again."

"I heard you the first time." Kacchan let him go. "Come on. We're going to be late."

Izuku let it go. Kacchan wasn't in the best of moods, and he didn't have a lot of patience when he got like this. Words never really impressed Kacchan all that much, anyway. Izuku could say he was sorry until he was blue in the face, but Kacchan would only be annoyed by that. Actions mattered more. He had to think of something that he could _do_ that would show his remorse and appreciation for all that Kacchan did for him.

"Deku!"

Izuku turned to see Uraraka waving him down. He'd been so lost in thought that hadn't even realized he'd made it to the classroom. His smile faded however when he got a look at her serious face. "Uraraka?"

"I need to talk to you," she said firmly.

Grabbing him by the arm, Uraraka led him away from the classroom and down a side hallway. She pulled him against the wall so they wouldn't be blocking anyone's way. Izuku tried to ask her what was wrong, but she shook her head and gave him a serious look.

"Pony told me what you did."

Izuku flushed. "Oh."

Large brown eyes stared at him in accusation. "You had no right to go around spreading my personal business. I trusted you with that information and you immediately went behind my back. I'm a big girl, Izuku. I can solve my own problems. I know it looked like I couldn't because I had a fever, but I would have figured it out on my own."

The longer she talked the more his stomach sank. "I — "

She held up her hand, expression still hard, but then suddenly she gave a nod and flashed her usual cheerful smile. "I forgive you."

Izuku blinked at her. "What?"

"I forgive you," she repeated and then glared in warning. "Don't do it again, though."

Izuku nodded quickly, his eyes huge and pleading. "I won't. I promise. I really was trying to help."

Uraraka's pink cheeks went a little darker. "I know," she said. Looking down, she twisted the bottom hem of her jacket in a show of nerves. "Pony told me why you did it." Suddenly she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I care about you, too," she said almost all in one breath before running away.

Izuku stared after her. "I really hope she meant as friends," he muttered to himself, suddenly worried.

…

Katsuki was thinking. About a lot of things, actually.

One, he'd noticed Izuku had begun avoiding Cheeks. He had a suspicion on why Izuku was doing so. The girl blushed and looked away every time she accidentally met Izuku's eyes. She could be embarrassed because the nerd got involved in her personal shit and hooked her up with a roommate (apparently she'd hit it off with that 1-B chick and she'd moved in with her), but Katsuki had a feeling it was something else. He wasn't quite sure where that was going to go, but he wasn't saving Izuku's ass on this one. Katsuki was actually kind of looking forward to seeing how Izuku would handle it. It should prove interesting.

Two, something was up with Aizawa and the other teachers. They were purposefully keeping him and Izuku apart, and it was starting to piss him off. Almost every assignment this week in every class was partner or group work, and Izuku was never in his group. Even when they let them pick teams or partners, the teachers made them both team captains, so they couldn't pick each other. Katsuki had a few theories, and the one he thought most likely was that Aizawa had told them to. Likely because of the locker room incident. And that pissed him off! Did Aizawa not trust him to keep his word?

Three, the practice exam was now only two weeks away, and that Ponytail-loser had beaten him in two quizzes this week! Like hell was he going to let that pampered princess beat him!

Four, he'd hooked up with Kirishima a few times to help him study and was surprised at how far behind the teen had gotten. Red would need more intensive coaching than Katsuki had originally thought.

Five, he'd been doing his own research about compartmentalization and anxiety disorders ever since Izuku had told him Ivy's preliminary diagnosis. Katsuki had to admit, even after the little research he'd done, it sounded spot on. He still didn't trust her all the way, but he had to admit there had been a change in Izuku. The nerd was more thoughtful and less manic. He wasn't compartmentalizing so hard and was actually starting to express a range of emotions throughout the day more than he had been.

Six, Katsuki was still really fucking pissed with All Might, and he didn't know what to do about it. The hero knew it, too. All Might hadn't been able to meet his eyes since the confrontation outside the clinic.

Seven, the next full moon was in eight days.

"Bakugo? You in there, bro?" A hand waved in front of his face. "If you glare at the window much longer, it's going to shatter."

Katsuki turned his glare on the annoying redhead. "The hell do you want?" he groused.

Kirishima raised an eyebrow. "Class is over, man."

Katsuki scanned the room. Everyone was packing up.

"We still on for a study session?" Red wanted to know.

"Yeah, sure." Katsuki got up and called to Todoroki. "IcyHot! Wanna help me school this idiot?"

"Hey!" Kirishima protested.

Todoroki met his eyes and shrugged.

Katsuki grinned. Good enough for him.

An hour later, Kirishima looked exhausted. "I don't think it's fair that you guys get to tag-team," he groaned, rubbing his forehead. "There's only one of me, you know. I can only learn one thing at a time."

"You don't have time for that," Todoroki told him seriously, brushing bangs that were half white and half red out of his eyes.

"It's your own fucking fault!" Katsuki told him and hit him hard with a rolled up notebook. The teen reflexively hardened his head. It made a loud THWAP sound. "How the hell did you let it get this bad? You must have been sitting there confused for a month!"

"Yeah," Kirishima sighed. "We just had so much other stuff going on."

"No excuse," Todoroki countered and tapped at the paper in front of the teen. "What formula would you use for this problem?"

"Um… y=mx+b?"

Katsuki beat him with the notebook in fury. "We went over this problem twenty minutes ago!"

"Hey! Be careful with that notebook," Kirishima protested pitifully. "I'm going to need it later!"

"You need a new fucking head!" Katsuki snarled and fell back into his chair in frustration.

The door to their study room opened and Izuku entered pushing a silver dining cart.

"Maybe you can make a dent in this idiot's stupidity," Katsuki told him and then narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is that?"

Izuku pushed the cart up to their table and pulled off the large domed lid. Katsuki's eyes widened. There were at least a dozen bowls of ice-cream in all different flavors, and next to them sat an entire jar of rainbow sprinkles. "I thought you guys could use a snack break," he said cheerfully.

Katsuki felt the tension fall from his expression as he smiled at the nerd. "How the hell did you get this?"

Izuku grinned and took the seat next to Kirishima across from them. "I asked," he answered as if it wasn't a big deal.

Katsuki snorted. Was there anyone alive who could resist a begging Izuku? Jesus! He even had the kitchen heroes wrapped around his fingers.

"None for you," Izuku told Kirishima, wagging his finger at him when the redhead tried to reach for a bowl. "Not until you answer three problems correctly. And you'd better hurry or they'll eat it all."

Kirishima looked like Izuku had just punched him. "Are you serious?"

Izuku gave him a sweet smile that nonetheless made it clear that yes, yes, he was. "Three problems, please."

Grumbling, the redhead bent to his task.

Katsuki laughed around a large spoonful of ice-cream and sprinkles. Fuck, he loved the nerd.

"Sorry, guys. I've got to go," Izuku said about fifteen minutes later. He'd stayed just long enough to let Katsuki eat his full. "I told my mom I'd eat dinner with her tonight. See you tomorrow," he said with a smile, waving.

"I didn't know you liked sweet things," Kirishima said with a pout. The ice-cream had mostly melted by this point.

Todoroki waved his right hand over the bowls and froze them mostly solid. "I knew," he said and cast Katsuki a sly glance.

Katsuki sat back with a smirk. "What can I say. I like the way sweet things melt in my mouth."

Todoroki went bright red and coughed hard.

Kirishima reached over to pat his back. "You okay, man?"

"I'm fine," Todoroki answered and shot Katsuki a glare.

Katsuki lifted an eyebrow. "You guys ready to get back to work or what?"

…

Izuku was proud of himself for arranging the ice-cream cart yesterday. Kacchan had been in a dark mood all week, but today he finally seemed to relax a little. Kacchan gave him a trademark smirk from across the platform they stood on. Excitement sparkled in his eyes.

They were in one of the largest gyms on campus. It was as big as a football field and contained an elaborate obstacle course maze set out on a grid. The grid would shift and change while a team was running through it, making it impossible to navigate to the other side without a tactician working from above. Izuku's team would try to get to the other side without being captured by Kacchan's team. If even one of Izuku's team made it through, Izuku won. The same for Kacchan's team. At each side of the gym was a flag. Kacchan's was blue. Izuku's was red. The goal was to steal the other team's flag.

Each of Izuku's teammates had ear pieces that connected to Izuku's microphone. He could talk to them all as a group or single them out and only talk to them one at a time. Izuku would have to observe the changing terrain from a second story balcony overlooking the gym and manage his communications successfully to guide his team across.

"You ready to get killed out there, nerd?" Kacchan taunted. He wore a headset that matched Izuku's. He would be standing on the balcony on the other side of the field giving his own team instructions.

Izuku felt his heart thud hard behind his ribs. He set his feet and lifted his chin. "I'm not going to be easy to beat, Kacchan," he said with quiet confidence.

Kacchan's grin grew wider. "I'm fucking counting on it, Deku." Then, turning, he stalked away.

…

Izuku's team: Yaoyorozu, Aoyama, Ashido, Ojiro, Koda, Sato, Shoji, Jiro, Sero, and Hitoshi

-vs.-

Kacchan's team: Hagakure, Tokoyami, Kaminari, Todoroki, Mineta, Kirishima, Iida, Asui, and Uraraka

…

Katsuki had his team circled around him. He crossed his arms and stared at them in challenge. "You already know I fucking want to win. The question is, do you?"

Kirishima grinned and slammed his stone fists together, creating sparks. "Hell, yeah!"

"I know you extras love Deku, but going easy on him isn't the way to show it," Katsuki said lowly, shooting Glasses and Cheeks in particular a sharp look. "If you really want to show him how much you appreciate all his efforts, then you go out there and show them how much stronger you've become. You go out there and kick his ass!"

Most of the kids around him gave nods at this. Katsuki made note of the ones who didn't.

"Alright. I know most of you guys don't like me," he said with brutal honesty. "But I know you know I'll do whatever it takes to win, so fucking listen to me when I tell you something." Eyes intense on all of them, he put his hand in. "Let's fucking do this."

One-by-one, everyone in the circle put a hand on top of his.

…

Izuku's hands flew over the communication controls, his attention sharp and focused. To Yaoyorozu, "Two enemies one o'clock. Camouflage. Don't let them see you. Distraction incoming." To Sero and Hitoshi, "Nine o'clock. Two ground enemies approaching friendlies. Tarzan distraction. Chase them west." To Aoyama and Sato, "Pit full of spikes in thirty feet." To All: "Hunker down! Hunker down! Three, two, one!"

The grid of obstacles shifted. Anyone not braced for the movement was flung to the ground. Izuku's mind whirled with calculations. To Jiro and Koda, "Move east and circle around. Stay alert. Three non-surveillance enemies in front of you. You have advantage." To Ojiro, "Retreat! Tsu is in the pool ahead. You're at disadvantage."

…

Katsuki crouched and looked over the ever-changing field. Izuku's team was split up in pairs. They all moved for the goal, which was Katsuki's flag. The strategy was sound. The more pieces moving toward victory, the higher the chance of taking it. However, Katsuki was employing a different strategy.

He'd chosen to split his team into one set of two, one set of three, and four who were left to move individually. Three of the four individual pawns were to defend the territory they've been given. Frog-girl was positioned at the water obstacle. She would take out any of Izuku's team who tried to get past her. The idiotic blond was stationed at the wire fences, turning them electric, and Tokoyami was stationed at the mouth of the tunnel obstacle.

He'd paired Todoroki with Kirishima. Todoroki was good with distance fighting and Kirishima was good at close fighting. They were pushing through for Izuku's flag. Glasses, Cheeks, and the Pervert were the decoys and defenders of the core pair. Having four of his team work individual jobs, he could essentially ignore them, which let him focus more on just the two groups instead of dividing his attention with multiple moving parts unlike Izuku.

To Red and IcyHot, "Airborne monkeys. Watch your asses." To the Trio, "Cover your ears. Don't let the Jukebox scare you off course. Pingpong." He watched as the Pervert reluctantly began to tear off balls and fling them all around himself. In the artificial jungle vegetation, they weren't easy to see. Glasses and Cheeks stopped, pretending to argue about which way to go.

Suddenly, a sound wave made the trees and bushes shake, and Animal boy came bursting out with capture tape at the ready. Glasses swung his leg out in a powerful sweep that sent the Pervert flying directly into one of his own purple balls. He bounced and slammed right into the enemy, flinging the animal-whisperer right into another pile of sticky balls. Unlike the Pervert, he stuck, but not before Earphone jack girl wrapped up the Pervert in capture tape. Cheeks chopped her in the back of the neck and down she went.

"Glasses, wave your arm if you can hear me!" Katsuki yelled. The boy shook his head and didn't wave his arm. "Shit." The sound attack had damaged their hearing. They wouldn't hear his warning in time. The flying monkeys, unsuccessful in turning his duo, had now swung back around. "IcyHot, Red, the trio's not going to make it. You're on your own. Push through hard and fast!"

…

Izuku couldn't believe what he was seeing. Kacchan had put all of his chances on just two classmates. The rest were on defense now that Iida, Uraraka, and Mineta had just been taken captive. Izuku had lost Jiro and Koda in the taking, but that was still a heavy blow to Kacchan's team, especially as Izuku still had four pairs moving in on Katsuki's flag while Kacchan only had the one pair left.

To Yaoyorozu and Ashido, "Move east. Get out of the jungle and approach the pool. Tsu is guarding it. You're the only two who have a chance to get past her." To Ojiro and Shoji, "Directly north-west of your position is the tunnel obstacle. Tokoyami is standing guard. Shoji, try and sneak up on him. Ojiro, distract him." To Sero and Hitoshi, "Head directly north. Go for the flag as hard as you can. Beware the fence. Kaminari is charging it. Take him out."

Then everything went black.

…

As soon as it had became a race, Katsuki would have won. Katsuki's defenders would have held off Izuku's team long enough for Red and IcyHot to run the obstacle course without contestation and grab the flag, but they didn't have to bother. Before Izuku's team could even challenge Katsuki's defenders, the horn blared, letting them know the battle was over.

Katsuki flashed a sharp-toothed smile and opened his communication to all. "And that's how you fucking win a war!" He stood and saw Izuku's flag waving by itself in mid-air. His assassin, the Invisible girl, had just taken Izuku out and claimed the flag.

…

Izuku came awake with the sound of an argument ringing in his ears.

"… was completely underhand and unheroic!" Yaoyorozu protested.

"We would have won regardless," came Todoroki's logical response.

"But when did he even set that up?" Uraraka wanted to know. She didn't sound upset like Yaoyorozu, just confused.

"What did you think I'd be doing as a hero?" came Hagakure's hurt response. "I'm invisible. What did you think I'd be using that for? Frontal assaults? I'm supposed to be sneaky!"

"But that is not what this exercise was supposed to be about," level-headed Ojiro protested.

Izuku sat up and rubbed the back of his head. He had a dull headache, but otherwise he was unharmed. Aizawa was leaning against the wall, arms-crossed and eyes closed. "You're not going to weigh in?" Izuku asked him.

"I want to see what they decide," his teacher answered unconcerned, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Where's Kacchan?" Izuku asked, looking around.

Hitoshi offered his hand, and Izuku took it. The teen pulled him to his feet. "He's sitting over there, glowering."

Izuku looked and saw that Kacchan was sitting against the wall, glaring at their classmates who stood in a loose huddle, arguing. "How long's this been going on?"

Hitoshi looked at the clock on the wall. "About fifteen minutes."

Izuku couldn't help it. He laughed. The sound of his laughter silenced the group, and they turned to look at him with wide eyes. Izuku ignored them. His attention was on Kacchan. "Good win," he called. "I'll remember that next time."

Kacchan snorted, his expression softening into a smile. "Always watch your back, Deku. You know better than that."

"I usually have you watching it for me," Izuku admitted ruefully. "I've gotten sloppy."

Yaoyorozu crossed her arms. "You're not mad about how he won?"

Izuku tilted his head. "Why should I be? We're training to be heroes. You think the people we're going to fight are going to be nice and play fair? If it could mean saving innocent people, a sneak attack is absolutely worth doing, and we need to be prepared for the villains who do the same." He looked around at his classmates seriously. "I know we're in school and our exams are right around the corner, so we can lose sight of what we're really doing here. This isn't PE class or a game. We're preparing for war with real life and death consequences. Hagakure was amazing today. I totally didn't sense her. If this had been a real fight with villains, I would be dead. I needed to know that so that I can get stronger."

"You make a good point, Midoriya." Yaoyorozu stood with her shoulders back and her chin lifted. "But like you said, we're training to be heroes. We can't stoop to the villain's level."

Izuku frowned. "We're all figuring out what kind of heroes we want to be. Maybe that's your way, but it might not be other's."

Yaoyorozu spun on her heel, her ponytail whipping behind her and stomped off. Jiro and Ashido followed her after shooting an apologetic look Izuku's way.

"That's it for today, kiddos." Aizawa opened his eyes and pushed off the wall. "You guys have a lot to think about."

"I think it was manly! Way to go ending the fight before any more casualties were taken," Kirishima said in his loud, boisterous way, slapping Kacchan hard on the shoulder.

"Don't make me kill you," Kacchan growled up at his friend.

Izuku laughed.

"Are you in pain?" Hitoshi asked softly.

Izuku turned to see his friend stood with his soft, purple hair drooping slightly from sweat and his cheeks flushed with color from exertion. The dark circles under his eyes were lighter than they had been in awhile. "I'm fine," he assured him with a smile. "Just a small headache. She did a good job." They started heading toward the locker room. "You were amazing out there, by the way. Your control over your scarf has really improved. You moved almost as well as Sero, and he's had years to practice swinging around on his tape!"

Hitoshi's lips curved into a small smile. "I've been practicing with Aizawa-sensei every evening."

"What about your quirk?" Izuku asked. He opened his locker and grabbed a towel to rub his face and neck dry. "Have you figured out a way to get around the fact that everyone knows not to respond to you?"

"We have ideas about that," Hitoshi answered mysteriously, saying nothing more.

Of course, that made Izuku even more curious.

…

"Where do you think he goes?" Izuku asked the next day at lunch.

Hitoshi had disappeared. He'd been doing that a lot this week. In fact, ever since the disaster with the 1-B boys, he hadn't eaten with them once. Was he upset by what happened? Or was he working on his quirk?

"Who cares?" Kacchan asked as he sat down.

"Shinsou doesn't really like hanging out," Kirishima answered. "He's a lone wolf."

"He's pretty shy," Iida agreed.

Izuku frowned.

"Why don't you go look for the loser if you're so worried about it," Kacchan groused.

Izuku stood up. "I think I will." Tossing a wave over his shoulder, he called back, "See you in Heroics!"

It took him nearly half-an-hour before he found Hitoshi. The teen was sitting outside on the steps. He had a cat in his lap. Izuku's heart melted as he came and sat down next to his friend, very careful not to disturb the kitty.

"What do you call her?" he asked with a smile. She had a white face and soft orange fur with a patchwork of black.

"Cali," Hitoshi answered. "I found her the other day."

"Why don't you take her to your room? I'm sure they'd let you keep her."

Hitoshi shook his head. "I don't think she'd like to be locked up."

"Well, you could let her out every morning and take her in every evening." Izuku looked into Hitoshi's lavender eyes. "Having a home isn't the same as being locked up."

Hitoshi looked down at the cat in his lap. He didn't say anything.

Izuku leaned back and looked up at the fluffy clouds in the sky. "1-A is different from the Gen Ed class, isn't it?"

Hitoshi was quiet a minute, but he finally admitted, "Yeah… It was quieter there…"

Izuku tilted his head so he could see his friend. Hitoshi was scratching behind Cali's ears. Her eyes were closed in bliss as she leaned into Hitoshi's gentle touch. Hitoshi had a pretty blank face most of the time, but Izuku could see the sadness in his eyes.

"I'm glad you're here," Izuku said earnestly, up looking through his bangs. "I think you'll be a great hero."

Hitoshi leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his thighs. "I didn't come here to be a hero, you know."

Izuku smiled softly. "I know." He reached over to run gentle fingers down Cali's back. The cat opened an eye, weighed him, and then closed it again. Izuku beamed happily.

Hitoshi smiled and scratched her chin. "I really want that. To be a hero." His smile fell as his hand clenched into a fist. "To be someone who helps others. I want to leave the Institute behind, but at the same time I miss it. Things were less… complicated there."

Izuku frowned. "I'm sorry."

Hitoshi shook his head. A minute of silence lapsed between them when suddenly he asked, "You really think they'd let me keep her?"

Izuku looked down at the cat purring in Hitoshi's lap and smiled. "Yeah, I think so."

…

"What's the big rush?" Katsuki demanded as they practically ran to the classroom the next morning.

"I have to ask Hitoshi something," Izuku answered.

Katsuki scowled. Braindead nodded to whatever Izuku asked him, and Izuku flung his arms around Hitoshi's neck in a happy hug. Bright green eyes turned on him, and Katsuki knew he'd be dragged into whatever it was those two were up to.

"Kacchan! Come shopping with us after school."

"Fine." Katsuki justified caving so easily to the fact that the full moon was in five days. Whatever kept Izuku happy and distracted was worth doing.

"What about me?" Red asked as he yawned and took his seat behind him.

"What about you?" Katsuki glared back at him.

"You can come with," Izuku said cheerfully as he came up to them, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Why don't you guys study at that fast-food restaurant while Hitoshi and I pick up a few things. We can meet you there when we're done."

Katsuki folded his arms over his desk and put his head on them. "Whatever."

As they were leaving school later that day, Katsuki was already regretting agreeing to go. He hated crowds, and this was the busiest time to go out. A lot of people were getting off work, so the train was standing room only. Not to mention they had somehow picked up an additional extra along the way. The nerd, Red, and the idiotic blond from class just wouldn't shut up. They talked excitedly about music and movies and heroes nonstop. Katsuki found himself sharing a commiserating look with Braindead and immediately scowled and looked away. He didn't want to agree with that loser on anything!

"So any funny stories about this one when he was a kid?" Red asked, slinging his arm over Katsuki's shoulders as they walked off the train.

Katsuki shrugged him away. "Get off me, loser."

"He was always confident," Izuku admitted with a smile. "He was the first to have his quirk manifest in our preschool class, and he's always been super popular. There was this one time he beat up some fourth graders who were picking on kids in our class. We were only in first grade at the time!"

"That's so manly!" Red exclaimed.

Katsuki smirked. "What the hell did you expect I was like as a kid?"

"Okay, guys." Izuku pointed out the fast-food chain. "We'll meet you there when we're done! See you in a bit." And, waving, he went off on his own with Braindead trailing in his wake like a lost fucking puppy.

"I thought you were here for them," Katsuki said darkly, glaring at the idiot blond who still stood by Kirishima.

"Aw, come on, Baku-buddy," Red whined. "He really needs some help and I told him what a good teacher you were…"

"If I'm such a good teacher, why haven't you fucking learned anything?" Katsuki snapped, crossing his arms.

"I've learned tons!" Red protested. He pressed his palms together and bowed. "Please, Bakugo, I'm begging you."

Katsuki glared darkly. He didn't like being manipulated into things! "You should have fucking asked," he snapped and stomped into the restaurant. He picked a table away from others and sat down. "Well," he asked the two idiots standing awkwardly by the table. "Sit the fuck down!"

The two scrambled into the chairs across from him.

The blond fidgeted with an uncharacteristically seriousness expression on his pretty-boy face. "I'm a slow learner. It has to do with my electricity. It messes with my head, but I have to push through it if I'm going to get stronger. Aizawa and Recovery Girl know about it, of course. They keep track of my brain scans and stuff. They want me to limit overloading to no more than once a month. I studied with the others a bit, but they go so fast." He looked down in shame. "Kirishima thought I could try studying with you guys and see how it worked."

Katsuki stared at the teen. He had dark yellow hair with a black stripe that looked like lightning running through it on the left. He had large eyes, but his irises were on the smaller side and a bright golden in color. When he wasn't shouting idiotic stuff at the top of his lungs, he wasn't too intolerable.

Katsuki put his elbow on the table and rested his cheek in his hand. Closing one eye, he stared at the two misfits. "Let's start with math," he said, resigned.

The two shared a smile and then got out their notebooks.

An hour later, Katsuki was starting to get a handle on the blond's issues. He had a hard time staying focused, but once he worked through something and understood it, he was able to remember it. Kirishima on the other hand would forget stuff he learned if he didn't practice it over and over, but he was able to stay focused a lot better than the blond.

"Good job, Pikachu," he said with a huff, sitting back. "You're about all caught up with the class now."

The blond stared at him with wide eyes. "Wow…"

"Did you hear that?" Kirishima exclaimed. "Once he gives you a nickname, you're in!"

Katsuki glared at him. "The hell?"

Kirishima ignored him and flung an arm around the electric blond's shoulders. "Congrats, man! You're officially a part of our group!"

Katsuki kicked the redhead under the table and his foot met solid stone. He scowled even harder.

"Thank you, Bakugo!" Kaminari shot him a bright grin. "You were a lot more patient than I thought you'd be. Plus, it was a lot easier to stay focused with you breathing down my neck! Do you think I could study with you again?"

Katsuki crossed his arms. "Fine. Whatever. Go get me a soda or something."

"Right away!" Kaminari bolted from the table.

"Not you," Katsuki growled when Kirishima stood up. "You still have work to do, shithead."

"I like Red better." Kirishima sunk down into his chair with a pout.

Katsuki flashed him an evil grin. "Quadratic functions."

Kirishima groaned and let his head drop onto the table.

They were just finishing working through the third problem when Izuku and Braindead found them. They each had a bag from a pet store.

"Midoriya, Shinsou!" Kirishima cried in relief. "My saviors!"

"They're letting you keep a cat in your dorm?" Katsuki asked, eyebrow raised.

"She's so cute! Her name's Cali!" Izuku exclaimed and began to show them the collar and matching water and food bowls they'd chosen. Suddenly he frowned. "Where's Kaminari? Wasn't he studying with you?"

Katsuki tossed a thumb over his shoulder. "He's flirting with some girls."

"And he's drinking your soda," Kirishima said, leaning over to see the blond strike out miserably.

The idiot didn't seem too disappointed, he came over with a big, goofy grin like normal. "Hey, Midoriya! So you were shopping for your pet?"

"Hitoshi's actually," Izuku answered with a smile.

"Deku's always wanted a fucking pet, but his mom's allergic," Katsuki explained, rolling his eyes.

Braindead lifted his eyebrows. "I was also not allowed a pet." He looked down at the bag full of pet goods. "I think I will like having her around." Looking back up at Deku, the purple-haired teen offered, "You may come visit her whenever you wish."

Izuku practically lit up.

Katsuki glared at the punk, catching the small smirk at the corner of the freak's lips. The asshole was messing with him, he just knew it! He caught sight of Izuku's happy face and shelved the confrontation. But if that shithead thought for one minute he was going to get away with using Izuku to mess with him, he had another thing coming!

Katsuki was more than ready to go home and was the first out the door when the electric blond suddenly grabbed him, Kirishima coming close on his other side.

"I want a picture to commiserate the moment I joined the Baku Gang!" the blond practically shouted in his ear.

"It's commemorate, you idiot!" Katsuki snapped.

Kaminari held out his phone and took the picture, grinning like a loon.

Katsuki glared as Izuku asked him to share it with him. Izuku gave him big eyes with a sweet smile, and Katsuki huffed and looked away, shoving this hands into his pockets.

…

Katsuki had to wait two days. Izuku was practically glued to Braindead's fucking hip since he got the cat. They disappeared together at lunch and hung out after school, but Saturday was a half-day and directly after class Izuku went to see Ivy in All Might's office. Katsuki waited for the asshole outside his dorm. Braindead saw him leaning against the wall and hesitated, but then he continued forward, expression blank.

"What the hell are you playing at?" Katsuki demanded, voice low. "If you're messing with Deku just to piss me off…"

"You'll what?" Braindead challenged. He stood straight, taller than Katsuki by a few inches, and looked down at him.

Katsuki took an aggressive step forward. "I'm cr — " Everything went muted.

"Creative?" Braindead asked sweetly, looking into Katsuki's blank red eyes. "Huh. You don't look half so scary when you're not glaring."

"Let him go." The words were hard and dangerous, as was the expression in Todoroki's two-colored eyes.

Katsuki gasped as the hold on his mind was released. He lunged forward and slammed Braindead against the wall. "Motherfucker!" He pulled the teen off the wall only to slam him back against it again. "The hell is your fucking problem?" he growled lowly, furious.

Eyes narrowed into slits, the bastard spat, "I don't like you."

Katsuki released him, tearing his hands violently away. "Feeling's fucking mutual," he growled. "Come at me all you fucking want." Stepping close again, Katsuki glared into his eyes. "But if you're fucking messing with Deku, I'll fucking kill you," he promised.

…

Izuku wiped at his tender eyes. He didn't think he'd cry so much in therapy, but it felt good. He felt lighter. Shielding his eyes from the setting sun, Izuku realized he'd been with Ivy for about four hours. They'd talked about a lot and he felt good, but he was exhausted.

Hiking his backpack higher up on his shoulders, he turned the corner and saw Hitoshi sitting on the steps with his cat. He smiled. "Hey."

Hitoshi looked up in surprise. "You're still here?"

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "I have meetings with All Might on Saturdays," he lied. "How'd Cali like her new stuff?"

Hitoshi looked down at her and rubbed her belly. "She's still getting used to it." Expression intense, he looked up. "I got into a fight with Bakugo earlier."

Izuku's smile fell. "Why? What happened?"

Hitoshi looked out over the school grounds. "He just pisses me off. He thinks he's always right. He never doubts himself. He's rude and aggressive, and yet people still like him." Head lowering, he said, "You like him."

Izuku studied the frustrated and confused expression on Hitoshi's face. "Of course I like him, Hitoshi. He's my best friend."

"He's obnoxious and rude, and no one calls him on his profanity," Hitoshi continued, talking more to himself than Izuku. "He's brilliant, I'll give him that, but that doesn't explain why he gets so much special leeway."

Izuku had a flash of empathy. Maybe it was because he'd just come from intensive therapy himself, but he suddenly understood Hitoshi. He crouched so they'd be at eye-level. "Katsuki is the exact opposite of what you were allowed to be. Loud, honest, free. You resent him, and you're jealous."

Hitoshi's face went red. "No!"

Izuku smiled sadly. "I'm jealous, too, sometimes. I've been running after him since I was four years old. Trying to compete, trying to show him I'm just as strong, just as smart."

"How can you stand it?" Hitoshi demanded, fists clenching.

"Because I admire him. Why else would I be jealous? You must admire him, too, Hitoshi." Izuku laughed at his friend's expression. "You know, another thing helps."

Hitoshi looked away, glaring. "What?"

"He faces me," Izuku explained. "He accepts challenge after challenge. No matter how many times I lose, he takes me seriously. And I'm thankful. Because as long as he faces me, I have the chance to grow stronger. So really I have no reason to be jealous. It's not like he's hoarding his strength, you know?"

Hitoshi frowned. "I get what you're saying. It would totally piss me off if he refused to fight me," he said thoughtfully.

Izuku reached forward and scratched Cali's ears. The cat gave a big yawn and batted at his hand.

"I should apologize."

Izuku laughed again, this time at his reluctant expression. "You can, but Kacchan won't care. He cares more about actions."

Hitoshi nodded. "I can see that." Lifting his chin, he said firmly, "But I should still apologize. I was out of line today."

"It couldn't have been that bad," Izuku said encouragingly.

Lavender eyes serious, Hitoshi said, "I used my quirk on him."

Izuku froze. "What?"

Hitoshi's eyes widened at the change in Izuku's demeanor. "He was waiting for me outside my room. He confronted me about my feelings. I was frustrated and couldn't back down, so I… I used my quirk to take control."

"What did you make him do?" Izuku asked quietly.

"Nothing," Hitoshi quickly assured him, lifting his hands in surrender. "I let him go almost as soon as I grabbed control."

"Don't do that." Izuku lowered his head so his bangs hid his eyes from view. He knew they had gone cold. "Fighting Kacchan in a clear challenge is one thing, but if you ever purposefully hurt him outside of that…"

"I'm sorry…" Hitoshi reached out a trembling hand. "I'm sorry, Izuku."

Izuku took a deep breath and let the anger go. He took Hitoshi's hand and held it firmly. "It's okay, but be careful, Shinsou. As powerless as you feel sometimes, as caged, the reality is you have an incredible power over other people. That power strips them of their freedom entirely. I think your quirk can save a lot of people, but only if you choose to use it that way. A hero's way." Letting go of Hitoshi's hand, he stood. "I'll see you Monday. I hope you work things out with Kacchan." Turning, he grabbed the straps of his backpack and walked away, leaving his friend sitting wide-eyed on the steps behind him.

…

Katsuki heard Izuku's steps outside the apartment and turned off the tv. He got up and went to the hallway just as Izuku came in. The green-eyed teen saw him and his whole expression lit up, making Katsuki's stomach flutter. Izuku practically flew out of his shoes and ran into his arms. Katsuki caught him with an 'omph'. Izuku held him tight.

"You okay?" Katsuki asked quietly.

Izuku pulled back and smiled. "Yeah. I'm good."

Inko came to stand in the kitchen doorway. She was wiping her hands on a rag. "Izuku! How did it go?"

Izuku pulled away from Katsuki to hug his mom. "It was… good. I mean, it's hard to talk about some stuff, but Ivy really helps me understand what I'm feeling."

"I'm so glad," Inko said with a wobbly smile and brushed Izuku's hair gently from his forehead. "Did you discuss the full moon?"

Izuku nodded. "I'm going to stay at UA," he said firmly. "I'm not saying I'll never isolate myself because I might have to at some point, but Ivy and I think that the way my quirk's changed might really help me." He looked from his mom to Katsuki and back again. "One of the hardest parts of my visions was how powerless I was. I was constantly a victim, but now I have the chance to fight back. Ivy thinks it's possible it will help me find closure and heal a bit of the trauma I've suffered."

Katsuki nodded, accepting that. "Whatever you need," he said firmly.

"If you're sure," Inko said softly, clearly worried. She would much rather prefer Izuku going away to a remote location and not have visions at all.

"I'm sure, Mom." Izuku kissed her cheek. "I'm going to get a shower and change. Is that alright?"

"Of course, honey." She patted his cheek and turned back to the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes."

"Thanks, Mom!" Izuku called after her and grabbed Katsuki's hand. "Wanna take a shower with me?"

Katsuki's heart rate picked up. "You sure?" he asked with a smirk. "We probably won't be done in thirty minutes."

Izuku gave him a grin. "Then we'll just have to be fast." He was already pulling him down the hallway to the bathroom. "I wonder who can make the other cum first?"

"Deku!" Katsuki laughed at his boyfriend's boldness, then he narrowed his eyes at the challenge. "You're on!"

…

Katsuki walked into school on Monday with Izuku chatting happily at his side. They'd had a good weekend, starting with the shower (Katsuki had won, of course) and cuddling and hanging out all day Sunday. They went for a run, did some yoga, and played video games. They didn't once talk about quirks or the full moon or studying. It had been good, really good, and now this fucker was standing outside the classroom with his arms crossed, clearly waiting for him.

"We need to talk," the purple-haired freak said, meeting Katsuki's eyes boldly.

Izuku looked between them, a worried frown on his face.

Katsuki gave him a tight smile. "We'll be in in a minute."

Izuku cast the freak a worried glance. "If you're sure." When Katsuki said nothing, he nodded and slipped inside.

Katsuki crossed his arms. "Well? The fuck you want?"

The freak bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, Bakugo. I was out of line Saturday. I was frustrated and I took it out on you. It won't happen again."

Katsuki gave him a very unimpressed look. "Is that all?"

Braindead straightened and gave Katsuki a hard look. "I want to be clear. I know I was flaunting my friendship with Izuku, but that won't happen any more. I only did it because I noticed it bothered you, and I wanted to get under your skin. I really do care about him, Bakugo. You don't have to worry about me ever hurting him."

Katsuki glared, letting the rage in his core show through his eyes. "I'll fucking kill you if you do," he promised with brutal honesty.

Braindead nodded. "I'm fine with that."

Katsuki sucked his teeth in disgust and stalked into the room. He flung his bag down next to his desk and slouched in his chair. His eyes followed the loser as he made his way quietly to his own desk. If that asshole thought some stupid declaration was going to change his mind about him, he was dead wrong. Katsuki was going to keep his eye on him, and if he ever betrayed Izuku, Katsuki would make sure he paid for it.

…

Izuku rolled his shoulder. They'd sparred without quirks in Heroics class and Kirishima had managed to flip him over his shoulder and onto his back, twisting Izuku's arm in the process. He would definitely be careful of that move in the future.

"Sorry about that, man," the redhead said remorsefully. "Want me to go to the clinic with you and get ice?"

"No." Izuku flashed him a smile and stopped rubbing his shoulder. "I'm fine. You did a great job. Why don't we study for a bit in the library? Anyone else want to join?"

Kaminari immediately raised his hand. "I'll go!"

Before he knew it, everyone in class agreed to go. The practice exams started next Wednesday, after all. They had six days left before they were ranked, and only a month after that before they took their real exams.

"Can I invite Pony?" Uraraka asked, her brown eyes shining hopefully.

"Of course," Izuku assured her, still really happy that the two girls had hit it off.

Class 1-A took up two tables and half of class 1-B joined them as well, following Pony. Izuku bounced around from table to table, helping where he could and giving suggestions. It was actually pretty fun, and he was happy to see most of the class had improved since the last time he'd checked on them. Before he knew it, it was dinner time, the sky flushing a bright orange as the sun began to set.

"See you tomorrow, Deku!" Uraraka called, waving. "Thanks for the help!"

Izuku waved at her with his good arm. "Bye!"

"What's the excuse for missing school tomorrow?" Kacchan wanted to know as he walked with Izuku toward the cafeteria.

"Training with All Might," Izuku answered with a sigh. "Unless you can think of anything better?"

Kacchan shrugged. "It's none of their fucking business, anyway."

Izuku gave him a warm smile and took his hand. "You're doing a great job with Kirishima and Kaminari. They've made a lot of progress."

Kacchan shrugged. "They're still behind."

"But not as behind as they were," Izuku stated firmly. "Thanks."

"They're the ones doing the studying," Kacchan denied, looking away.

Izuku smiled to himself and let got of Kacchan's hand as they walked into the cafeteria. "What do you want to eat? I feel like spaghetti."

They ate, and sooner than Izuku would like they were heading to the guest room next to the clinic. Izuku felt his heart start to race and nerves descend into his stomach. The spaghetti he ate churred. He shouldn't have eaten so much!

His mother, Aizawa, and All Might in his hero's form were standing by his door. Izuku forced a smile and hugged his mother. "You didn't have to come."

"Of course I did," she protested and kissed his cheek. "Are you sure I can't stay in the room with you?"

"No, I'm sorry," he said gently but firmly. "I need to focus, and if you were there, I'd be worried about how you were doing."

Inko didn't like hearing this, but she nodded. "I'll be just down the hall, okay?"

"Thanks, Mom." He hugged her again. Smiling at his teachers, he bowed. "Thank you for coming and taking care of my mom."

"It's no trouble, young Midoriya," All Might assured with a massive hero's grin. He flashed a thumbs up. "We are here if you need us."

"Thank you," he said again, blushing. He was both grateful and embarrassed by all the attention. Kacchan grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. Izuku sighed in relief as soon as the door shut behind them. "Time?"

"Two hours," Kacchan answered. He leaned against the door, expression calm. "Do you still want me to tie you up?"

Izuku ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I… yes?" He looked at his boyfriend helplessly.

Kacchan came off the door and pulled him into a kiss. It was soft, but it was also commanding. Izuku melted into it, his hands twisting into Kacchan's shirt. The kiss grew deeper as Kacchan wrapped his arms around him and held him tight. Izuku felt the tension in his shoulders relax. It felt good. Safe. The kiss broke and Izuku's eyes fluttered open.

"Yes. I want you to tie me," he said softly with utter trust in his eyes. "But just my arms please. And the gag."

Kacchan nodded and made to pull away, but Izuku held on as a sudden worry spiked in his chest.

"Don't leave me. Not until I really wake up."

Kacchan stared into his eyes and promised, "I won't."

"Don't let anyone else in here?" Izuku asked, knowing it was impossible. Helpless tears filled his eyes.

Kacchan grabbed his hands tightly. "If that's what you want, I'll make sure it happens." He stared intensely into Izuku's eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Izuku answered wholeheartedly and felt a lot of the anxiety he was feeling bleed away. "Yes, Kacchan. I trust you."

"I'm going to take care of you," Kacchan promised fiercely. "You're safe here with me. I've got you."

Izuku closed his eyes and surrendered gratefully.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **Next chapter will be his visions and the aftermath. It promises to be intense.

I posted some pics that inspired me on SensiblyTainted Instagram, if you want to check it out.

See you next week!


	44. Chapter 44

**A/n:** Okay, so I know some of you skip the visions. The chapter starts immediately in a vision. BUT there are three visions you should read, they don't have torture or gore! Someone figures out Izuku's possessing the victim and talks to him, so it's important for the plot. I have these sections marked with **xXxXxXx.**

…

**Grim Calling**

Izuku opened his eyes, his heart racing in terror. His frantic breaths sounded loud in his ears. He shook violently, pressed into a corner of a dimly lit room. A huge man stood by a wooden table with his back to Izuku. The smell of alcohol was strong in the room. An open bottle and a glass sat on the table.

"…. Bring one million yen in a bag. Come alone. You don't want your precious son killed, do you?"

Izuku looked at his trembling hands. The man wasn't huge, he was just small. Frantically, he looked around, but there were no windows and only one door on the other side of the room. He tensed, body going rigid in terror as the man turned and came toward him. Izuku memorized his features. Crouching, the man held a cellphone out to him. Izuku made note of the date and time on the softly glowing screen.

"Say hello to daddy, brat."

Fat tears rolled down his face, gulping, he swallowed and squeaked out a shaky, "D-Dad?"

"_Are you hurt?"_ came a small and tinny from the speaker. _"Yoshi? Are you hurt?"_

"He's not going to give me back," Izuku cried, but before he could say anything else a huge hand slapped him across the face. The blow was hard enough that his head bounced off the wall and he crumpled nearly-unconscious to the ground.

"Bring the money or he dies," the man barked and flung the phone on the table. It skid and dropped to the floor. "Hey. Brat."

The man crouched down again. The evil in his eyes made Izuku's bladder release. The stench of urine filled the air as warmth puddled under him.

"Do you think you're brave? Huh?" His big hand reached forward. Izuku flinched, but the man grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up so that he was standing. "You think you can do something here?"

Izuku lashed out. With a scream of rage, he kicked the bastard in the balls. The man yelped and flung him away. Izuku scrambled to the door. His blood pounded in his veins. He could hardly catch his breath. He turned the knob and pushed the door open…

A mighty hand grabbed him by the hair and flung him into the wall. Stunned, Izuku lay crumpled on the floor. A huge, booted foot lifted and stomped down on his belly. Izuku's eyes bugged, agony blinding as things ruptured and tore. Heat burned him up, and the boot came down again. He couldn't even scream through the pain. Black consumed his vision. Another stomp, the wet sound and crack of bones echoed in his ears. Then death snatched him violently away.

…

Izuku dropped shaking to the floor, arms wrapped around his middle. Nausea churned in his gut. Tears and snot streamed from his eyes and nose.

"Kota?"

Izuku looked up at hearing a child's voice. An elementary kid. School uniform. Bright sunlight. Desks. They were at the blackboard, answering some questions.

"Kota-chan?" The teacher looked concerned as she crouched down next to him. "Are you okay?"

Izuku looked around frantically, trying to calm his racing heart. _I'm not a victim! _he screamed to himself. _I can fight back! Where is it? Where's the danger?_

"What school is this?" he asked, getting to his feet. He got looks of concern, and the teacher reached to feel his head. He pushed her hand away and calmly, forcefully, asked again. "What. School. Is. This?"

She told him the school name, her tone confused.

Izuku looked at the clock on the wall and saw a calendar was posted with helpful red X's marking off the days. Nodding, he stood as straight as he could. "I need to use the bathroom." But even as he said it, he knew he didn't have that kind of time. He watched as the teacher's eyes lifted to something behind him. Izuku turned, bringing his fists up.

A man stood there. He looked deranged. He was crying but smiling at the same time. He must have come in off the balcony. They must not be that high up. First floor. Or maybe second. Scream-laughing, the man lunged forward. The teacher screamed as blood sprayed the air. The boy next to Izuku collapsed, spilling blood everywhere. The knife flashed again, but Izuku just barely ducked.

The kitchen knife slashed across the teacher's throat instead. Blood drenched Izuku's face and head. Her scream cut off as if someone had flicked a switch. The children in the room began to scream. One or two bolted, but the rest sat frozen in terror and shock.

Izuku tried to run. He slipped in hot, tacky blood and fell to his hands and knees. He rolled to the side, just as the knife came swinging down. Izuku kicked at the man's elbow. The blow wasn't hard enough to break the joint, but it gave him time to scramble away. He burst into the hall. Some of the other teachers had poked their heads into the hallway, faces creased in concern at all the screaming coming from Izuku's classroom. Their eyes widened at seeing Izuku covered in blood.

Izuku ran past them and flung himself bodily at the fire alarm. Pulling it, the alarm sounded and kids and teachers came streaming into the hallway. Izuku looked back to see the man, covered in blood, stand in the door to the classroom. The man grabbed a kid running past him and stabbed him in the gut before flinging the boy down. A teacher saw this and tackled the man back into the classroom.

Izuku felt himself falling away…

…

Izuku had his hands up in front of him. A woman was standing there, crying. She had a lighter in her hand. The smell of gas was strong in the air.

"After everything I've done for you," she rasped, tears streaming down her face. "You went and cheated on me!" She clicked the lighter open. "I'll make sure we stay together forever!"

Izuku lunged. The woman screamed as they hit the floor. Izuku's big, clumsy hands searched for her pulse point. She was flailing under him, screaming about their love. Izuku gritted his teeth and found it. His big hands clamped down. In seconds, the woman went limp and Izuku quickly removed his hands from her throat. It would bruise, but she'd be fine. She was only unconscious from lack of blood getting to her brain.

Izuku got up and quickly looked around the living room. Coughing, covering his face against the smell of gas, he stumbled into the kitchen. He flung the small window there wide open and took a big gulp of clean air. They were in an apartment. If the woman had lit that lighter, the whole place would have gone up! She would have killed so many!

He was fading. Izuku quickly snatched up an envelope from a pile of mail on the counter, searching for an address…

**xXxXxXx**

Izuku grit his teeth as pain screamed up his arm. Grunting, he lifted his head. Vision blurry, he crinkled his brow in confusion. He was in a dark room. Only one dim, flickering light overhead. Two men in bird masks, one leaning against the door, the other standing over him. Izuku was tied to a chair. His hands and feet throbbed with the searing hot pain of broken bones. He'd been here before. Been exactly here before. Confused, head-lolling, he tried to get a look around, but the rope across his chest and upper harms held him to the chair-back.

"The seer is here," the man looming over him said, voice low and gravely.

Izuku couldn't help reacting. He jerked, eyes wide.

The huge man who'd broken his bones last time backed away, putting his back to the door.

The thinner, smaller one came forward and took off his mask. He had black messy hair and angular brown eyes. Scars crisscrossed over his entire face. He put his hands on Izuku's grotesquely swollen and broken arms and leaned forward to put his face close to Izuku's. An expression of delight filled his expression.

"So it's the death that brings you?" he asked curiously, still leaning on Izuku's arms. "You didn't come until I decided to end this and kill him."

Izuku was panting hard, pain-fear-confusion throwing his mind into chaos. "Who - " He gasped, shuddering in pain. "Are… you?"

"Sorry I hurt you," the man said with a sincere look. He crouched and pulled a syringe from his pocket.

Izuku's eyes widened as the man put it to Izuku's neck and pushed down on the plunger. His whole body went lax, his head falling back. The man caught it and cradled it gently in his hand. Pleasure - peace - relief - Izuku had never felt anything like it. Everything was slow and soft. He smiled sappily up into the man's kind, scarred face.

"I thought it was the trauma that called you, but now I know better." He stroked Izuku's sweat-soaked face softly with his free hand. "I won't hurt you again."

Izuku said nothing, his attention taken by the sparkling and vibrating light above the man's head. A gentle hand grasped his chin and caught his eyes.

"They'll find you, you know," the man said softly, voice sweet with concern. "The Institute will put you in a box, and you'll run and run through their mazes like a little mouse until they use you all up." Warm lips brushed his ear. "The syndicate will protect you, wrap you in shadows they'll never see through, and you'll be free. Freer than you've ever been. Every desire fulfilled."

"Promise?" Izuku asked breathily, but he frowned at the sound of his voice. It was low and rough. He coughed and tried to lift his arms, but he couldn't move. "Wha —?"

"Promise," the man cooed at him sweetly. "I'm your friend." He put his forehead to Izuku's. "I can help you, but you have to tell me how it works first. You come to people who are going to die?"

"… save them…" Izuku told him, trying to reassure him.

"You do?" the man looked surprised, and then he smiled happily. "How do you save them?"

Izuku scrunched his face in thought. "Always want to know stuff."

The man laughed, and that made Izuku smile. "I do, don't I?" The man leaned close. "It's been so hard to work in this city lately. Some people don't deserve to live, you know? There are some really bad guys out there. I'm sure you've seen them. The guys who kill and hurt you?"

Izuku sighed. He didn't want to think about that. He was so tired and felt so warm and sleepy.

"This is the future isn't it, little seer? The police were looking for me before we brought in Tanaka. You saw us. You tore my mask off, and you gave them my description. You were actually trying to save Tanaka. Save him before I killed him. You can actually change the future. That's why murders have dropped to almost zero in this city. You stop them, don't you?"

"… stop them…" Izuku agreed and died as his heart beat its last.

…

Confused, Izuku stared out the windshield of a huge truck, eyes squinted against the bright sunlight. What had just happened? His hands tightened on the steering wheel as his heart rate picked up. Where? He looked to the side and saw a policeman approaching. Izuku fumbled for the window and rolled it down.

"Officer…"

"There's been a bomb threat. I need you to step out of the vehicle for your safety," the man said with calm authority.

Izuku's eyes widened and he scrambled out of the truck. It was a transport truck. A huge corporation name was painted on the side. He stepped away, but looked around. Why was there only one officer? "Don't you need back-up?" he asked anxiously. "Shouldn't we both get back until…"

Izuku's eyes widened as the officer suddenly spun around and shot him in the chest. Izuku went down, pain screaming along his nerves. Through blurry eyes, he watched the man climb into the truck and slam the door. With a roar, the truck sped away. Izuku gasped and choked. He rolled over onto his stomach to watch the truck turn the corner.

With a spasm, Izuku collapsed and died.

**xXxXxXx**

Izuku blinked his eyes, confused. He was in what looked like a nice hotel room. Soft music was playing in the background. He was on a plush couch. Golden chandeliers. Water color paintings hung on the wood-paneled walls. A bowl of fruits sat on a coffee table between him and an arm chair. In the chair sat a man with his hair combed back, his legs crossed casually, and hands folded in his lap. He wore a black suit and was smiling genially. He had angular brown eyes and scars on his face.

"What did you do to me?" Izuku demanded, hand rising subconsciously to his neck.

The man smiled. "Nothing at all. If you are speaking about the last time we spoke, I simply took your pain away. There was no point in you suffering. Now that I know pain has nothing to do with our little meetings, it's simply unnecessary. I told you, little seer. I'm your friend."

"Where are we?" Izuku demanded and stood up. He was a little surprised that he could. There were no ropes restraining him.

He looked down to see he was dressed in jeans and a white button-up. There were no clocks in the room. There were no watches on his wrists. No tv. The music was coming from a cd not the radio. There were no labels on anything in the room, so if it was a hotel, Izuku had no idea which one.

"What do you want?" he demanded, giving the man his full attention.

"To talk." The man unfolded his legs and leaned forward. "Have you given thought to what we spoke about last time?"

Izuku frowned. "Last time?"

"Hmmm…" The man leaned back. "Perhaps things are unclear to you when you return to your time. Or perhaps the drug interfered with your memory."

"What do you want?" Izuku insisted and then frowned. "And how did you get me here?"

"I want to help you," the man spoke seriously. "You've grown in power, little seer. I've done my research. Murders have been decreeing slowly over the years, and only in a small area, but in the last few months, that area has grown much larger, and the murders haven't just decreased, they've nearly stopped. There've been rumors about a vigilante for years, of course. Most believed it was someone from UA since the decrease in crime seems to originate from that area."

At seeing Izuku's eyes widen, the man smiled.

"So UA does play some role in this." He shook his head. "No matter. They can't protect you. They function under the same government as the Institute."

Izuku sat down. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying there is no possible way that an Institute that collects and, shall I say trains?, those with psychic quirks is unaware of you." The man got up and came around to sit next to Izuku. His presence was warm and solid. "You won't be able to escape them for much longer. Somehow you'll end up in their hands, and I'm afraid, little seer, you will never be seen or heard from again."

Izuku shook his head, eyes wide.

"I'm not trying to scare you," the man said insistently and took Izuku's hand in a warning grip. "I am simply telling you the truth. Whatever protections you think you have around yourself, they won't be enough. But I _can_ protect you. We do not work for the government, and we prize above all else freedom."

Izuku took his hand away, his heart beating. "Who are you?"

"You can call me Grim. I am the leader of a syndicate under the yakuza." At Izuku's look of horror, Grim quickly raised his hands. "Yes, we function outside of the law, but we are not villains. We have a code, little seer. We have honor. We do not harm and destroy for the sake of destruction." His eyes became sharp. "Where are we to go? Those of us who are neither hero nor villain, the ones who are too different to belong in normal neighborhoods?" He dropped his hands and shrugged. "We go to the shadows, the darkness. We hide so that society cannot judge us or label us or force us to be villains just so they can dispose of us with a clear conscience."

Izuku was completely lost, but before he could ask more questions, there was the sound of a beep.

Grim sighed. "The time limit of your quirk is disappointing but understandable. It is far too ungrateful to ask for more than the miracle that it already is."

"Time limit…" Izuku too slowly began to understand. He only had visions of someone who was going to be murdered. Grim must have figured out exactly how long before the murder his vision started and set a timer.

"I want you to know, little seer, that the person you are in is an evil person. I do not kill just anybody. The man is a pedophile. He raped his daughters over and over from the age of four. His oldest who is now eleven is pregnant."

Grim took two photos from inside his jacket. They were eight by tens and showed two school girls. One looked to be six years old or so, the other looked to be eleven. Izuku stared into their sad eyes and felt his hands clench.

"The oldest," Grim said lowly, tapping her picture, "came looking in the dark for a way to abort the baby. I promised her I would take care of it, and I am." Solemn eyes bore into him. "Some men deserve to die, little seer."

He had no voice to speak, even if he wanted to disagree. Did he disagree? No air to breathe. His heart had stopped and he hadn't even noticed. He dropped to the floor and everything went dark and cold.

…

Izuku was sitting up in bed, his back to the headboard. Voluminous grey hair draped over his shoulders and spilled around his hips. He was definitely a she, he thought, looking down at his heavy, round breasts. He wore a pink tank top and white boxer shorts. The room he was in was small. Everything in it was small, in fact. It looked more like… a dorm room!

Getting off the bed he went to the window and looked out. It was dark, deep night, but there were lights down in a courtyard three stories below. The dorm door behind her rattled and Izuku whipped around. A young man, college age, walked in. He looked coldly furious. As he shut the door behind him, Izuku looked for a weapon.

"Hello, Suki," the guy said darkly. "I bet you're surprised to see me."

"Don't," Izuku warned. "Leave me alone."

"Leave you alone," the man repeated and took a step forward. "Because I'm disgusting, right? Because no one would ever want to be with me."

Izuku noticed there was a mucus-like substance dripping from the man's hands and face.

"You bitch! To think I thought I was in love with someone as shallow as you!"

He lunged forward and Izuku kicked out, but it wasn't just the guys hands and face that was slimy. Izuku's foot slid right off the guy's midsection. They fell to the floor, Izuku's head clipping the desk. Stars exploded behind his eyes, but he refused to let the man win. They wrestled furiously, but Izuku couldn't get a hold on his slick skin.

"Suki," the man gasped. "Love you. Suki!"

Izuku thrashed under him. He flung his head forward to head butt the man, and he reeled back. Then he slammed his fist down. Izuku tried to get away, his head was ringing. He felt his boxers being yanked down. Something hard and slimy rubbed against his bare hip. His tank top was yanked up against his throat.

"NOOO!" Izuku screamed in rage. He was going to be raped again!

Slimy hands wrapped around his throat. "Suki. I'll show you how much I love you. You'll see, you'll see!"

Izuku forced himself to push through the panic to remember his training. He kicked his legs and clawed at the man's hands. Twisting his hips, he got his elbow back and jammed it into he guy's solar plexus. The hands left his throat as the man went sprawling backward. Izuku got to his knees, hacking and coughing. He ran into the hall and slammed his fists against the first door he saw. It opened just as the man came stumbling out of Izuku's dorm.

"Suki!"

Izuku pushed inside the room and slammed the door shut, locking it. "Call… police…" he gasped, shaking. He clumsily tried to pull his tank top down over his exposed breasts.

"Oh my god!" The girl who opened the door ran to the nightstand for her phone.

…

Izuku was sitting at a kitchen table. It was raining outside. A little boy was sitting next to him, a middle aged woman was sitting across from him. She was crying. Izuku looked down to see he was wearing a girl's middle school uniform. Three glasses sat empty on the table, one in front of each of them. It looked like they had been filled with milk.

"I'm sorry," the woman said tearfully. "I love you so much."

"I don't feel so good," the little boy said softly.

Izuku watched in horror as he fell off his chair and began to seizure. Izuku dropped to the ground and cradled his small, spasming body. "Why are you doing this?" he screamed up at the woman.

"I'm saving you!" she cried out. "You don't understand. I'm saving you!"

"You killed us!" Izuku yelled back and then wavered as dizziness washed over him.

"Dad left us and he's not coming back, and now they're coming after us! I won't let them take you from me. I won't let them hurt you to pay for your father's crimes." She got up and stumbled, collapsing. "We'll go where there is no more pain. I won't let them hurt you. I won't…"

Izuku felt the poison start to kick in. His heart was racing, he couldn't breathe. Izuku crawled across the floor and grabbed the woman's face. "What's our… address? Please? I want… to hear it… one last time. The place we… were happy," Izuku begged.

The mother smiled and whispered their address.

Izuku collapsed. Agony speared him through the chest. It felt like his heart had exploded, and then he died…

**xXxXxXx**

Izuku was drenched in sweat. He was soaked through and freezing, teeth chattering in pain. The room was dimly lit, a single bulb flickering overhead. The huge man was next to him again, and so was Grim. Taking off his mask, Grim came forward and dropped to his knees in front of him.

"I'm sorry, little seer." He put a syringe to Izuku's neck and Izuku didn't try to get away.

Warmth and pleasure washed through Izuku in a warm wave, covering him head to toe, and he sighed in bliss.

"That's it. Let the pain go. Let it all go," Grim cooed, holding his head up. "I'm sad you haven't come to find me so we can talk in person without all this."

"Can't… time…" Izuku slurred.

Grim stroked the hair off his face. "I understand, but you're running out of time, little seer. If you wait too long, I won't be able to protect you."

"Who… this?" Izuku asked, smiling at his friend.

"A pathetic loser. Thought he could steal from us and then go on the run. Killed his family. We tracked him down and brought him back to face what he's done. He won't hurt anyone again."

Izuku mumbled the address the woman had whispered.

Grim's eyes widened.

Izuku giggled. "Mother. Saved her kids from you. It was in the milk. The boy died first. So small."

"Oh, little seer. I'm sorry you experienced that." Grim shook his head. "We wouldn't have touched her or the kids."

Izuku sighed, eyes fluttering closed. "Don't kill any more people. Please. Don't kill them."

"Come to me and I won't have to," Grim said softly. "Come to The Raven. Ask for me." Strong fingers ran through Izuku's hair and it felt so good. "I'll be waiting, little seer, but don't make me wait too long."

…

Izuku was standing behind a counter in a convenience store. It was dark out, the rain coming down hard. Adrenaline was already pumping through his veins as he saw someone come down an aisle with a ski mask on.

"Open the register! Put the money in!" the guy screamed, throwing an empty bag at his head. He reached forward and a hole opened up in his palm. Something red and wet pulsed inside. "Do it or I'll kill you!"

Izuku put his hands up. "Please. Don't." Then he was lunging over the counter. He took the guy to the ground and landed on him hard. Rearing back, he sent two quick jabs into the robber's face and then tore off the mask. It was just a kid Izuku's age!

The kid slammed his hand onto Izuku's stomach. Izuku screamed as if he were on fire. He could feel something _punch_ through into his abdomen. It burned like fire, stung like a hundred wasp stings. He could feel it, snake-like, thrash deeper. Izuku rolled around, clawing at his own guts, feeling the thing move inside him - it HURT OH GOD IT HURT!

"I told you to open the drawer!" the robber yelled over Izuku's horrific screams.

Drenched in sweat, Izuku writhed in agony. The robber broke the drawer open and ran over him and out the door. Izuku lay there, screaming, crying. The thing ate at him from the inside. Vomit sprayed from his mouth. He tried to stand, but the pain was too much. Sobbing, whining, he curled into an agonized ball. And still the thing went on eating him alive.

Hey lay curled around the fire, screams busting from him when he couldn't bear it any longer. It went on and on until Izuku was banging his own head against the floor, trying to knock himself out. His screams soon became painful gasps as he coughed up blood, a lung eaten next.

The pain was unimaginable. How many hours would he have to suffer this? He flung his head down on the floor again and again, but the pain wouldn't let him slip away. He tried until the floor was wet with blood and he was too exhausted to move. The snake still moved inside him, growing fatter and more vicious as the hours slipped by. It burrowed slowly through his body like an inferno.

Spasming, Izuku's body arched in a rigid line. He screamed until his voice was gone. He grit his teeth so hard they cracked. And still the pain went on. He begged Grim to give him the drug. _Please, just make it stop!_ But he was alone except for the thing thrashing in his guts. Until finally - FINALLY - his body gave out and death took him away.

**xXxXxXx**

Izuku screamed and thrashed, but his arms were bound, his mouth full. Rough hands grabbed him, the cords fell away, his mouth was freed. Izuku clawed as his stomach, screaming hysterically, and he was pulled roughly against someone else.

"Izuku! You're safe! It's over! IZUKU!"

Kacchan's voice finally registered and he stilled, his screams turning into sobs. "P-please… g-get it o-out…" he begged desperately, still clawing at his stomach.

Kacchan shoved his hands away and yanked off Izuku's shirt. Izuku stared at his stomach, breath coming in terrified pants, looking for any movement. Kacchan pressed at his stomach and rubbed at his skin. Holding him tight, Kacchan put their heads together and spoke roughly into Izuku's ear.

"It's gone. It's out. I've got you."

Izuku's teeth began to chatter and he curled pathetically into Kacchan's strength and warmth. "Y-you s-sure?"

"I'm sure," he promised, rocking him. "I'm sure, Izuku. It's gone. It's gone."

Shaking, Izuku sobbed until darkness crowded his vision and he passed out.

…

Katsuki watched Izuku sleep. His face was pale, his lips chapped, his cheeks tear-stained. Even as exhausted as he was, Izu shivered and whimpered, unable to truly rest. This had been a bad one. Shit, there went Deku and Ivy's plan that having the power to fight back would help him heal from these fucking nightmare visions.

Katsuki reached past Izuku's trembling form and grabbed his phone. _He woke up, but he passed out again._

.

Aizawa

_How is he?_

_._

Katsuki

_Not fucking good_

_Had a panic attack_

_._

Aizawa

_What do you need?_

_._

Katsuki

_He might need to see Ivy-sensei_

_Although she was wrong about the change in vision being good for him_

_Just because it went pretty good the first time doesn't mean it will every time_

_Every month is different with different deaths_

_I don't think we can count on a trend_

_._

Aizawa

_I'll talk to her, but she's new to this, too. _

_I don't think we should rule her out as being helpful._

_._

Katsuki put down his phone. Aizawa was fucking right, but he still didn't like it. He wanted this to get easier now, damn it! He didn't want to wait, didn't want to try a dozen different things until they found something that worked, he wanted Izuku's suffering like this to stop!

Growling at his own impatience, Katsuki held Izuku close and tried to get some rest.

…

Izuku bolted upright with a gasp, his hands went to his stomach, but Kacchan's hands were already there, holding his abdomen firmly, protectively. "It's gone," Kacchan's sleep rough voice promised him.

Izuku turned and saw Kacchan propped up on an elbow, his coarse, fluffy hair sticking up with bedhead. His ruby red eyes were lidded with sleep, but he was alert and staring at Izuku intently. Izuku nodded and pressed Kacchan's hands firmer against his skin. Slowly, other visions trickled into his awareness, Grim's face and voice and hands.

"What?" Kacchan sat up, eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

Izuku shook his head, his hands beginning to shake. In the course of his visions, it hadn't seemed as scary or real as it did now, but there was a man out there, a criminal, who knew about him, had purposefully arranged to talk to him in a vision, but he hadn't seemed that bad. Izuku cringed, knowing already how Kacchan would react if he heard Izuku say that.

"Deku." Kacchan's voice was a low growl. "Tell me."

Izuku shook his head instinctively, but then winced at the way Kacchan's expression closed off. The blond took back his hands and moved as if to get out of bed.

"No!" Izuku cried, reaching out to him. His heart beat hard and fast in his chest. He couldn't stop trembling. "No. I'm sorry. Please. I'll tell you." Looking into red, fierce eyes, Izuku said firmly, "I trust you. I'm just… scared. Scared what you'll think of me. Scared of scaring you. It's just… this is really, really big, Kacchan. I… I still… I'm not even sure what to think about it myself yet."

Kacchan sat sideways, one leg bent in front of them, the other had his foot pressed firmly into the floor. He faced Izuku head on, the way he did everything that was difficult. Izuku's looked away. He didn't have that kind of courage. Instead, he looked down at his hands.

"There was this guy…" Izuku began, voice soft. "I saw him before. In that vision with Tanaka. The guy who was being held in that small room. The one who had gone to the police with information about the syndicate. Well, the guy whose mask I took off, he was in my visions. Three of them. On purpose. He wanted to talk to me. He figured out I was there somehow.

"He had this father. He raped his daughters since they were four. The oldest is eleven now and she got pregnant. She went to the syndicate for an abortion, so that's how they knew about him. Grim killed him, but before he did, he talked to me. He said he did research and noticed a pattern and knew I was in UA's area. Said if he could figure that out then the psychics at the Institute definitely know about me. He said that the Institute is a government organization and so is UA. He said I'm not safe here, but that he could keep me safe."

Taking a deep breath, Izuku looked up at Kacchan timidly through his bangs. Kacchan had a glare on his face, but it was his normal one, so Izuku felt himself relax a little. "He wants me to talk to him in person. He told me to go to the Raven and ask for Grim. He said he would wait for me."

"You going to do it?" Kacchan asked. His voice was tight and evenly controlled. Izuku's heart rate went up, knowing something passionate was brewing behind Kacchan's relatively calm expression. Izuku swallowed hard.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I don't know anything right now. I'm still trying to understand what happened to me. I don't know what I'll do or where I'll go." His voice rose in volume, his eyes wide. "I don't know what to do!"

Kacchan pulled him into a hard hug. "Okay, Izu. Alright. I hear you. I'm listening." He pulled away and stared intently into his eyes. "I want you to take a deep breath. I want you to walk me through these visions with… Grim… one at a time and in order. We'll figure this out. I promise."

Izuku took a deep breath and started over. "I was strapped to the chair. Exactly the same as it was with Tanaka. My arms were badly broken. It hurt really bad. The big guy said I was there and backed off. Grim took off his mask and apologized. I think he really meant it. He said he thought it was the trauma that called me, but now he knew it was the death. He promised he wouldn't hurt me again, and he never did after that. He gave me this drug. It was in a syringe. He put it right in my neck. Everything felt better right away. Like really, really good.

"Things got weird, kinda bright and floaty and warm, but I remember him talking about the Institute. He said they'd find me and he could protect me. He said he was my friend and asked about my visions. I was pretty out of it. I think I told him I saved them, but he said something like not everyone deserves to live, like that guy who hurt his daughters."

Izuku fell silent. He hated death. Hated the way it stole everything. Just thinking about that cold void brought back the terror of the sensory deprivation pool. It was horrible! But… but he hated people who hurt others like that. What that man had done to his daughters was horrific! Izuku shuddered as the memories of being raped over and over flared behind his eyes like fire.

He knew how it felt. To have his body invaded, to be powerless, to know his pain and life were worth nothing. Reduced to a thing being used for someone else's pleasure, it hurt in every way there was to hurt. It tore his body, made him bleed, made his heart break and his soul feel so much smaller. And that dad had done that to his own little girls. As young as four, Grim had said. Years those girls went through that, over and over. Izuku turned and vomited bile over the edge of the bed.

"Izuku?" Kacchan's voice pulled him back. "Breathe with me."

Izuku shook and sobbed, his forehead pressed to Kacchan's and just tried to breathe. It took a few minutes, but he did start to calm down. He held tightly to Kacchan's hands, vision still blurred. "I… I think he's right. Some people… some people…"

"Shhh." Kacchan ran a hand through Izuku's hair. "Now's not the time to think about that, okay? It's too much. Focus on Grim for now."

Izuku nodded. "Can I have water?"

Kacchan let him go and poured him a glass of water. Izuku felt off kilter. Like a huge piece of him was dislocated. It hurt, but he didn't know how to fix it. He drank the glass Kacchan handed to him. Kacchan put a blanket over his sick and opened the window. It was morning, but the light and warmth from outside barely registered.

"The second time I saw Grim, it was in a different room. It was well lit with comfortable furniture. Like a hotel room, but without any logos. I wasn't tied down. I could stand and move freely. Grim was there. He told me he'd done his research and he was just trying to help me. That's when he told me what he knew about my visions and how murders had been stopped completely in the UA area. That's how he knew where I was.

"That's when he told me UA and the Institute are both government run, and that I wasn't safe here. He offered to protect me. That's when he told me his name was Grim and that he was a leader of a group under the yakuza. He said he had a code of honor, though. That he and his group weren't villains. They were just trying to live, and society didn't approve of them, so they had no other choice but to disappear into the shadows.

"Then there was this beep. He'd figured out how long between when I arrive and the death happened, and so he knew that our time was up. He told me about the guy I was in. How he raped his daughters. He even showed me pictures of the girls. He never touched me, but somehow my heart stopped. I don't even know when it did. It didn't hurt. I was just gone."

Izuku frowned and curled his hand into a fist. "The last time, he hadn't meant to call me, I don't think. There was this guy. He stole money from Grim or something and left his family. In the vision previous, I was one of his kids. His wife poisoned herself and them because she was afraid the syndicate was going to take her kids and her. Make them pay for the dad. I died with them and woke up with Grim in the dad's body. I was tied to the chair in the small room again, but Grim gave me that drug really fast so I didn't hurt for long. He told me I was running out of time, I think. It's a little fuzzy, but that's when he told me about the Raven and to ask for him. I… I think I asked him not to kill anyone, and I think… I think he said he wouldn't."

"The yakuza is bad news, Izuku," Kacchan said lowly after several minutes, glaring into Izuku's eyes. "Not on the level of the League of Villains, Grim is right about that. The yakuza has become a lot less powerful since heroes have became established, but they are still a criminal organization. We know this for a fact because that little room exists. Two men were taken there to be tortured and killed for punishment or to get information. Leaving aside whether these men deserved it or not, or how we feel about the death penalty, I can't trust someone who can do that. Killing someone is one thing, but that's taking things to a darker level."

Izuku was breathing fast at this point, Kacchan's words felt like ice water, a shock of reality clearing the fog of confusion from his mind.

"You've just been through hell. Your head's in a terrible place, and I don't blame you for hating those mother fuckers who hurt you, who killed those people. I understand how that can make what Grim's selling seem reasonable, but I _know_ you, Izuku. Being around that kind of life would break a part of you forever." Kacchan reached out to him and gently touched his cheek. "Be honest, Izuku. What do you really want to do deep down in your heart? Forget everything else for right now. Do you want to punish criminals who deserve it… Or save people?"

Izuku burst into tears and covered his face. When Kacchan put it like that… "I want to be a hero!" he cried, looking up. "I want to save those little girls! I want to save all those people I felt die!"

Kacchan smiled fiercely. "Then Grim isn't your answer, Izuku. He may not be your enemy, but he isn't your friend. You've got to remember who you are. You can't let him get in your head. His way isn't the only way, okay?"

Izuku flung his arms around Kacchan's neck and sobbed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Kacchan held him back tightly, then he kissed him.

Izuku felt soul-sick. Guilt sat heavy in his gut for thinking even for a second that Grim was a friend. He felt dirty and desperate and unworthy. Kacchan must have sensed something for he broke the kiss and frowned. Izuku shook his head helplessly.

"I'm sorry…" he said tearfully. It was all he could say.

"Deku…"

The poison in his heart spilled past his lips in a dark swill. "I listened to him! I believed him! He hurt those men, he hurt me, but he was nice for a few minutes and I wanted to believe everything he said! What if you weren't here? What if I went to the Raven? He's the yakuza! He'd wants to use my visions just like the Institute, but for his own selfish gains. He'd try to turn me against the world, make me a killer like one of them, and I would have let him!"

"Izuku!"

Kacchan grabbed his arm in a painful grip and forced it up. Izuku stared at the still healing tattoo embedded in his skin. Kacchan put his own forearm along side it. The artistic lines of the hybrid flowers and compass sat next to the delicate red spider lilies blocking the moon.

"You are worthy of being a hero. You were fucking tortured and killed for hours. Some asshole messed with your head. You didn't do anything wrong, okay? You're okay. We're going to get through this together. Remember to look forward."

Izuku's eyes went blurry again. Why was he so weak? Why couldn't he do anything right? Kacchan was always there helping him, saving him. He'd let the darkness win over and over and over. Why was he so pathetic?!

With a shout, Izuku tore his arm away and tackled Kacchan to the bed. The blond stared up at him in surprise and then grinned fiercely. He twisted and got a knee up, shoving Izuku clear off the bed. Izuku grunted and rolled out of the way as Kacchan jumped at him. He kicked out, getting the blond in the side. Kacchan grunted and pinned his leg. He grabbed Izuku's arm, but before he could get it locked, Izuku flung his head back and got Kacchan in the throat. The blond sputtered and fell back. Izuku spun around and wrapped his legs around Kacchan's torso, pinning one arm to his chest and tried to get him in a hold.

They fought hard. The sound of hands slapping flesh, of their harsh pants and grunts filled the room. In the end, Izuku managed to twist Kacchan into a headlock. The blond actually laughed and slapped this arm.

"You… win…" he panted.

Izuku collapsed, gasping for breath. The darkness inside him no longer felt like it was suffocating him. He felt tired and loose-limbed. He looked to the side to see Kacchan smiling back at him and felt love fill every nook and cranny in his battered heart and mind.

"I love you," he said softly, reaching over to brush blond hair dark with sweat from Kacchan's forehead.

Kacchan grinned. "Love you, too, nerd. I liked this much better than crying."

Izuku made a face at him, but couldn't help laughing. "Me, too."

Everything wasn't fixed. They still had a huge problem in Grim, but… Izuku felt hopeful again. He rolled onto his side and wiggled until he had his head pillowed on Kacchan's chest. The steady, strong beat of the blond's heart followed him down into an exhausted sleep.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **Okay, I agonized over this chapter! I can't tell you how many times I re-wrote the end with Katsuki and Izuku. I had them react in different ways, but nothing felt exactly right. Partly because Izuku's spiraling and negative mental space was really hard to shake. You have to tell me what you think!


	45. Chapter 45

**A/n:** Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay in updates. Got a little busy... and so will our boys! (hehehe) Okay, that was really cheesy, but fair warning it gets slightly M rated at the end of the chapter.

...

**Secrets Kept and Told**

Toshinori felt everything around him grow sharper, clearer. It was as if he had been walking around in a hazy bubble that had suddenly popped. He could almost count the grain of wood in the headboard of the bed frame. Young Midoriya sat on the edge of that bed. His cheek was bruised, his face pale. His hands, scarred from fights, were clenched into fists on his knees. Midoriya wouldn't meet his eyes. His shoulders were bowed slightly and tense, but his voice was matter-of-fact as he described the yakuza torturer who'd tried to sweet-talk him into surrendering himself.

Toshinori opened his mouth, protective fury burning inside him so hot he was surprised it wasn't making his skin glow, but before any declaration could escape his lips, Aizawa touched his lower back. The touch was surprisingly firm, so he closed his mouth.

"Thank you for trusting us with this," Aizawa said mildly. "I'm sure it was a very confusing experience. Next year you'll be introduced to rhetoric and psychological manipulation during Heroics. One part of a hero's job is being able to deal with criminals who are very charming and persuasive. We've all struggled with it."

It took all of Toshinori's control not to react to Aizawa's shocking words. He was correct, of course, but was he implying that Midoriya had actually _considered_ it? Just thinking about it was enough to fill him with utter dread. One For All in the hands of the yakuza? That would be tantamount to the end of the quirk completely. At least the end of what it was truly meant for. But Midoriya was looking up at Aizawa with a look of hope as well as doubt on his painfully young face, telling Toshinori that the boy _had_ struggled with the dangerous invitation.

_Oh, Midoriya,_ he thought, filled with an aching sadness. Had he really been this young when Nana had found him? Midoriya seemed almost too fragile for the hardness of the world, too raw and naive. How in the world was Toshinori going to protect this boy?

"It's true," Aizawa assured him. "Do you think I've never felt doubt? Do you think I have never stood across an opponent and felt sympathy? Do you think I hadn't once doubted if I was doing the right thing?"

Midoriya's large, expressive eyes filled with tears. Aizawa's tone gentled in response, and Toshinori felt a pang of envy. Where he struggled to connect to and guide his young charge, Aizawa seemed to do it so effortlessly.

"Your empathetic nature is part of what has fueled your drive to become a hero. The ability to connect with others is a heroic trait, but we will help you learn how to temper that virtue with wisdom." Aizawa stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on the boy's dark green hair. "You are still so new to heroing, Midoriya." Aizawa quirked a smile, his tone becoming wry. "Forgive yourself for not having all the answers right away. Give yourself time to gain experience, and trust us to guide you."

Midoriya nodded firmly, his expression hardening with the determination that had so moved Toshinori. This child was so full of contradiction. He possessed a soft openness that one usually saw only in the very young, but he also possessed a determination that Toshinori had never seen broken, even against overwhelming odds.

"I don't think Grim knows who Izuku is yet," the young blond spoke up. "But he's narrowed his fucking location down to the UA area."

Toshinori noticed Bakugo had a split lip and a bruise darkening on his jaw. Had the two boys fought? The idea of the two in conflict made him feel anxious. He would have no idea what to say if Midorwya came to him for love advice! Truth was Toshinori didn't really understand how their relationship worked to begin with. Where Midoriya was soft at his core, Bakugo was hard and unforgiving. He reminded Toshinori of a dragon, fire and smoke trailing threateningly from a sharp-toothed maw.

Aizawa sighed. "That is troublesome, but UA has thousands of very talented students at this school as well as hundreds of talented staff. It will not be easy to pick Midoriya out from the rest. In fact, it will be like trying to find a needle in a needle stack. It will make Midoriya nearly impossible to find. Not to mention Midoriya has a very flashy strength-based quirk." He smiled ironically. "And we all know you can't have more than one quirk. Even if this Grim were to somehow get a dossier on every student, Midoriya would be dismissed out of hand as a suspect."

Toshinori could stand silent no longer. "No matter what, we will protect you, young Midoriya! You can count on us!"

"Even from the government?" young Bakugo snapped, his eyes sharp and fierce as they stared Toshinori down.

Toshinori didn't hesitate or flinch. "Even from the government," he promised. The importance of One For All surpassed government or law. It must be protected and passed down. The chain must be unbroken! Still… Toshinori frowned at the boy. "We are not certain he needs protection from the government just yet, my boy. The government is the institute that holds the country together. It was built to uphold order and justice. Do not be so sure it is the enemy."

"It is not just UA that falls under the jurisdiction of the government, but all hero agencies as well. This is a reality you will have to resign yourself to as heroes," Aizawa agreed.

The boy crossed his arms and glared fiercely at the wall.

"I finished my notes," Midoriya spoke up. He handed the notebook to Toshinori. Bakugo made an unhappy sound, and Toshinori knew the boy didn't approve of Midoriya's decision. "Can you get this to Tsukauchi and Nighteye?"

Toshinori's heart clenched and he gently took the offered notebook. "I will," he promised softly. Even after their argument, Midoriya still trusted Mirai to help these people, and his trust was not misplaced. Toshinori would make sure every one of the people Izuku had felt die was saved if he had to do it himself.

"I will inform your mother that you are awake," Aizawa said and turned to the door.

"Get some rest, young Midoriya. I'll come see you again soon," Toshinori promised and hurried after his friend.

It was late afternoon. Classes had finished, so the hallways were mostly deserted. They walked in silence. Toshinori tried to speak a few times, but the intense look on Aizawa's face made him hesitate. He frowned in confusion, recognizing they were on the way to the Nezu's office. Aizawa knocked once on the door and strode inside without waiting for a response. Worried, Toshinori followed in his wake.

Nezu's office was grand but not overly so. There was an elegant couch and coffee table to one side, the walls were lined nearly floor to ceiling with leather bound books, and a large desk was placed near the windows that overlooked the grounds.

Principal Nezu pushed aside the high-tech monitor of his computer and smiled at them. "Aizawa, Yagi, how are you?" the small creature asked politely.

"We have a problem," Aizawa stated grimly.

Toshinori looked at him in alarm.

"A branch of the yakuza has figured out Midoriya's quirk and has deduced his location to be at UA."

"I thought…" Toshinori began, his heart beginning to pound in alarm.

"I was reassuring the children." Aizawa gave him a hard look. "It serves no purpose to have them anxious and afraid at this point, but it is only a matter of time before Midoriya is discovered. It may not be soon, but it will happen eventually. We must prepare."

"And I have been," Nezu spoke lightly, breaking the tension. "Ever since you brought Midoriya's birth quirk to my attention." The principal hopped down from his seat and came around to them. He took one of their hands and drew them to the couch.

"How can we keep Midoriya safe?" Toshinori demanded. "Mirai could track down the yakuza thug and…"

"Let us not be hasty," Nezu cautioned. He pushed them to sit and went to a nook where a water boiler and tea sat waiting. He began to prepare a pot. "We have many paths before us. We must carefully consider the correct one to take."

Toshinori sighed, resigned as the principal prepared three cups of tea. When the principal got out the tea set, it signified a long meeting ahead. Once everything was prepared and in place, the little creature hopped up between Aizawa and Toshinori on the couch.

"Now, there are many things to consider. The first is Midoriya's health. His quirk inflicts a heavy toll on his mind and spirit. I am pleased that Ivy-sensei is now counseling him and that the boy has a strong support network gathered around him, but we still must keep his age and his mental health in mind.

"The second thing we must consider is the value of Midoriya's quirk to the world. He has instigated remarkable change in this city. For the first time in history, there was not a single death by murder in our district two months in a row. Crime in general is lower than ever due to the rumors of a vigilante or some other force that makes working crimes more difficult in the area.

"The third thing we must consider is the varied parties who would find Midoriya's quirk useful and who would do anything to possess it. So far we have the government and the yakuza, but do not be fooled into thinking they will be the only ones who would wish to use Midoriya's abilities."

"We can stop the yakuza," Toshinori insisted. He curled his free hand into a fist on his thigh. "We can root Grim out and…"

Nezu held up his paw. "Actually, they check each other. Neither party can go all out to discover Midoriya's identity without tipping the other off. Midoriya's power is… unheard of… to say the least. We've seen nothing like it in the history of quirks. Neither side can risk Midoriya falling into enemy hands, so the fact that the yakuza is looking is good, for it makes the government more cautious, and vice versa."

Toshinori set his tea cup down harder than necessary. "So we just let Grim mess with Izuku?"

"We will prepare him," Nezu countered gently. "The truth is any plan that deals solely in our protecting Midoriya is doomed to fail. It will be a race, gentlemen, of the most interesting kind."

"What do you mean?" Toshinori demanded.

"The only true path to success is Midoriya growing strong enough to protect himself," Nezu stated firmly, his black eyes piercing into Toshinori. "As I said, it will be a race. Will Midoriya grow into his powers and destiny before the yakuza or the government catch on to his identity? We shall see."

Fear fizzled down Toshinori's spine, and he reflexively hid it behind a smile. "Then we must step up his training."

"We must step up all of our training," Aizawa corrected. He crossed his arms and lowered his chin into his scarf. "The villains are gathering under a single banner. The League and Stain are uniting them. When the villains make their move, they're going to do it in force. We're going to need a team equally powerful to match it."

"I think we need to prepare the kids to take the Hero licensing exam," Toshinori announced. Aizawa looked at him in surprise, but Nezu simply nodded. "Class 1-A for sure, and possibly even 1-B."

"We've only allowed a select few second years to take that test," Aizawa protested. "Most wait until their third year."

"You're the one that said we need to be ready," Toshinori told him, tone hard. "I believe they can do it. We just have to work them hard during the summer camp."

Aizawa didn't look convinced but he sighed. "I'll talk to Vlad."

"And I think we should increase the difficulty of the practical exam," Toshinori added. "I propose we set the kids against the teachers. They've already come face-to-face with villains twice. Facing robots will not do them any good."

"I will call a staff meeting," Nezu agreed cheerfully and took a sip from his tea. His legs kicked happily. "This should be fun!"

…

Izuku was eating dinner in the cafeteria with his mother and Kacchan when All Might found him. His mother had been horrified to hear about Grim, but on the plus side it had made her really pro-UA. She now believed this was the only place he would be safe.

"All - " Inko began, her tearful, grateful eyes staring up at the skinny form of the hero.

"All the food is great here, you're right, Mom!" Izuku cried loudly and lightly kicked her under the table.

Kacchan leaned in to whisper. "No one knows about his true condition, remember?"

Inko covered her mouth and nodded.

"Thank you for the compliment. I will pass it along to the chefs," Toshinori answered with a smile, winking at Izuku.

Izuku beamed at him, relieved he'd managed to save the situation. There weren't many people in the dinning room, and none were sitting close, but you couldn't be too careful!

"May I join you?" Toshinori asked politely.

"Of course!" Inko was the first to answer and practically leapt to her feet. "Do sit down!" she said and gestured to the only open seat, the one next to her.

Toshinori sat and gave Inko a smile. "I assure you, Ms. Midoriya, we will keep Izuku safe from any threat."

Inko reached over and covered Izuku's hand with her own. Very seriously and sincerely, she met Toshinori's eyes and bowed her head. "Thank you. My son means everything to me. I am in your debt."

"Please." Toshinori's long-fingered hand, a hand that had saved so many, engulfed both hers and Izuku's completely. "It is my pleasure and my duty."

"What'd we miss in Heroics today?" Kacchan asked, annoyed, glaring at All Might.

Izuku studied his boyfriend's face. Kacchan was still mad at All Might? His expression creased with concern.

"We conducted an Informatics lesson on the different emergency procedures each major city holds," All Might answered with his usual smile. He gently took his hand back. "I am certain your classmates will provide you with the notes you missed." His neon blue eyes shifted to Izuku. "I actually came hoping we could speak. Would you walk with me?"

Izuku quickly wiped his mouth and stood. "Of course." He bent over to place a kiss on his mother's cheek. "Are you sure you don't want to spend the night? It's late."

"It's only eight o'clock," Inko protested and smiled up at her son. "I have the early shift tomorrow and I left my work clothes at home." Expression turning stern, she said, "Don't stay up too late, Izuku. You need a good night's sleep. If you need any medicine, I left some in your room. Recovery Girl said they were perfectly safe to take."

"Thanks, Mom," Izuku said with a smile and hugged her.

"I'll walk you to the station," Kacchan offered.

"Aren't you staying with Izuku?" Inko asked curiously.

"No." Kacchan gave Izuku a steady look. "Deku wants me to get a good night's sleep."

"I'll probably be a bit restless," Izuku admitted, rubbing the back of his head. At his mother's worried look, he quickly reassured her, "I'll get some sleep, I promise, but I'll probably move around a lot, that's all, and Kacchan stayed up most of last night, and I woke him up early today, so…"

Inko smiled lovingly. "I'm glad you're taking such good care of each other."

Izuku blushed. "Of course." He shot Kacchan a shy smile. "I love him."

Kacchan gave him a steady look that spoke volumes before taking their dirty dishes to the dish station.

Toshinori looked awkward as he stood. "Well, then…"

"I love you, honey," Inko said, pulling Izuku into one last hug. "Call me if you need anything." Then turning to Toshinori, she bowed. "Please take care of my son."

Toshinori bowed back. "I give you my word I will protect him with my life," he told her honestly.

Inko straightened and nodded before hurrying after Kacchan, carrying the last of their dishes.

"Shall we go?" Toshinori asked.

"Of course!" Izuku walked with him, but instead of going to All Might's office, the hero led him outside.

"It's a beautiful night. I thought a walk would do us good," All Might explained.

Izuku nodded and soon they were walking across the grounds of the school. The trees whispered as a gentle summer breeze blew through them. It was cloudy and the moon hadn't risen, so it was very dark. Even though Toshinori walked at his side, he was just an outline against the black of the night.

"I was hesitant to bring this up before," All Might began, voice low. "Considering the ill effect it had on you, but it's been a month… Have you put any effort into meditating since your work study?"

Izuku flushed, his stomach dropping. "No," he admitted. "But Daisuke said that the subconscious works whether you know it or not, so…" He knew he was making an excuse even as he said it. Izuku came to a stop, and he felt more than saw All Might stop with him. "I'm sorry," he said roughly, his fists clenched. "I didn't handle that pool well, and I think I'm still trying to avoid it."

The trees rustled in the silence that came between them, and Izuku's stomach twisted, knowing that silence for disappointment.

"Izuku… Gran Torino was wrong to put you in that pool. You didn't have the training to endure it in a safe way. It is my fault completely for not supervising you correctly or communicating to Gran Torino my expectations for your training. I am very proud of you for how you have held up under such a stressful situation, and I am deeply grateful for your forgiveness."

Izuku shifted nervously. He could hear a 'but' coming. "All Might…"

"Let me speak," Toshinori said firmly. He waited a beat to make sure Izuku obeyed. "None of that means you should forego your training. It is more important than ever that you master One For All, Izuku. I entrusted this quirk to you and you alone because you convinced me that you were worthy of it. I am asking you to remember your promise to me. Your promise that you would work harder than anyone in order to become a hero who could save people. Do you remember making that vow?"

"I - " Izuku stuttered, heart pounding in his throat.

"I read your notebook," All Might said lowly, talking over him. "Even considering the size difference between you and your opponents, you performed poorly in simple hand-to-hand combat situations. You are a Heroics student at UA. You're in class 1-A. It's unacceptable."

Izuku's face burned a bright red. "I'm sorry," he said faintly, tears burning his eyes.

All Might began to walk. "I do not scold you so that you may be sorry, Midoriya. I scold you because I believe without a shadow of a doubt that you can do better. I fully believe you will surpass me one day, so don't be sorry. Do better."

Izuku did not follow his mentor as All Might walked away from him. He crouched down and hugged his knees. His breathing came quickly as a panic attack began to tighten his chest. Izuku forced his breathing to slow.

All Might was right. Izuku wasn't going to waste time crying about it. He'd gotten sloppy and weak. How often did he work out outside of Heroics class any more? Once - maybe twice - a week? Before the Sports Festival, he'd worked out everyday! And he'd fallen apart on Kacchan after his visions last night! He'd allowed himself to sink into self-loathing, which after Hosu and seeing Iida do the same thing, he'd promised himself he'd never let happen again! And after their work study, he hadn't once practiced meditation or tried to reach Daisuke even though he'd promised he would!

Closing his eyes, Izuku searched inside himself. Where was the boy who'd cleaned the beach? Where was the boy who painfully transformed his body in the ten months before the UA entrance exam? What was happening to him?

He remembered seeing Kacchan and the others die on Stain's blade. Remembered Endeavor's wide eyes as steel punched through his chest, impaling his heart. Todoroki's pale and terribly empty expression. And in these last visions - All Might was right! - he'd barely gotten by, had hardly made a difference. What was the point of Hitoshi changing his visions so that he could fight back if he was going to simply let the murderers win anyway?

Heart thudding with adrenaline, Izuku stood with his fists clenched and his jaw set. This wasn't like him! He was DEKU, the hero who never gave up! He wasn't this pathetic! He wasn't! Izuku took off in a sprint. He had to get stronger!

…

Katsuki frowned when he saw that the classroom was empty except for one or two extras. Izuku had spent the night at the school, so where the fuck was he? Katsuki dropped his bag and took his seat. His classmates trickled in, all of them chattering nervously about the practice exams that started in three days.

Kirishima with his spiked, bright red hair came over and leaned his hip on Katsuki's desk. "You're back!" he said, stating the obvious with a cheerful smile. "Where were you and the class prez yesterday? You guys get sick or something?"

"None of your fucking business," Katsuki answered without any real heat. His attention was on the door because Izuku had just walked in.

Deku looked flushed and his hair was damp with sweat, but he was smiling. Katsuki caught those green eyes and lifted an eyebrow in question. Izuku said something to the Octopus boy who'd walked in with him and came over.

"Morning, Kacchan! Morning, Kirishima!"

"Good morning, Midoriya," the redhead answered with a big smile. "Where did you guys go?"

"I asked Shoji to meet me an hour early so we could spar." Izuku rolled his shoulder as if it hurt. "I'm going to ask Aizawa if he can show me a few moves to help me take down opponents bigger and stronger than me."

Kirishima was completely distracted from the original intent of his question. "Do you think we'll have one-on-one combat for our practical exam like in the Sports Festival?" He turned excited red eyes to Katsuki. "Man, I hope we have a rematch!" He hit his hardened fists together, making a loud clink-thud sound.

"I'll take you on anytime, anywhere, Red." Katsuki gave him a sharp grin.

"Homeroom's starting," Izuku announced. "I'll talk to you guys later."

Moving to the podium at the front of the room, Izuku proceeded to tell the class that they had only three more days before the practice exams and only three weeks after that before their official exams. Katsuki tuned him out, instead staring out the window with narrowed eyes. He was going to kill those fucking tests and prove he was the fucking best! It was time to get serious.

…

The next two days were spent studying and training. Izuku and Katsuki led the way, dragging everyone in their wake as they pushed themselves to the brink of collapse. The teachers were more intense than usual, encouraging them to stay after class hours with them for extra tutoring and training.

Izuku made good use of this extra time. He asked every teacher he knew for grappling and hand-to-hand tips and techniques. Unfortunately, most of the victims he possessed on the full moon were either children or women, so he had to get used to fighting larger opponents and winning! He begged Shoji and Sato, the two largest and most muscular kids in the class to spar with him every chance he got. The boys were confused, but they complied.

…

Monday dawned and they spent the entire morning taking their math and science practice exam. They were dismissed after lunch, and Katsuki wanted to go straight to the gym to workout, but the human Pikachu stopped him.

"Actually, hold up a minute, Bakugo." The blond ran a hand through his bright yellow hair bashfully, his cheeks red. "Today's my fifteenth birthday. A few of us are going to meet up at the cafe by the station for some cake. Did you want to come?"

"Of course!" Izuku cried from beside Katsuki, his green eyes wide. "I didn't know it was your birthday! I'm sorry, Kaminari, I'm not a very good class president."

"It's not that big of a deal," the blond protested. He was almost bouncing with excitement. "I'm just glad you're coming! I know how much training matters to you."

Suddenly the two turned their big eyes to Katsuki.

"What?" he snapped with a glare, crossing his arms.

"Are you coming?" Kaminari asked carefully.

"I haven't had cake in awhile," he answered gruffly. "So fine. Whatever."

Kaminari beamed at him. "Thanks, Bakugo!"

Turned out 'a few of us' was the entire 1-A class. There was a lot of laughing and talking as they got drinks and ordered an entire cake. The staff got into it and even brought it out with candles. Kaminari stood up and thrust his soda into the air.

"This should be for all the spring birthdays!" the blond cried. "Who's had a birthday since school started?"

"It's summer now, dolt," Jiro called.

"Barely!" he countered. "And it's not really summer until summer break. Come on, guys! Come up here and blow these out with me! Yaoyorozu! Help me out. I know you know everyone's birthdays!"

Yaoyorozu stood. "I do actually, but that's personal information. Not everyone wants their birthday broadcast."

Katsuki saw the enthusiasm start to drain from Kaminari's face. Scowling, he stood up. "It's not a big fucking deal. My birthday was April 20th."

Kaminari beamed at him. "Alright! Come blow these out with me!"

"Are you sure?" the invisible girl asked, waving her arms in excitement. "You don't mind sharing?"

"Of course not! The more people you share something with the better it is," Kaminari insisted. "Did you have a spring birthday, too?"

"Yeah!" the girl cried. "June 16th. Two weeks ago."

"Happy birthday!" the class called.

"We had a birthday in the same week, Hagakure," the large sugar-addict Izuku had recently favored as his sparring partner piped up with a smile. "I was born on June 19th."

"Mine was May 28th," Tail-boy admitted.

"Mon dieu! Mine's May 30th!" Frenchy cried dramatically, putting the back of his hand to his forehead. "What a sparkling coincidence, oui?"

"This is awesome!" the electric idiot gestured for all of them to stand up. "Come on! The candles are melting. Don't forget to make a wish! Sero! Take our picture!"

Katsuki grumbled and stood next to the excited blond. He didn't bother blowing out the candles, but the others blew together to the applause of the rest of the class.

"We should get together and do a group birthday celebration every season," Izuku said quietly when Katsuki returned to his seat. "This was so fun."

Katsuki couldn't help smiling softly at that. Izuku looked so content as he watched the rest of the class play and laugh. He'd been so tense since the full moon. The circles under his eyes were a match for Braindead's at this point, and Katsuki wasn't sure the purple-haired bastard ever slept.

"Deku…"

Katsuki looked up to see Cheeks standing awkwardly by their table. He shot her a hot glare. Her crush was funny, but now wasn't the fucking time to bring it up. Izuku was finally starting to relax.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked, oblivious to Katsuki's rising anger.

"But the party," Izuku tried to say, tensing once more. The peaceful look on his face was gone completely.

Katsuki sighed and gave it up. It was too late now. He scowled and slouched in his chair.

The dumb girl gave a fake smile. "I know… I just… I need to talk to you…"

Izuku squirmed, but he took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Let's go talk over there." He got up and took her by the hand, leading her to a table far enough away so they wouldn't be overheard.

"What's this?" Kirishima asked obnoxiously, leaning over the table to get a better view of the two. "Is Uraraka gonna do it?"

"Do what?" Tape-boy and Pikachu crowded in. "Oh my god! Uraraka's making a move!"

"Dating is inappropriate for first years," Ponytail Princess protested, and the Rocker-chic elbowed her in the side.

"Lighten up," she hissed. "Oh my god!"

"You can't stop true love," Pinky exclaimed.

Katsuki snorted, unable to hold back a laugh.

Todoroki caught his eye and lifted an eyebrow.

Katsuki just shrugged. If the girl was going to be that dumb, then she deserved what she got.

…

Izuku's palms grew sweaty as he sat across from his friend. He hated the hurt look on her face. Double hated the fact that he'd put it there. He should have confronted her earlier, but he just hadn't known what to say or how to say it.

Uraraka was special to him. She'd always supported him, and she was fun to be around. Izuku hadn't had any true friends before. Not like the ones he'd made in 1-A, and he didn't want to ruin that. If Uraraka hated him, then Iida would feel conflicted and the girls in the class would side with Uraraka. It would ruin everything.

And he couldn't just tell her he was dating Kacchan! A lot of people still didn't approve of same-sex couples. Of the hundreds of heroes Izuku had studied, he knew of only two who were open about being gay. Neither story ended in success. Both had retired early and disappeared out of the public eye after less than five years because the scrutiny and criticism had been too much.

"Deku, I know this probably isn't a good time, but I've been trying to get your attention, and I know we should be focused on our practice exams, but that's why I needed to talk to you because it's been driving me crazy and I haven't been able to concentrate…"

She looked at him with large, warm brown eyes. Her pink cheeks were darker than normal. She was pretty and sweet and kind. She deserved a real answer! Izuku felt like he was being tortured. "Uraraka…"

"I thought I made it clear before, but you got all nervous and started avoiding me…"

Izuku reached over and grabbed her hand tightly. "Stop. Please." Meeting her eyes, he took a deep breath. "I've never had a real friend before I met you, Uraraka. Besides Kacchan, I mean. So you're really special to me, but I never thought about dating before," he tried to say delicately.

She turned her hand so she was gripping his hand back. "It's okay, Deku! We don't have to do much. Just knowing how you feel…"

"No," he said tightly, blushing. "No, you're not understanding…" God, he hated this! His hand tightened around hers. "I don't… I don't like you like that."

Her eyes widened.

"I like you like a good friend," Izuku said desperately. "A really, really good friend."

Uraraka stood abruptly, her face red. "But Pony said you called me your girlfriend! And you were so nervous after I kissed you! I thought you were just shy, but you were avoiding me because you didn't know how to tell me you didn't like me?" Tears filled her eyes. "All this time… I thought… You made me think…"

Izuku bit his lip as the tears rolled slowly down her flushed cheeks. "Uraraka…" he stood and reached out to her with an expression of concern. "Please…"

She turned to run, but Izuku caught her wrist and tugged her close. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Uraraka. Really I am." She tried to pull away, face hot with anger and hurt, but Izuku held firm to her wrist. "I don't like girls like that. I like boys."

Uraraka froze. Confusion and then understanding dawned across her face. Her eyes snapped to the side. Izuku followed her gaze. Kacchan was watching them. Seeing them looking, the blond leaned back in his chair and lifted his chin, a smug smile curling his lips. Izuku looked back to Uraraka, his cheeks warm.

There was no point denying it if Kacchan was going to be so obvious. Izuku was a little angry actually. He knew Kacchan didn't care who knew about them or about the negative public attention they'd get, but Izuku cared. He didn't want anything to mess up Kacchan's chances of being the number one Hero of Japan! So it came out a little more aggressive than he meant it to when he admitted, "I'm dating Kacchan. We've been dating since before school started."

Uraraka stared at him for a long minute. "Oh my god… So much makes sense now…"

Izuku grit his teeth. "Don't tell the others, please. I know for a fact not all of our classmates would approve, or even all our teachers. I don't want to make things harder for him."

Uraraka flung her arms around him in a hug. "Oh, Deku… I won't tell anyone," she promised.

Izuku hugged her back. "Thanks," he said sincerely, his shoulders relaxing.

…

As Deku and Cheeks hugged, Katsuki looked around to see everyone was watching the pair avidly. Idiots. He grabbed his soda and sucked noisily through his straw. No one paid him any attention because Cheeks and Izu were walking back to their group, hand-in-hand.

"So… Are you going to make out?" the tiny pervert wanted to know.

Cheeks released Izuku's hand to wave her hands in front of her red-hot face. "No! We're just friends. It was a misunderstanding, that's all!"

The girls practically leapt on Cheeks and dragged her to a separate table, fiercely whispering.

Pikachu, Red, and Tape-boy descended on Izuku like a pack of hyenas. "What did you tell her?" - "Why didn't you go for it, man?" - "She's hot!" - "Are you scared of girls?" - "I'd date her if she asked me!" - "Are you crazy?"

"I care about Uraraka a lot," Izuku stated firmly. "She's one of my closest friends. That's all." He steadfastly refused to say anything else, ignoring all questions.

"Leave him the fuck alone," Katsuki finally snapped, annoyed. "This is a birthday party, you idiots! Don't you losers think the fucking Pikachu should be getting the attention, not Deku?"

Very reluctantly, the boys turned their attention back to the electric blond, and the girls rejoined their group. Katsuki studied their faces, but none of them paid him any special attention, so Cheeks must have kept her mouth shut. Katsuki thought about it and gave it a month before the whole class knew. He elbowed Izuku in the side and grinned.

"What?" Izuku demanded, eyes narrowed. He hadn't shared Katsuki's amusement over the whole thing.

Katsuki leaned close to whisper, "Did you think about it? Taking her out?"

Izuku flushed and hissed angrily, "Kacchan!"

"If you had, I'd have to go all out to convince you I'm the better choice." He stroked Izuku's thigh under the table.

Izuku went more pink than red and Katsuki laughed.

"What's so funny?" Kaminari asked curiously.

"Get me another piece of cake, birthday boy, and don't fucking worry about it," Katsuki answered easily. He caught Cheeks' big brown eyes on him and smirked, licking his lips. "I'm fucking hungry." He grinned sharply when she quickly looked away.

…

After spending almost the entire afternoon at the cafe, Izuku called his mom and got permission to stay the night with Kacchan. He was still mad at Kacchan for his attitude about the whole Uraraka thing, so he crossed his arms when they found the house empty. Aizawa wasn't home.

Kacchan slowly smiled, turning to give Izuku a burning look. "Looks like we have the house to ourselves, Izu."

Izuku's heart beat in his throat, and he felt his anger turning into something else. "I wish you'd be more reasonable. You know why I'm upset."

In answer, Kacchan slowly reached forward and began to undo Izuku's school tie. His eyes watched Izuku like a predator watching prey, and it made Izuku shiver, his cheeks burning bright. Kacchan walked right up to him, putting their chests together, and sank a hand into his hair. Fisting it, the blond slowly lowered his mouth to Izuku's.

It felt like electricity zapping through him, every nerve coming alive at the touch of Kacchan's lips on his. The wall hit his back hard, and Kacchan yanked Izuku's thigh up onto his hip so that they were pressed as tightly together as they could get. Every thought flew from Izuku's head. All that mattered was the feelings coursing through him, and he couldn't get enough!

"Room," Kacchan rasped breathlessly, breaking away.

Kacchan grabbed his wrist and practically ran to his bedroom, pulling Izuku along with him. Once the door was shut behind him, Kacchan turned to face him, a sexy smirk quirking up his kiss-swollen lips.

Kacchan slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Hips swaying sensually, he worked the button on his slacks open revealing the red boxers he wore underneath. Izuku sat heavily on the edge of the bed, feeling faint and unable to look away from the incredible sight of Kacchan's skin slowly being revealed an inch at a time.

"So beautiful," he whispered in awe.

Kacchan stepped out of his pants and slowly, slowly tugged his boxers down over his hips. He casually stepped out of them and grabbed his cock. He worked his fist up and down the hard shaft, completely unashamed. Voice a low rasp, he asked, "Wanna watch each other?"

Izuku's breath hitched. "W-what?" he stuttered, looking up into dark, red eyes.

Kacchan smiled sexily and tilted his head. "Wanna watch me cum?" he asked again. His voice dropped lower as he added, "Because I wanna watch you."

Izuku swallowed hard. "O-okay," he agreed. He stood and much more clumsily than Kacchan had managed, he stripped out of his school uniform and sat naked on the bed. Kacchan watched all of this through lust-heavy eyes, his hand still working slowly.

"You look so good, Izu," he purred. "Wanna see your face when it happens. Wanna see you covered in cum."

Izuku blushed all the way down to his chest, his dick slapping his stomach softly as it jumped. Shyly, he spread his thighs a little and grabbed himself. He leaned back on one hand. He couldn't stop blushing. "Like this?"

"Just like that." Kacchan stepped closer so he was almost between Izuku's knees. "Gonna fucking cum all over you."

Izuku shivered, Kacchan's voice striking a deep cord inside him. Instinctively, he exposed his throat, a needy whine rising from his swollen lips. "Oh god, Kacchan. Not gonna last."

Kacchan hummed a low note that went straight to Izuku's cock and smiled wickedly. "You're so easy, Izu. So good for me."

Izuku moaned, his hand pumping faster as his hips rolled up off the bed. His skin was already damp with sweat. Droplets rolled down his neck, his hard chest and muscled stomach.

"Only I get to see you like this," Kacchan purred. "Get to see you go all soft and perfect. No one but me, Izuku. Only I will get to taste your mouth. Only I will get to hear the way you beg so sweetly. Only I get to see you this fucking perfect."

Tears beaded in Izuku's eyes at the surprisingly possessive words. He gasped out a sob, so close he was going to scream.

Harsh, commanding, Kacchan stared him in the eyes, his own fist stopping on his cock. "Show me you're mine. Fucking give it to me, Izuku. Now."

Izuku arched, and just as Kacchan wanted, he sprayed his chest with his own cum.

Collapsing on his back, out of breath and tingling from head to toe, he watched through a haze of pleasure as Kacchan stepped closer, spreading Izuku's thighs wider, his hand working again with urgency. "You think I'm pretty? Fucking look at you," Kacchan rasped, his breath coming quicker. "I fucking love that look on your face."

Kacchan bent down to hover only inches above him, bracing one hand on the bed. Izuku gasped as warmth hit his skin. The smell of Kacchan's cum, the look on the blond's face as he let everything go, made Izuku bite his lip hard, his cock twitching. Little grunts escaped Kacchan's red lips, and Izuku wrapped trembling arms around his neck to kiss him hungrily. Their mouths worked furiously, Kacchan's arm shaking as he held himself off of the mess splattered all over Izuku's chest and abs.

Breaking the kiss, Kacchan collapsed on his knees, folding his arms on the bed and resting his head there, panting. Izuku smiled and reached down to to run his hand through Kacchan's coarse, ash-blond hair. "Love you," he said softly, eyes adoring as they looked down at his lover.

Kacchan huffed out a laugh and poked Izuku's hip. "I can see that."

Izuku blushed. He was hard again.

Kacchan leaned over and closed his teeth over Izuku's hip bone.

Izuku froze, his whole body lighting up. Kacchan's face was so close to his cock, and the feel of those dangerous teeth pressing into his skin made something inside him quiver. There was something about knowing Kacchan would never really hurt him, that all that fierce strength and danger would only be spent protecting him, and Izuku nearly came a second time.

"Kacchan…" he moaned, trembling. "… please…"

Kacchan's teeth tightened. Red eyes smoldered up at him.

Izuku's hands trembled, hovering over Kacchan's head, afraid to touch him and stop the exquisite sensations. Kacchan's teeth closed even tighter, tight enough to hurt, to bruise, to mark. Izuku gave a low cry and arched his back, on the edge already. Tears drenched his cheeks. He couldn't catch his breath. God, he'd never felt so good.

Kacchan moaned. The vibrations of that low voice went straight to Izuku's cock, and Izuku's hand sank desperately into Kacchan's hair as he gave a sharp cry of pleasure. Kacchan began to laugh. He let go of Izuku's hip and sat up on his knees.

"You could cum just from that," he said, grinning wickedly. "I haven't even touched you."

Izuku stared up at him, burning and in a daze. "Kacchan…" he begged, riding the edge. It hurt, he needed it, please!

Kacchan leaned over and licked the head of Izuku's cock in a quick swipe. "You'll never beat me at this," he taunted, talking about their game to see who could make the other cum first.

Izuku shuddered, knowing it was true. He wound his fingers in Kacchan's hair. "You win," he conceded. "Please, Kacchan, please, need you, touch me, please," he begged softly.

Kacchan's eyes flared bright with victory. "Damn, Izu."

He grabbed Izuku's legs and lifted them, gripping the back of his thighs. Pushing his legs down to his shoulders he slotted their bodies together and began to thrust, hard, smearing cum across their skin. A soft slapping filled the room. Izuku cried out with every harsh thrust, his fingers digging into the flexing muscles of Kacchan's shoulders.

Kacchan growled and brought his mouth to the slope of Izuku's shoulder. He bit down hard, stopping just at the point before drawing blood. Izuku arched with a scream, tears soaking his cheeks. The orgasm hit hard, throwing Izuku into a tsunami of pleasure so intense he blacked out.

**Chapter end ** ;p


	46. Chapter 46

**A/n:** This chapter's a bit strange? I don't know. It just jumps around a lot, which made it really hard to title, actually. Let me know what you think!

…

**Slice of Life**

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were spent taking practice exams in the morning and training in the afternoon, pushing their minds and bodies to the limit, so they were all on edge by Friday. Everyone came to class and sat silently, dreading the moment Aizawa would walk in and give them their results. Even Katsuki was a little nervous. Aizawa had a killer poker face. The bastard hadn't given him even a hint even though Katsuki knew the man had received their scores last night.

The massive classroom door slid open. Katsuki could feel everyone hold their breath as Aizawa walked in with a thick folder in his hand, black hair hanging in tangled strands around his tired face. He came to stand at the podium and placed the folder down.

"I want you to reflect carefully on your scores and prepare yourselves for your real exams. They will be even more challenging, and there will be no do-overs," he said grimly, dark eyes scanning the room. "These final scores will be put in your permanent record. It will determine how many doors open to you after graduation.

"Your six exams scores will be averaged together to give you a single score. Any of you who have an average score lower than 70% will be brought before Principal Nezu and your teachers. Should you fail that interview, there is the possibility that you will be dismissed from the Hero program and likely UA entirely."

There was an uneasy sound as a few kids in class shifted nervously in their seats.

"I want to remind all of you that almost three thousand students applied to UA this year. They came from all over the country, some even came from overseas. Slacking in your studies now is a betrayal of all those kids who would have done anything to be where you are sitting."

Katsuki's heart thundered in his chest. His hands curled into fists. _Just give us our fucking scores already!_

Aizawa pushed a button and a digital display appeared on the board, ranking them from one to twenty-one. As they stared at their class rank, Aizawa quietly walked up and down the aisles handing them a detailed report on their personal results. Katsuki hardly noticed.

#1 - Yaoyorzu Momo, the Ponytail Princess.

Katsuki couldn't fucking believe it! Rage boiled in his blood. Her average score was a fucking 98%! Holy fucking shit! He stared at her, fists curled, steam slipping through his fingers. Katsuki was fucking 2nd! Again! His average was only a 96%!

Growling, he continued to scan the list. 3rd Glasses, 94% — 4th Todoroki, 92% — 5th Frog girl, 90% — and there was Izuku, 6th, with an 88% average. Katsuki's heart lurched as he scanned the list for the idiots he tutored. Shit, there was Red, just barely passing with a 70%. He winced as his eyes dropped below the passing mark. He had to go all the way to the bottom to find Kaminari. This electric idiot had an average exam score of a 58%.

And he wasn't the only one who'd failed. Pinky and Frenchy averaged a 62%, Tape-boy averaged a 64%, and the invisible girl averaged a 68%. Shit, that was five of their class who had failed! What the hell were they going to do?

…

Izuku walked into his apartment with a heavy heart. He'd done his best to be optimistic at school, especially since five classmates had actually failed the exam, but he couldn't hide his distress anymore. He was exhausted.

"Izuku?" His mom came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Her hair was pulled back in a short side ponytail, and she was smiling excitedly. "How did it… go…?" Her question trailed off as she caught sight of his expression.

He sank to his knees, bursting into tears. "I'm sorry! I know I should do better."

"Izuku!" Inko flew to her son and wrapped him in her arms. "Oh, honey, it was just the practice test, okay? Now you know what you need to study. You'll do much better on the real final!"

"But I got a B! I wasn't even in the top five!" he wailed, sobbing. "All Might's trusting me! He gave me everything, and I keep falling short!"

Petting his hair, Inko soothed him. "You're going to the most prestigious school in Japan. Maybe in the world. Your classmates are incredible. You talk about them all the time, so I know." Pushing his hair back, she lifted his face. "Izuku, you'll study and do better on the real test, but being the best test-taker doesn't make you a hero. You know that."

Izuku wasn't convinced. "I've never gotten a B on a final before! I mean, when everyone thought I had no quirk, I really relied on my smarts, and it's scary that I'm falling so far behind."

Inko hugged him. "It's going to be okay, Izuku. You have time to study before the real test," she said again.

Izuku buried his face into his shoulder unable to stop the tears. She didn't understand! He had to do better! He had to!

After a few minutes, she gently pushed him upright and used her rag to wipe his damp face. "Go wash up, Izuku," she said gently, kissing his forehead. "Dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry," he rasped. "I'm just going to take a shower and go to sleep. I'm tired."

Climbing clumsily to his feet, he made his way to the bathroom. Flicking on the light, he sighed, taking in his pale complexion. The circles under his red-rimmed eyes were darker than ever. He'd been getting only four hours of sleep every night, setting his alarm to three in the morning so he could do yoga and practice meditating before school. Maybe he should set his alarm to four? His phone buzzed and Izuku pulled it out of his pocket.

…

Kacchan

_Are we still on for tomorrow?_

…

Izuku sighed. With the results of the test, he'd completely forgotten. They'd planned to come straight home after school and bake a cake. Tomorrow was his mother's birthday.

…

Izuku

_Thanks for reminding me_

_We'll need to stop and get some ingredients on the way back_

…

Kacchan

_Get some sleep, Deku_

…

"Look," Katsuki said and firmly shut his book as the final bell rang. Red and Pikachu were standing at his desk with pleading looks on their dumb faces. "I can't tutor you today. It's Izuku's mom's birthday. How about you come to my place tomorrow."

"On Sunday?" Kaminari asked hesitantly.

"You failed the practice tests," Katsuki said with brutal honesty. "You were the dumbest kid in class. Unless you want to get fucking kicked out of this fucking school, you can't take Sundays off anymore."

The blond looked devastated, but Katsuki just glared and pushed past him.

He found Izuku waiting by the shoe-lockers by the entrance. He was talking to someone on his cell phone. It didn't look like it was going well.

"I just wanted you to know. In case you wanted to come, that's all," he said with stiff politeness before hanging up.

"Nighteye?" Katsuki asked as they started walking to the station.

Izuku nodded. "I don't think he'll come."

Katsuki said nothing to that. "Want me to quiz you?"

Izuku perked up. "Okay."

They took turns asking each other questions from their classes all the way to the convenience store. They were still going at it as they picked the cake mix and bought the ingredients. By the time they got to the apartment, Katsuki had won their little game 56 to 49.

Izuku sighed and kicked off his shoes. "How can you do math so fast in your head?"

Katsuki shrugged with a smug grin. "I'm a genius, remember?"

Izuku stuck his tongue out at him and headed toward the kitchen. "Okay, genius. Help me make dinner."

Katsuki did most of the cooking while Izuku took care of the cake. Katsuki had been cooking since he was little. He avoided meal times with his parents for obvious reasons, and that meant taking care of meals himself pretty regularly when he couldn't find leftovers. They had just finished when they heard Izuku's mom come home.

"Izuku?" she called, seeing their shoes in the entrance way. "Katsuki-kun? Are you boys home already?"

"Of course we are!" Izuku called, eyes bright and flour dusted on one cheek. "It's your birthday! You didn't think we forgot?"

Inko hugged him, and Izuku hugged her back just as tightly. She could almost tucker her head under his chin. Katsuki still wasn't used to seeing his boyfriend taller than Inko.

"Honey, I know you're busy with your tests. You didn't have to do all this. I know you love me."

"No matter what," Izuku said and gave her a pointed look. "No matter tests, even."

Inko laughed. "Well, let's see what you made."

The boys had her sit as they served her. She said they didn't have to, but she looked really fucking happy, so Katsuki ignored her. After they finished eating, Izuku brought out the cake.

Inko pulled Katsuki into a hug as Izuku lit the candles. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "I know you did most of the cooking. It was delicious."

Katsuki let her hug him, flashing a crooked smile. "It's no big deal. Happy birthday, Inko."

She released him, wiping her eyes. "You're a good boy, Katuski-kun. I love you."

Katsuki stared at her with wide-eyes. Really? I mean, he knew they were on good terms, but love? He felt super uncomfortable but strangely warm at the same time.

Izuku began to sing Happy Birthday, saving him from the awkward moment. Inko smiled at them with her large, green eyes sparkling in the candlelight. Once they were finished, Inko made a big show of thinking of a wish before blowing out the candles.

"How old are you, anyway?" Katsuki asked curiously. "Thirty-five?"

Inko burst into loud laughter. "Oh, I do love you!" she cried, hugging him again. "Did you think I had Izuku when I was twenty? What kind of girl do you take me for?"

Katsuki scowled. "I don't know. I thought you had him young."

"Young as in after graduate school," Inko told him still laughing. "I'm forty-two now!"

"Well, you look thirty," Izuku told her and kissed her cheek.

"Oh, don't be silly!" she laughed, clearly delighted.

…

"Thank you," Izuku said softly as they washed the dirty dishes. They'd sent his mom off to have a bath, so it was just them in the kitchen.

"For what?" the blond turned to him with a look of confusion.

"For being you," Izuku said honestly.

"Whatever." Kacchan wrinkled his nose. "It was just dinner and a cake."

Izuku smiled at him sweetly and kissed his cheek. "And I love you for it."

Kacchan's expression softened. "Love you, too, nerd."

Izuku grinned.

"What do you want for your birthday?" Kacchan suddenly demanded. He shot Izuku a sharp glare. "And you better not say 'nothing'. I want a real gift idea."

Izuku's birthday was in eleven days. His mom always joked about trying to make Izuku come faster so they'd have the same birthday. She said Izuku was determined, even as a baby in her stomach, to do things his own way. He didn't feel like he lived up to the hype. He had a sudden flash of his mother's worried, anxious face - the 80% he got on his practice exam in math and the 82% he'd scored in science - All Might's disappointed silence…

"That's enough. Tell me," Kacchan turned to face him, his arms crossed as he gave him a serious look. "You've been manic lately. Constantly sparring with the sugar addict and octopus-boy, and you're not sleeping right. Don't think I haven't noticed. You fucking passed out last week when I got you off…"

"Kacchan!" Izuku's cheeks were bright red. "I remember," he grumbled and stared angrily down at his soapy hands. "I want to be stronger. I want to do better. I feel all this guilt and anxiety holding my body down like weights tied to my arms and legs. I know it's useless, and it's only holding me back, but I don't know how to get rid of it." He closed his eyes tiredly. "I just… I want to be happy for more than a few hours at a time. The party at the cafe and spending the night with you was fun, but later I felt even more guilty for wasting time that I could have spent training or studying."

Izuku expected anger. He expected a yelled lecture about how he needed to rest and pushing himself so hard was only making him weaker not stronger, so when Kacchan wrapped an arm around his waist and curled forward, resting his forehead on Izuku's shoulder, he was surprised.

"I know what you mean…" Kacchan sighed, exhaustion clear in his voice. "I feel the same way."

Eyes wide, Izuku turned to look at the blond.

Kacchan's expression was drawn and anxious. He met Izuku's eyes, but it was clear he didn't want to. A flush of shame darkened the top of his cheeks as he confessed, "I'm always second to that Ponytail girl. Me and you, we went back and forth and it didn't bother me, but this… I'm trying harder than ever and it's like hitting a brick wall, and sometimes… Sometimes I worry I won't be able to break it down… IcyHot and Red…" Ruby eyes glared at him, fear shimmering in their depths. "You… You guys make these jumps, but I stay the same. And I wonder… Have I hit the ceiling on my abilities?" Jaw tight, Kacchan's voice became raw. "I need to be number one, Deku, or what's the fucking point?"

"Why?" Izuku demanded, heart beating hard with frustration. "You don't have to be number one to be great. There's nothing wrong with 2nd or 3rd or 4th or any of them! There's more than one great hero!"

"But they still lose!" Kacchan yelled furiously. "I have to be number one! So no one can fucking question me! So I don't ever fucking lose! Because losing eventually means one of us fucking dying!"

Izuku stood helplessly as Kacchan turned with a scream of rage and stormed away. Izuku didn't know what to say in the face of Kacchan's honest distress. He wanted to help, but helping wouldn't make Kacchan feel stronger. It would do just the opposite, so he stood helplessly silent and listened to the front door slam.

Hands shaking, tears blurring his vision, Izuku turned back to the dishes to finish them, only to stop and stare at the bright red spider lily imposed over a circle. He immediately thought of Kacchan's tattoo. The compass surrounded by the hybrid flower that represented both of them as one. Izuku's hands clenched as purpose burned hot in his chest.

"Izuku? Is everything alright?"

Izuku turned to see his mom wrapped in a towel, hair still wet from the bath. "No," he said softly, and then louder. "No… Mom, I'm sorry, but can you finish these up?"

Inko smiled and gave a firm nod. "I had a lovely birthday, Izuku. Now, go get Katsuki-kun."

Izuku kissed his mother's cheek and ran out the door.

…

Frustrated rage welled in Katsuki's chest. It burned almost to the point of making him scream out loud. Too restless for the train, he ran. Fuck! He was losing it. Was he actually scared of losing? The feeling was new and overwhelming. He was the best! He was always the fucking best! Wasn't he?

Thunder rumbled across the night sky. The heavy clouds plunged the streets into almost perfect dark, but it was soothing instead of frightening. He was alone, invisible. He didn't have to hide his expression or control himself. He didn't have to hide the fear.

As he ran, his shoes hit the pavement with a rhythmic slapping. His breath came hard and even. Lightning forked above him, flaring bright. It would rain any minute. Katsuki put on a burst of speed and turned the corner to his street. Aizawa's house was just three houses down.

The first rain drops fell fat and heavy against his head and shoulders. Lightning flashed again, and Katsuki slowed to a walk, eyes sharp. In that flare of light, he saw the silhouette of someone else running. Who would be out this late in this weather?

Adrenaline pumping, Katsuki flexed his hands, preparing to fight. The figure stopped at Aizawa's gate. Katsuki sped up, but it didn't take him long to see who it was. "Deku? What the fuck?" Rain began to fall hissing around them. Thunder rumbled.

"We've come too far to let our fears come between us!" Izuku cried, expression set with unyielding determination. "I won't let it!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Katsuki snapped.

"We're in this together!" Izuku grabbed him by the shoulders and glared up into his eyes. "Together, remember?"

"I know that!" Katsuki pushed him away, but Izuku got right back in his face.

"Do you?" the teen demanded. "Then don't run away from me! You don't get to give up before I've even had the chance to beat you!"

Katsuki's heart beat hard and fast. His legs throbbed from his run, but the crushing tightness in his chest began to loosen. Deku still saw him as the best, still saw him as a hero, as someone to strive to beat. The realization made a rush of emotion wash through him. Tears welled in his eyes, but they were hidden by the rain.

"You'll never beat me!" Katsuki yelled over the loud hiss of the rain, grinning. "Race you!" And he took off.

It was stupid as hell. They could fall in the dark or on the wet pavement, but Katsuki was laughing. He could hear Izuku chasing after him, his fingers reaching to grab onto the back of Katsuki's wet shirt. Katsuki pushed faster, feet slapping into puddles as he ran. Love, fierce and pure, burned through him, completely overtaking the rage that had sat heavy in his gut before.

They ran, skidding and sliding, Izuku trying to tag him, Katsuki keeping just out of reach, until Katsuki's lungs burned for air. Under a store awning, he skid to a stop and spun, catching Izuku as the teen ran into his chest. He almost slipped, but managed to catch his feet.

"Beat… you…" he panted.

"No… fair…" Izuku pouted, making no effort to get out of his arms. "Didn't know… where the… finish line… was."

Katsuki kissed him.

Izuku kissed him back just as fiercely, rising onto his toes to press Katsuki back against the brick storefront.

They stood there, dripping wet, panting, in the dark of night, the rain a protective shield around them, and kissed for nearly an hour.

…

The next week at school they were more focused on training than ever. It was all they did. They studied during class and even during meals. Katsuki even studied at night. Since Kirishima lived a few towns over, his parents didn't mind him staying with Katsuki. It saved the redhead the long commute, so Kirishima spent the night three times that week just to stay up late studying.

Unfortunately, Kaminari's parents wouldn't let him stay over, but he stayed until dinner. Katsuki expected the reluctant blond to quit coming over, but he never did.

…

— "You live with Aizawa?" Kaminari asked, wide-eyed. "What's that about?"

It was the first time the electric blond had come over. Kirishima frantically waved his hands to get Kaminari to shut up, but it was too late. Katsuki turned on him with a murderous glare.

"It's none of your fucking business, you damn extra! You got a problem with where I'm staying, there's the goddamn door! Fucking walk yourself through it and get lost!"

"No!" the blond said quickly, face pale. "I'm sorry! I don't care at all! It's cool!"

"I better not fucking hear this around school, either," Katsuki warned before storming into the kitchen.

Kirishima sighed in exasperation and dropped an arm over the pouting blond's shoulder. "It can't be a good reason for him to be staying with Teach. Obviously, it's not something he's going to want to talk about."

"Yeah… I didn't mean it… Words just come out before I think about it…" Kaminari said miserably and let Kirishima tow him to the kitchen.

— "Bakugo, did I get this right?"

It was midnight. Katsuki was sitting at his desk and Kirishima was on the floor beside him. He took the paper the redhead passed up to him and looked over the five complicated science questions he'd written for Kirishima to figure out. "Check number two, but the other three are good." He handed the paper back.

"Really?" Kirishima beamed happily. "Sweet!"

— "It's all starting to blur together!" Kaminari cried at lunch. He and the other four students who had failed were sitting with Izuku. Izuku was quizzing them while they ate. "At this rate, I'm going to get a worse grade not a better one!"

"If you fail the real test and your place here is questioned, how are you going to feel?" Izuku asked sympathetically. "If you know without a shadow of a doubt you did your best, that's going to make an impression on the teachers during the interview, but if you think you could have tried harder, they're going to sense that." His serious green eyes met each of theirs. "You're here to be heroes, so be a hero now and push through this. I know you can do it!"

With exhausted moans, the five went back to Izuku's quiz.

— "Your attention is wandering again!" Katsuki snarled. They were sitting at a table in the school library. Kirishima stared with wide eyes as Katsuki exploded to his feet. Kaminari looked like he was about to faint. "Fuck!" Katsuki stormed from the room.

Kaminari groaned and collapsed over the books and papers in front of him.

"I'll go talk to him," Todoroki said calmly and followed him out, leaving Kirishima to pat Kaminari on the shoulder and try to make him feel better.

Todoroki found Katsuki pacing in the living room. "What are you thinking?"

"He knows more than the fucking tests are showing! Did you see his data report? He scored pretty decent on the first test, but after that, it went down hill. He only got halfway through the last two tests! It's his fucking attention span! He just zones out. He can't fucking help it. He does okay if someone's there telling him to get back to work, but the teachers just let him sit there and waste half his fucking time!"

Todoroki crossed his arms, tilting his head thoughtfully. "So we need something that will help him focus. Something that will prompt him to get back to the test?"

Katsuki paced faster. "Can't be something too distracting or the teachers will say no, and it will only distract the idiot more. Can't be loud or big. He needs fucking breaks between these fucking tests, too!"

"What about a ball?" Todoroki asked. "The ones you squeeze, the foam ones. When you squeeze them too much, they get flat and you have to leave them alone for a minute to inflate. We can teach him to squeeze the ball when he starts to get distracted, but when the ball is flat, he needs to get back to work."

Katsuki nodded. "Watch the extras for me. I have to go buy a fucking stress ball."

…

They also sparred with their classmates and teachers before - during - and after school. At least one of the class ended up in the infirmary everyday. Recovery Girl was getting more and more irritated, but Aizawa and the other teachers weren't telling them to slow down. Not that Katsuki or Izuku would have listened if they had.

…

— "You're putting too much weight on your back foot!" Aizawa said solemnly and proceeded to knock Katsuki on his ass.

Katsuki growled furiously and climbed back to his feet, lifting his hands in a boxer's move. He was covered in sweat and bruises, but he wasn't near done. "Again," he growled.

Aizawa nodded and came at him, fast as fucking lightning. In less than two minutes, Katsuki was on his back again. "You're getting better," Aizawa said. "Hitoshi! Come here!"

Katsuki grit his teeth as Aizawa put the purple-haired freak with dark circles under his eyes in front of him.

"I want you to practice the sequence together. You both have something to learn from the other," Aizawa said and fucking walked away.

"Bring it on, Braindead," Katsuki panted and launched himself forward.

The teen stared at him flat and impassive. His once scrawny arms defended, brushing off Katsuki's attack. Katsuki snarled and tried again. And again. And again. "Fuck!" Katsuki screamed. They were getting fucking nowhere. "Why don't you try?" he snarled.

Braindead stared at him in sudden alarm. "Attack you?"

"It's fucking sparring, now quit crying about it and attack me!"

The teen did the right moves, but he was slow and tentative. Katsuki sent him flat on his back hard. He got it now. The fucking kid was a natural at defense, but offense he sucked big time. Katsuki on the other hand was the exact opposite. He was ace at offense, but his defense was sloppy. Katsuki growled in annoyance. Aizawa was right, they could learn from each other.

"On your feet," Katsuki growled. "I'm going to fucking teach you a few things, and then you're going to tell me how you get in the right fucking defensive posture so damn fast."

— Shoji came at Izuku, swinging his massive fists. Izuku ducked and evaded. He'd learned the hard way anyone taller than him had a much longer reach. While they could land punches, Izuku was nowhere near able to touch them. Didn't matter. It turned out that although his hands couldn't reach, his legs could!

Izuku saw an opening and lifted his foot. Shoji knew what this meant, but he was off balance and couldn't dodge. Izuku stomped forward and landed a kick directly into Shoji's diaphragm. Shoji collapsed to his knees, gasping, but powerful arms came around Izuku from behind.

Izuku grabbed his attacker's index finger with one hand and the ring finger with the other and yanked in opposite directions. Sato gave a bellow of pain and released Izuku, but now Shoji was up and he swung one of his four arms at Izuku's head. Izuku ducked, rolled, and kicked at the taller boy's knee. Shoji went down hard, and that's when Sato tackled Izuku to the mat. Izuku thrashed and screamed, but Sato was heavy and had him completely pinned.

"Be calm," Aizawa said, crouching down next to them. "Go limp. It will give the attacker a false sense of safety and they will let up. Then go for their sensory organs. A flat palm to the ear, a palm-strike to the nose, eye jab. It will give you space to get back on your feet."

Izuku nodded and jabbed his fingers back, aiming for Sato's eyes.

The boy gave a startled yell and let him go.

_Huh,_ Izuku thought with a grin. _It worked!_

— "I'd run if I were you," All Might said with deadly seriousness.

Eyes narrowed in determination, Izuku crouched, his skin glowing with power, and leapt. He bounced between the alley's walls until he was soaring over the roof of the building.

They were in the urban training area. Izuku's scenario was that he was a hero carrying a message with critical information. He had to get the message across the "city" where allied heroes were waiting. His pursuer's scenario was that they were a hero who had to capture Izuku, who had just committed a terrible crime and was trying to escape.

An explosion sounded behind him. Izuku whipped his head around to see Kacchan flying like a bullet through the air. Adrenaline burned through Izuku's veins. It was _Kaachan_ who was after him! That just made this twice as thrilling!

Izuku landed hard on a roof and rolled. He leapt down between the buildings. He was no match in speed and maneuverability to Kacchan in the air. His only hope was to use the narrow alleys to his advantage. He was breathing hard, nimbly dodging crates and dumpsters. Turning the corner, he slipped and hit the wall with his shoulder. Gasping, he flung himself into a dark doorway. He hadn't heard any explosions since he dropped to the ground. Izuku closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Steeling himself and calming his heart, Izuku drew a map in his mind. He had to think clearly. He couldn't panic. He had to prove to All Might and everyone he could be strong. Calm and centered, Izuku sprinted north.

He had only gone two blocks when a sudden fireball of heat and thunderous sound came down on him from above. Izuku slid under a dumpster, hands slammed over his ears. It was hot and hard to breathe. The explosions didn't let up. Izuku grimaced and wiggled onto his back.

Gripping the power of One For All, Izuku pushed up with his hands and knees with a scream of effort. The dumpster went flying up. Izuku rolled to his feet in the pause of explosions and sprinted into a cross-alley.

Kacchan was hell on wheels when it came to combat, and he knew Izuku well, but Izuku was determined to win this. He ran through the maze-like alleys and leapt rooftops. Kacchan was right on his heels, but Izuku managed to run across the finish line after thirty minutes of fleeing before Kacchan could capture him.

Flat on his back, breathing hard, costume smoking and burnt in places, Izuku looked up into Kacchan's sweaty face. "Almost… got… me…"

Kacchan suddenly grinned and reached his hand down. "You're a fucking rabbit, Deku."

Izuku slapped his hand in a high five, grinning back. "My turn. Ready?"

Kacchan popped his knuckles and got into position. "I'm always fucking ready, Deku." Ruby red eyes smoldered at him in challenge. "You'll never fucking catch me."

"Go," Izuku said simply, and Kacchan shot off.

…

After ten days of working at this furious pace, they all needed a break, especially Izuku since the full moon was in five days. Fuck! Had it really been a month already? Katsuki could hardly believe it! All the days were blurring together, and if he felt that way, he could only imagine how Izuku was holding up, but Katsuki had a plan.

Izuku's birthday was in three days. It was the perfect opportunity for the class to blow off steam, which was why, on Saturday, Katsuki reached out and snagged Cheeks by the wrist as she was walking by and pulled her into a dimly lit science lab. The girl practically fell into the room, giving a high-pitched squeak.

"You know, you could've broken my grip," he said with a sneer, "instead of letting me pull you in here."

"Bakugo!" Cheeks cried angrily. "What — ?"

"Shit, can you be any louder?" he hissed in annoyance.

"Yes, actually." Cheeks crossed her arms and glared. "If this is about you dating, Deku, I haven't told anyone!"

Katsuki's eyes narrowed. He was already fucking regretting this, but he wasn't the type to back down, so fuck it. He was doing it. "I don't fucking care about that. Deku's the one who's so intent on no one knowing."

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you don't care," Cheeks said lowly. "I don't get what he sees in you. You're an insensitive, overly-competitive hothead, and he's so sweet and compassionate! I bet you walk all over him!"

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "Your opinion doesn't fucking matter. I didn't pull you in here to get your fucking approval."

She narrowed her eyes back. "Well, you should! I'm his friend, Bakugo. I have every right to worry about him."

"Izuku is perfectly capable of making decisions for himself," Katsuki said so coldly it was a wonder ice didn't drop out of the air. "Let me be perfectly clear, since you're his _friend_. I don't give a _fuck_ about what you or anyone else thinks. The only thing I care about is Izuku. I respect the fact he wants to focus on being a hero instead of fucking high school drama, which you seem so fucking intent on."

"Then why did you pull me in here," she hissed furiously, tears in her large, brown eyes.

"I wanted to ask for your fucking help, but clearly that was beyond what I could expect from an extra like you." He spun on his heel to storm out when the loser grabbed his goddamn wrist.

"Bakugo, wait…" She looked conflicted. Her cheeks redder than normal. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm not as over Deku turning me down as I thought. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come at you like that."

Katsuki glowered at her, rage bright in his eyes, but he held his ground, refusing to give into it.

"I'm sorry," she said again and took a deep breath. A weak smile touched her lips. "What did you want help with?"

Katsuki glared at her for a long moment before giving in. "Deku's birthday's next Wednesday. On the fifteenth," he bit out, back stiff. "I want to do a surprise party for him. I can't plan it or he'll notice, but I can keep him distracted while you plan it." He reached into his pocket and took out few bills. It wasn't a lot of money. Pretty much the last of his savings from before he split from his parents, but it should be enough to put something together. "Here."

Cheeks stared at the money.

"I would buy the shit myself, but he'd fucking notice," Katsuki snapped. "It's not fucking charity or anything."

Cheeks took the money and put it in her pocket. "If anyone else tried to give me money, I wouldn't take it, but you don't pity anyone, so I know it's not that." Lifting her chin, she declared, "I'll give you back whatever I don't use. I know the others will chip in as well."

Katsuki was so done with this. "Ask Ponytail girl if there's any other birthdays this month. Deku would like it better if he wasn't the only one being celebrated."

She nodded her head. "Any other tips? What does he like?"

"Spaghetti, vanilla cake and ice cream. He doesn't really like chocolate or anything overly sweet, so don't buy stuff like that. He likes salty snacks better, things like pretzels, chips and cheese dip. His favorite color is red, but he likes yellow and orange almost as much. He likes dorky games, like pin the tail on the donkey and charades…" Katsuki trailed off as he realized Cheeks was staring at him strangely. "What?" he snarled, crossing his arms with a glare.

"Nothing." She gave him a real smile this time. "You know, I think I'm starting to get why Deku likes you so much."

If looks could kill, Katsuki's glare would have incinerated her on the spot. With a sneer, he turned and slammed the door open and stormed off, hands shoved into his pockets.

…

"What a great idea," Izuku exclaimed as Yaoyorozu told him about reserving one of the large study rooms in the east wing of the building. They were usually booked by third years, but she happened to see an empty time slot and took it. "Now we can study all together." Their written exams for their final started in twelve days, so they were running out of time. He looked back at Ashido and Hagakure. "Did you remember your notebooks?"

"Got them right here!" Ashido cried with her usual enthusiasm.

"Yes, sir!" Hagakure answered smartly, her sleeve saluting what appears to be empty air above the neck of her collar.

He gave them both a smile. "Good. I think we should start with English and Japanese and then move on to the sciences," Izuku began only to freeze as Yaoyorozu opened the study room door and the rest of the class screamed "Happy Birthday!" in his face

Streamers were hung from the ceiling and were draped from wall to wall. Matching red, yellow, and orange balloons were tied off everywhere and covered the floor. A huge red banner read _Happy Birthday_ in bright yellow letters. Kirishima and Kaminari blew little horns while Tokoyami and Jiro threw confetti over his head.

"Happy birthday, class prez!" That was Kirishima.

"Happy birthday, Sero!" That was Shoji

"Ashido, Jiro, happy birthday!" Uraraka cried.

"Happy birthday, summer babies!" Kaminari yelled joyfully.

"You guys…" Izuku teared up. "Thanks…"

Yaoyorozu had rented a karaoke machine, and everyone went for that first. Izuku sang a song with Uraraka and Iida, and after a few rounds Kirishima even got Kacchan to sing. Everyone was pretty shocked when they realized what a good singer he was. They begged him to sing more, but he refused, saying one song was all they got. They ate cake and had drinks. They even played charades, girls versus boys. It was a real party.

"I heard you set this up," Izuku said, sitting next to Uraraka, taking a break from the fun. "Thank you."

She blushed. "Actually, Bakugo asked me to set this up. Even gave me money to buy stuff. He was afraid you'd notice if he tried to plan anything."

Izuku's heart leapt. "Really?"

"Yeah." Uraraka gave him a sweet smile. "I'm glad he cares about you so much."

Izuku blushed.

"Go find him. I know you want to," she said, teasing, and pushed him up.

Izuku found Kacchan lurking in the corner. Warm red eyes met his and something tight inside him relaxed as he realized they really were okay. "Thank you."

Kacchan shrugged. "It's just a party…" Voice becoming a little tentative, he asked, "Did you like it?"

Izuku leaned against his shoulder. "Yes," he said, voice thick with emotion. "I really did."

Kacchan relaxed, a soft smile curving his lips. "Good. Happy birthday, nerd."

…

Izuku stared at All Might. "What?"

"I said we are taking you deep into the woods after school tomorrow for the full moon," All Might said firmly. "Until we have a good strategy to deal with Grim, it is best to avoid confrontation."

"You've been working so hard preparing for your exams, Izuku," his mom cut in, tone firm. "You're exhausted. You need a break. Ivy-sensei agreed."

Izuku just blinked at them. "But…"

"It's not your decision to make." All Might's tone made it clear there was no room for argument. "I don't want you to think that it is. You are in no way responsible for this decision, and anything that happens because of it will land solely on my shoulders." He walked forward and put his two large hands gently on Izuku's shoulders. "You are still a child and still my student. Sometimes that means I will make decisions for you when I think it is best. I have already warned Tsukauchi and Nighteye. We will increase the patrols in this area for the next month, but the truth is that crime has dropped significantly due to your efforts."

Izuku didn't know what to say. He was speechless. He knew this was a possibility, of course. Ivy-sensei had hinted at it the last few sessions, but he'd refused to acknowledge it. Now it was hitting him in the face. "But…"

"I'll go with you, of course, and so will Katsuki-kun, if you want him to," his mom said with a tense smile.

Izuku wasn't sure what was said after that. He ran out of All Might's office, his mind in a haze. He didn't know where he was going until he found himself standing outside Hitoshi's door. He just stared at it for a long minute, and when he lifted his hand to knock, he realized it was shaking.

"Izuku?" Hitoshi's deep voice was sharp with concern, his thin eyebrows lowered over his lavender eyes. "What happened? You're white as a sheet." He held his door open and Izuku numbly walked inside.

The room had a small kitchenette, a kitchen bar with two stools, a small tv that Hitoshi never turned on, and a futon that sat in front of it that could be transformed into a couch or a bed. Izuku never saw it as a couch. Hitoshi kept it in the bed position. Izuku sat at the edge of it and Cali leapt into his lap, purring.

"All Might and my mom are taking me out of the city. So I don't have visions," he stated dully, hand automatically moving to stroke Cali's soft fur. "They didn't even ask me what I think."

Hitoshi sat next to him. "They probably thought that would make you feel less guilty. If it wasn't up to you."

Izuku burst into tears. Cali leapt from his lap, but Hitoshi reached out and pat his back awkwardly. Izuku turned into that touch and pulled Hitoshi in for a hug, crying into his shoulder. "But it is my fault," he sobbed through his tears. "Because I'm not strong enough… They're making that decision because they don't think I can handle it… I'm failing! I just keep failing everyone! No matter how hard I try! And now… Now someone's going to _die_… because I'm so weak! Because they don't think I can handle it! Because I was tempted by Grim!"

Hitoshi held him and let him cry. When Izuku started to calm down, he said, "At the Institute, I hurt a lot of people. I even killed some of them. I still struggle with that."

Izuku grew quiet and pulled away to look into his friend's face. Hitoshi didn't look empty. His expression was infused with a deep pain.

"I only did as I was told, but… I could have resisted… and I didn't."

"Hitoshi…" Izuku wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"I'm not telling you this so you feel bad for me," the teen said softly, not meeting his eyes. "I just… I admire you… You care so much… about so many things… This isn't your fault. No one starts out at their strongest. It's a long journey for everyone. You're only human, Izuku, so it's not your fault. You needing a break, your mother and All Might taking you away, people getting killed, none of it's your fault, but you still cry. I… I've never cried. Not once."

Izuku didn't know what to say to that.

"There were kids… at the Institute…" Hitoshi looked toward the window. Izuku realized he did that whenever he was remembering the past or trying to put distance between himself and the world. "I could hear them crying at night, and I didn't get it… I thought they were so strange… What was the point of crying? It didn't change anything." Looking back to Izuku, he gave a sad smile. "But there is a point. It shows you're affected, that you're still resisting, that you haven't accepting things yet. It shows you still care about things, that you're not broken. If you cry, it means you're still able to grow and change things."

"Hitoshi, you can change things, too," Izuku said softly, reaching out to put a hand on his friend's knee.

"Maybe," the teen answered just as softly. "I'm starting to care about things." Lavender eyes met emerald green. "I care about you. I hate how upset you are. I wish I could help you. It's so frustrating not being able to do anything."

Izuku hugged him. "You do help me," he said honestly. "You help me put things in perspective. Caring is good, crying is good, but everyone will tell you I do it too much." He laughed wetly, tears still in his eyes. "I'm too emotional."

Hitoshi's arms came up to tentatively hug him, and Izuku felt warm all the way through. "I don't think so. I think you're just emotional enough." He sighed. "One day, I hope I'll be able to cry, too."

…

Inko was puttering around in the kitchen of the cabin All Might had rented, deep in the mountains, about two hours outside of the city. It was almost nine fifteen at night. The moon was going to rise soon, and Katsuki couldn't find Izuku anywhere. Suddenly, the open bedroom window gave him an idea. He climbed onto the sill and, sure enough, there was a tree within jumping distance. He jumped and landed on his stomach across a thick branch with an _omph_. Cursing, he used the tree to climb to the roof.

He found Izuku sitting on the easter edge, hugging his knees to his chest. Katsuki sat next to him and looked up. The sky was a blanket of thousands of stars. It was nearly bright enough to see by their light alone. Huge trees surrounded them on all sides, whispering with every gentle summer breeze. It was beautiful up here.

"We should go camping more often," he said without thinking.

Instead of brushing him off or getting pissed at his insensitivity, Izuku leaned into him. "Yeah. You seem really comfortable out here."

"I'm sorry," he said, holding Izuku close.

"What for?"

Katsuki wasn't even sure. He was just sorry.

"I'm okay," Izuku said when it was clear Katsuki didn't have an answer. "I hate it, but they weren't wrong. About this full moon. We don't know what to do about Grim yet, and…" Izuku looked up at the sky and sighed. "And I needed the break. From being killed and fighting for my life. From dying." Izuku turned away from the sky and pressed his face to Katsuki's chest, holding his shirt tightly. "In the long run, this is the right decision."

Katsuki felt his throat tighten. "I'm so goddamn proud of you."

Izuku shook his head in denial. "I still hate it, though. Someone is going to die because I wasn't strong enough to face the moon."

Katsuki dropped his cheek onto the crown of Izuku's head. "We'll get stronger, Izuku. We'll become powerful heroes, and we'll save them all. This is part of getting stronger. Knowing when to take a break, when you've reached your limit, it's all a part of it." Pulling back, he lift Izuku's face to his own and kissed him softly. "I believe in you," he said.

Izuku teared up and flung his arms around Katsuki's neck. "I love you, Kacchan."

Softly, barely a whisper, Katsuki said, "Love you, too, Izu. More than you know."

…

Big shapes around him, heart beating fast, smell so strong they painted a picture around him - water, green things, insects, fungus, plants, predators… Too late to change course, fast streak and sharp pain, but no fear. Just pain, fight, and then acceptance… Death…

Running, leaping, body smooth and powerful and fast. Water smells, thirst, sound - a snap of a twig - darting to the side fast as lightning, but still hot breath, claws, screaming in pain, fighting, kicking, blood, the smell overtaking everything else… Death…

Injured, cold, weak, crawling forward, cough, water - green leafy shelter, rest… rest… Death…

Flying - soaring above the trees, untouchable, attention fixates on movement, pulled as if on a string, diving, diving, impact, claws digging in, squealing, hunger at the scent of blood - and then a bite! Something cold spreading through him, heavy - numb - falling… Death…

… Izuku experienced dozens of small deaths, so different from a human's, which was so full of panic and pain and terror. Even Death itself felt different. It wasn't a void of soul-deep, ice-cold agony. It was a soft fading, more like a transition.

Blinking his eyes open, Izuku saw he was in bed in the cabin. Kacchan was lying next to his side. The soft hint of light touched the room through the glass of the window, and red eyes watched him as Kacchan's hand slowly, rhythmically stroking through Izuku's hair.

There was a soft understanding in the blond's expression, a type of knowing. As if just by looking into Izuku's eyes, Kacchan understood everything he'd just felt. This was the soul who was tied to Izuku's own, who knew his journey, who had lived his story with him. In that moment, Izuku had never felt more connected to Kacchan.

He reached up and pulled Kacchan down for a kiss. Tears streaked his face as Kacchan's lips pressed gently into his own. Kacchan sank into him, soft and slow. Izuku melted against the strong, lean lines of his warm body, and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Izuku woke up late Tuesday morning after sleeping only four hours. Kacchan took him hiking. Izuku found some of the animal bodies he'd felt die the night before, but not many. Nature didn't leave much waste.

They didn't talk much, but they were always within arm's reach. They found their hands linking naturally together, their arms brushing as they walked side-by-side. It was strangely peaceful. Izuku found himself staring into Kacchan's eyes. Kacchan looked back, sometimes reaching forward to brush his thumb along the freckles that dusted Izuku's cheeks. And every time Kacchan touched him so gently, it felt like he was saying,_ "I know you. I'll always know you, and I cherish you."_ And every time Izuku would sigh sweetly and turn his head to kiss the blond's fingertips before Kacchan could pull them away.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** I feel like this got a little disjointed and chaotic, but next chapter will be the Final Exams! Practice time is OVER! XD


	47. Chapter 47

**A/n:** Sorry for the long delay between chapters. As everyone is aware, the world has gone crazy. So I haven't been able to write as much.

Good news: The next chapter will be out in 2 - 3 days. I'm almost done with it!

…

**First Term Practical Exam**

The practical exam for the first term was a week away when Nezu called all of the first year teachers to the board room. All Might was the only first year teacher absent. Most of the teachers weren't aware of his injury or true form, and he wasn't confident he could hold his hero form for the entirety of the meeting. They had deemed it better for All Might to not make an appearance.

Nezu folded his paws before him. "With the connection between Hero Killer: Stain and the League of Villains, there is the possibility that the villains will be reinvigorated. I have called you here to ask if this should influence our methods of teaching."

Level-headed Snipe was the first to answer. "Of course, it would be better to prevent that before it begins, but as a school, it would be best to be completely certain our students are prepared. If we consider how fights against villains will continue to intensify in today's society, then combat training should be emphasized."

Aizawa internally sighed with relief. With Snipe already on their side, they had a much higher chance of pushing their plan through.

Midnight frowned. "I have a feeling you want to change the practical exam. That's why you called us now."

Nezu nodded with a smile. "I believe that this exam has a big impact on the students, and if we use robots like we usually do, I believe it will make the students lower their guard and give them a false sense of security."

Midnight shook her head. "We chose robots to quiet any complaint that our program was too brutal and to prevent excessive injuries. These are only first year students. We can't exactly forget that, can we?"

"What exactly are you proposing, Principal Nezu?" Vlad asked, his low voice a rumble of suspicion.

Nezu laughed lightly and clapped his paws together in excitement. "I propose something fun! We have actual trials by combat: Students vs. Teachers! I would trust that the teachers would know not to cause the students too much harm while also giving them a more accurate representation of what they will face in the future!"

Cementoss looked around and voiced the concern that was visible on many faces around the table. "I understand why you want to change the exam, but having the students fight us…" He trailed of uncertainly.

Thirteen agreed, her voice soft with concern as it came through her helmet's speakers. "Yes, I think that is a bit unfair."

"If we win too easily, we won't be able to give them grades," Present Mic pointed out.

After a moment of silence, Snipe suggested a solution. "Of course, we could take that into consideration and give the students a handicap."

Aizawa stared at him for a moment, wondering if Nezu had already talked to him. He had been helping their plan too perfectly. "Principal Nezu, what do you think?" he asked, turning his eyes away from the sniper.

"Of course, I believe the practical exam needs to be modified. That is why I summoned you all here." He took a calm sip of tea. The steam rose around his furry face. "I asked myself, how do we keep the students from being in even more danger? The answer is simple: We must have the students themselves become stronger."

"That's true," Thirteen agreed readily. "I have no objections to challenging and strengthening the students. Not with the future ahead of us."

"Then," Aizawa spoke up, hoping to move things along. "if this is the path we are going to take, I propose we group the students into teams of two or three, that way they have a higher chance of winning."

"And give them the option of escape instead of combat," Snipe added.

"Maybe we can wear weights to slow us down?" Thirteen asked.

"Then we will move forward with combat as the practical exam. Any objections?" Nezu demanded, raising a soft white paw. "No? Wonderful. Vlad, Aizawa, I expect your proposals on which students should be grouped and which staff member they should face by the end of the day. Dismissed!"

…

Day One of the First Term Exams

"Are you sure they'll let me have this?" Kaminari asked nervously, holding up a stress ball.

They were about to take their first exam. The whole class sat in tense silence. A few of the losers were hunched over notecards and flipping frantically through their notebooks, studying up until the last minute. Katsuki had forbidden Pikachu and Red from studying at all this morning, telling them he didn't want their tiny brains to overheat. Truth was, cramming right up until the test actually made you more tense and made your mind fatigued before even starting the test. For better results, you should stay as relaxed as possible.

"I talked to them, remember?" Katsuki stated, annoyed. Neither of the two looked relaxed. What a fucking waste of time. He lightly hit the blond upside the head. "Stop worrying. Relax. Breathe."

Kaminari nodded and squeezed the foam ball viciously. "Yeah. I got this," he said, voice wavering with nerves.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. The door opened and Cementoss walked in.

"Everyone to their seats, clear your desks, the test is about to begin."

Katsuki looked over at Ponytail Girl. She sat calm and collected, confident. Katsuki clenched his fists and faced forward. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. He _would_ crush her!

…

Day Two of the First Term Exams

The class let out a tired groan as their second day of exams were collected and Present Mic left the room. Izuku laid his head on his desk, his temples throbbing.

"At this point, I'm looking forward to the robots," Mina exclaimed, practically melting in her desk. Her pink skin had a chalky paleness to it that couldn't be healthy.

"If it is robots," Ojiro said tiredly.

"Kendo and that Monoma dick seemed really confident," Kirishima responded, voice dull.

It had happened yesterday after the first set of exams. They had eaten lunch as a class. Kendo, class president of 1-B with the long rusty hair and big blue eyes, had approached them and passed on info about the practical that she had received from an upperclassmen.

Izuku had felt a flush of shame that he hadn't though to do the same. Monoma had overheard her sharing the information with them and had gotten nasty, accusing Kendo of having divided loyalties.

"Besides," the blond had taunted, eyes cold. "1-A needs no help from us since they're so much better than us, after all."

Kendo had knocked him flat, which was good because Kacchan had been half out of his seat at that point. None of them had forgiven the blond yet for what he had pulled in the bathroom.

"Just because they are using the same robots doesn't mean they are going to be used in the same way," Izuku warned them. "Don't underestimate the teachers. Whatever they come up with won't be easy."

Mina groaned, her head thumping loudly onto her desk. "Don't kill my only hope, Prez!"

Izuku made a sympathetic sound and patted her shoulder. "I just want you to be prepared."

…

Day Three of the First Term Exams

Aizawa paused in the doorway to their classroom. Midnight had left thirty minutes ago with their last exams and none of them had made it to the cafeteria for lunch afterward. A smile tugged at his lips. Every single one of his students were fast asleep, heads pillowed on their arms or resting directly on their desks. Even Katsuki was breathing deep and even, lost to sleep.

Aizawa turned off the classroom light and sank down with his back against the wall. A nap did sound good. Crossing his arms, he let his head fall forward and dozed.

…

Day Four: The Practical Exam

Nervous energy burned through Katsuki, making him clench and unclench his fists in turns. They had been told to get into their hero costumes and meet outside. Class 1-B, also in their hero costumes, met them there. The two groups stood in a ragged clump in front of Aizawa and their other teachers. Katsuki frowned. He hoped the teachers weren't planning on pitting them against each other. That would be too fucking easy.

"We will now begin the practical exam," Aizawa told them with grave seriousness. He looked out at them through tired, bloodshot eyes. "Of course, it is possible to fail this exam just as it is possible to fail a written test. If you want to go to the special training camp and keep your place here at UA, then don't make any stupid mistakes."

"I expect that you all have gathered information ahead of time and have some idea of what you will be doing," Vlad rumbled, massive arms crossed over his chest.

Katsuki sneered as Pikachu practically leapt into the air, shouting, "We're fighting robots like at the entrance exam and the Sports Festival, right?"

Pinky threw her fist in the air with a cheer. "Fireworks! Curry! Tests of Courage! Summer camp here I come!"

The scarf around Aizawa's neck rustled and a white furry head the size of a three year old toddler poked out. President Nezu smiled cheerfully, as if to say, 'Surprise!', and crawled down Aizawa's body. Aizawa never moved a muscle, standing stoic.

"Too bad," Nezu practically chirped. "That information is out of date! For various reasons, the exam will be different starting this time!"

Katsuki's heart rate increased and his lips spread into a grin of excitement. _Finally! Something actually worth his while! _He cracked his knuckles.

"From now on, we want to focus on person-to-person combat and hero work, and employ teaching that is closer to the actual battles you will face as heroes. So…" He raised his hands above his head, a wide grin splitting his mussel. "For this year's First Term Practical Exam, we'll have you form teams of two, three, or four to fight against a teacher!"

It was the redheaded president of class 1-B who was the first to speak. "Against… the teachers?" Kendo repeated hesitantly. Her eyes were huge.

Thirteen's voice crackled through her helmet's speakers. "Please think of us as villains."

Aizawa inclined his head. "The groups have already been decided. These were determined at my and Vlad King's discretion based on various factors, including your fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships. First up, Midoriya and Bakugo, you'll be up against…"

A shadow covered them and suddenly All Might in his hero form came crashing down. The ground literally shook when he landed. Grin wide and bright, his blue eyes unusually sharp, the number one hero's voice boomed out. "I will do it!"

Katsuki felt his blood roar in anticipation. He was being given the go-ahead to fight All Might?! He caught Izuku's eyes and instantly scowled at the look of fear on the teen's freckled face.

Nezu smiled at the shocked students. "Don't you worry! We are well aware of the difference in your skill level and power. You don't have to beat the teacher you're up against in battle! Your objective is either to put these handcuffs on them, or to have one of your group escape from the stage!"

Katsuki glared as Izuku's eyes lit up.

"Is it really okay to run away?" the green-haired teen asked timidly.

Nezu gave a furry thumbs up. "Yup!"

Snipe explained, "Assuming you come across an enemy, if you think you can win a fight against them, then that's fine. However — "

Aizawa took over as the sniper trailed off, voice heavy with meaning, "In cases where there's too big a difference in your abilities, it would be smarter to run away and get help. Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya, Bakugo, I'm sure you four understand this well."

Iida nodded his head solemnly. "I won't make that mistake again. I will pass this test and prove that!" His hand covered his forearm where his tattoo lay under his armor.

"Fight and win, or run and win," Todoroki summed up, tone thoughtful.

All Might put his hands on his hips and gave a bright laugh. "That's right! Your decision-making skills are being tested! But with these rules, you're probably thinking the only choice is to run, right? That's why we had the support course make these for us!" He lifted his hands and showed off the thick black cuffs he wore. "Ultra Compressed Weights! We'll put on about half of our body weight. It's to give you a handicap. It's old fashioned, but it makes it hard to move and eats up stamina!" He suddenly staggered, overcompensating. "Oh, shoot, they're heavier than I thought…"

Katsuki practically growled. The losers around him actually took a step away from him at the sound. "To allow us to consider fighting you, huh?" His hands clenched into tight fists. "You're underestimating us. I'd take you on even without those fucking weights!" He grinned at All Might and those neon blue eyes stared right back. He wasn't fucking scared. He'd show everyone what he was capable of!

As soon as they were dismissed, he turned and marched into the arena. Izuku ran after him. "Kacchan…"

Katsuki spun and glared into Izu's gem-like green eyes. "I'm going to take All Might fucking down. Don't get in my way, Deku." Izuku looked wounded at that, but Katsuki didn't give an inch. "I'm not going to fucking run. That's what you're planning, right?" He leaned close, their noses almost touching. "I don't give a fuck what you do, but I sure as hell ain't running."

He was sick of Izuku's hero worship of the man. All Might had bumbled his way through teaching Izuku from the beginning, and Katsuki was going to show Izuku and the world that All Might wasn't untouchable. Katsuki was going to be bigger and better than All Might himself one day, and he was going to prove it right here! With or without Izuku.

…

Aizawa stood with his arms crossed as he watched the screen in the observation tower. Most of the kids from both classes were ranged behind him. They had the option to plan out their own fights or watch, but most had chosen to watch. After all, two students were going up against The Symbol of Peace: All Might! This wasn't a fight to miss.

Recovery Girl sat in a chair beside Aizawa, on standby for when she would be needed. She cast him a worried glance. "Are you certain about this match-up?"

Aizawa said nothing to that, lowering his chin inside his scarf. Was he?

"Man, that's tough, being put against All Might," Kirishima said, ruffling his spiky crimson hair uneasily.

"And going first with the least amount of time to plan," Todoroki added, tone disapproving as he shot Aizawa a pointed look.

"Poor Midoirya," Yaoyorozu said softly. "The real problem is being paired with Bakugo."

There was no sound with the video, but they could see Katsuki crowding Midoriya, getting in his face. Midoriya looked close to tears. Without any context, it looked as if the shorter teen was being bullied, but Aizawa knew Midoriya was simply petrified of facing his mentor and Katsuki was trying to push him to fight.

"Hey!" Kaminari spoke up. "Bakugo isn't so bad! He really worked hard getting me ready for the exams!"

"Insulting you and calling you a loser the whole way, no doubt," Tsuyu Asui said evenly, a soft croak following her dry statement.

"That's just how he talks," Kirishima insisted, defending Katsuki staunchly.

"It's degrading and abusive," Yaoyorozu declared coldly, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"They are likely going to fail this test," Tokoyami said evenly. "Despite being friends, Bakugo and Midoriya are really competitive with each other, and even if they weren't rivals, Bakugo doesn't work well with anyone. It would take perfect teamwork and then some to beat someone of All Might's calibre."

Aizawa completely agreed with that cool assessment, but he believed the boys were capable of that type of teamwork.

Todoroki didn't even spare his classmates a glance, keeping his eyes on the screen, as he said, "You guys have a habit of underestimating Bakugo."

"Yeah! And as much shit as you give Bakugo, if you were ever in trouble, he's the first guy you'd want at your side!" Kirishima declared.

"Despite our differences, he risked his life to save me from Stain," Iida added solemnly.

Yaoyorozu crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Did he fight to save you or just to prove he was the best?"

The room fell silent at that.

Aizawa sighed. If this fight against All Might went south, he had a feeling the tenuous situation between Katsuki and his classmates would only worsen, but he'd judged this to be the perfect opportunity for Midoriya to realize how far he's come by facing his mentor, a feat Midoriya no doubt thought would always be impossible. It also gave Katsuki what he needed: the opportunity to take back some of his power after having had to swallow a lot of crap from All Might this year.

But Aizawa didn't like how much strain it was clearly putting on the boys' relationship. He hadn't predicted that. After being kept on opposite teams and separated in class for the last two months, he had thought the boys would have leapt at this chance to finally work together. This was the moment to show proof their relationship was a strength, not only a weakness.

But what if it only tore them apart? Perhaps he was pushing to hard too soon. What if Midoriya was unable to face his mentor? If so, then this fight would destroy everything he had hoped to build in these boys and possibly do damage to their psyches that would never be undone.

…

Izuku's heart thundered in his chest as anxiety tore through him. He knew how much Kacchan needed to prove himself, but… Izuku swallowed hard, cold sweat beading along his hairline… But if they just threw themselves against _All Might_ they would face utter defeat!

Images swamped his brain of the mighty hero carrying dozens on his back out of a burning building after an explosion - of All Might facing unbelievably strong villains and winning! - of All Might's punches _changing the weather _they were so strong! - The Number One Hero, the Symbol of Peace, _ALL MIGHT! _His brain was practically screaming, 'We're going to die here!'

"Kaachan, All Might! Just _All Might_, Kacchan! He's not going to hold back!" Izuku said with breathless desperation. He was already sweating, his bangs curling and sticking to his forehead. His eyes were huge in his face. "Combat is out of the question!"

Kacchan kept marching forward.

Izuku grabbed his arm and forced the blond to face him. "We can't beat him in a fight! It's a really bad idea, Kacchan!" he cried, heart racing with panic. Why wasn't Kacchan listening?!

Eyes bright with surprising fury, Kacchan tore his arm out of Izuku's grasp. The blond put his face right into Izuku's, his glare hot and challenging. "You want to run, run! Stop following me!" Kacchan yelled before turning on his heel and stomping down the center of the street.

Izuku was blind to all the warning signs, the way Kacchan's chin was lowered, the rigid line of his jaw. He chased after him blindly, heart pounding in fear. "All Might's probably waiting for us on this main road! At least take another route!"

"I'm not going to run away from this fight," Kacchan growled, not even looking at him. "This is a test, isn't it? I'm going to blast that smile off his fucking face and pass. You do whatever the hell you want to. I'm not stopping you."

"If we want to win, we should avoid fighting him, Kacchan!" Izuku yelled in frustration, tears in his eyes. He pulled futilely at the blond's muscled arm. "The only way we can win is if we escape through the gate! We don't stand a chance going up against his strength!"

Kacchan spun around and let off a blast that knocked Izuku off his feet.

Izuku hit the ground hard, knocking the air out of his lungs. His chest stung painfully, and he grabbed ate is chest. His costume was singed, but he hadn't been burned. Not too badly, anyway. He stared up at his boyfriend in wide-eyed surprise. True anger simmered in Kacchan's ruby eyes as they stared down at him.

"I don't want to hear another word come out of your mouth, Deku," he said with utter seriousness.

Izuku swallowed hard, his heart sinking into his gut. He was really looking at Kacchan for the first time since he'd heard All Might would be their opponent, and it wasn't just anger in Kacchan's expression. He looked _betrayed_.

…

Katsuki wanted to punch Izuku's face in! All those times Izuku had called him a hero, had said he believed in him, that Katsuki would be number one… And he was pussing out now?! In a stupid practical exam in their first year of UA?! They had trained non-stop for WEEKS for this fucking test! And just because All Might stood against them, Izuku was rolling over without even fucking trying?!

"_We can't beat him!" _

Even with the weights on All Might's arms and legs? And the school putting prohibitions on All Might from hurting them too badly? Not even then? Is this really how far Izuku believed they could go? That they couldn't stand up against a fucking test at school? Well, Katsuki was going to fucking prove him wrong!

His hands clenched into tight fists. A small part of him wondered if Izuku was right. - _Ponytail girl always beating him_ \- _Izuku improving at a rapid rate, threatening to leave him in the dust_ \- Was this as far as he could go? The question haunted him.

As much as Katsuki blustered and postured, All Might wasn't a joke. He was a fucking idiot and Katsuki wanted to punch his fucking face in a hundred times, but could he actually do it? Squaring his shoulders, Katsuki set his jaw. Well, it was time to fucking see, wasn't it?

Scared and furious, his core felt so hot it was almost cold. He was marching toward a truth he wasn't sure he was ready to know, but when had that ever fucking stopped him? What other choice did he have but to move forward? He wasn't going to fucking run and hide, and sit there huddled, wondering forevermore 'Could I have taken him?'. He was going to fucking face All Might and find out once and for all what he was capable of.

…

"Oh dear," Recovery Girl said with a sigh. "There is absolutely no teamwork between those two. Don't they realize the trial ahead of them?"

Aizawa forced his body to stay loose and unconcerned, but inside he was horrified. Another screen showed All Might winding up, his enormous muscles bunching. He wanted to scream at the man to give the boys one more minute to get on the same page, but all he could do was watch.

All Might twisted at the hip as he let loose a fully-powered punch. A gust of force chewed down the street, tearing up the front of buildings and sending concrete and debris flying. Cars, gutted with no engines but still deadly missiles, went tumbling like a plastic bag caught in the wind.

A bridge walkway crumbled and collapsed mere feet from where the boys had been flung off their feet. They looked bruised and scratched up from their painful tumble across concrete and from the shower of debris. Aizawa grit his teeth. What was the idiot doing?! Did he want to kill them?!

…

Katsuki climbed to his feet, bruised all up and down his body. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the hero turned villain coming closer. A dust cloud from the debris hid him from view, but All Might was close and getting closer.

"Who really cares if I destroy the city," All Might declared, voice dark and dangerous. He stepped free of the obscuring cloud of dust and slammed his foot down. Katsuki had to brace every muscle in his body or go flying again at the wind that single stomp had produced. "If you think of this as an exam and not a real fight, you'll be sorry. I'm a villain now, heroes," the terrifying hero said darkly. "Remember that. You'd better come at me with everything you've got. I won't pull my punches."

"It's over if we fight him head on!" Izuku cried, literally shaking with fear. His hair was a mess, sweat glistened on his face.

The sight of Izuku's desperate expression made Katsuki's blood boil hotter. Katsuki snarled and lifted his arm, releasing a blast that was more light than force. "Stun grenade!" he cried. All Might covered his eyes. It gave Katsuki the opening to shoot forward, past All Might's guard. "You want everything I've got, All Might?! Like that wasn't my fucking plan from the beginning!" he screamed, enraged.

"KACCHAN NO!"

Before Katsuki could land his punch, All Might grabbed his face, stopping Katsuki abruptly in mid-leap. Katsuki ignored the threat of that hand crushing his skull and pressed both palms forward, letting off a machine-gun volley of explosions point-blank into All Might's chest. All Might staggered back and swung him down, slamming him into the ground. Katsuki's head rang, momentarily stunned from the force of hitting concrete.

"Your rapid-fire blasts were weak," All Might boasted somewhere above him, voice going in and out. "Hardly more than a sting."

Katsuki rolled onto his stomach and saw All Might towering over a frozen Izuku. Gritting his teeth, Katsuki set his arms behind him and blasted forward just as Izuku activated his quirk and leapt high into the sky like a fucking suped-up rabbit. "DEKU! Watch out!" They crashed into one another and fell hard to the ground. Katsuki already felt battered and the fight had only just begun. Fighting All Might seemed impossible enough, fighting against Izuku at the same time… Katsuki lay there, his chest too tight to draw in a full breath. Tears fucking filled his fucking eyes as the sensation of defeat washed through him. A feeling that made him sick to his stomach. A feeling he hated with all his soul. HE'D RATHER DIE THAN FEEL LIKE THIS!

…

Aizawa couldn't hide his tension at this point.

"One boy only thinks of fighting All Might, while the other only thinks of running away. The later probably adores the hero too much," Recovery Girl said with a sigh.

"Of course Deku wants to run away! They have no chance!" Uraraka stated, hands clasped in desperate prayer. "It's All Might!"

"You can't win if you think you've lost before you even try," Todoroki said tightly. "Midoriya is the one causing the problems here."

"How can you say that?" Iida exclaimed. "We of all people know running away isn't failure!"

"But he's not running strategically. He's running scared," Todoroki argued.

"Midoriya should just leave Bakugo and make for the gate by himself," Yaoyorozu stated firmly.

"Splitting up?" Kendo, the redheaded president of class 1-B, said unsurely. "I don't believe that's a good idea. Their only chance is to stand together."

Aizawa grit his teeth. _Come on, Toshinori! What are you doing out there? You're supposed to bring them together not break them apart!_

…

Izuku pushed up to his knees, his whole body throbbing from the force of All Might's punch. "Kacchan! We have to run!"

"FUCK YOU!" Kacchan's scream was so desperate, Izuku sucked in a breath. He'd never heard Kacchan sound like that. His heart broke in two when he saw tears glistening in the blond's angry eyes. "I WILL WIN THIS!" Kacchan screamed as he stomped past him, heading toward All Might.

Izuku had a flash of a six-year-old Kacchan standing in front of a tv store that was playing footage of All Might. The awe on his face. _'That's why he's the greatest,' _young Kacchan had said, full of determination and strength even then. _'No matter how much trouble he's in, he's always the winner! I'm going to be a hero like that! Everyone will know no villain no matter how strong will be able to hurt them when I'm around!' _

Ten year old Kacchan, handicapped by not being able to use his amazing quirk, leaping at a killer who could so easily kill them, a defiant grin stretching his face - Twelve year old Kacchan yelling, "Let Deku go or I'll kill you!", as he climbed shakily back to his feet after being thrown through a glass store-front window - Fifteen year old Kacchan, battered and bruised, tears in his eyes, standing alone against All Might!

Shame washed through Izuku. A hero stood against impossible odds. Faced with All Might, Izuku had not stood, he'd crumbled, and that weakness was forcing Kacchan to act recklessly. Because he was fighting alone. Because Izuku was too scared to stand beside him.

_What the hell am I doing?_ Izuku thought furiously to himself. This was what he'd fought so hard for! To have the right to stand at Kacchan's side when things were at their darkest!

"I have a gift for the one who wants to run away!"

Izuku lifted his head and saw All Might falling down on him. Before Izuku could move or react, a metal guardrail slammed into the ground, pinning him painfully to the street.

Kacchan shot forward to save him, fire exploding from his palms, but All Might was fast! Too fast! A devastating upper cut slammed directly into the blond's gut. Izuku watched in wide-eyed horror as Kacchan made a sound of pain, vomiting violently as he was flung backward, skidding several feet across the ground. Groaning, Kacchan rolled onto his stomach and then collapsed.

"Kacchan!" Izuku screamed, reaching desperately. "Are you okay?!" Kacchan wasn't moving. Fear and horror morphed into rage. Rage at All Might for going all out. Rage at himself for being so afraid and abandoning Kacchan's side!

All Might walked toward Kacchan's collapsed form, lecturing the blond about wasted potential and letting his emotions rule him. Just as Kacchan began to stagger to his feet and All Might drew back his fist to punch the teen again, Izuku blasted up, One For All singing through his body.

All that training for fighting opponents larger than him kicked in. In a flash, faster than the eye could see, Izuku shot across the space between them. All Might turned as if in slow motion, the guardrail still flying upward, Kacchan swaying on his feet, unaware, vulnerable. Izuku's leg stomped forward and kicked All Might's knee backward with extreme force. There was a crunch and the huge man came crashing down. Izuku cracked the concrete as he landed directly behind the hero.

Before All Might could react, before he could reach out and grab him or deliver another devastating punch, Izuku leapt forward and scooped a barely conscious Kacchan up into his quirk-enhanced arms, bridal style. Instead of fighting the hold, Kacchan curled his torso into Izuku's chest and let his arms with the huge grenade gauntlets hang limply.

Heart feeling like it was being squeezed out of his chest, practically burning with protective fury, Izuku took running leaps, rabbit-like, down a dark alleyway, putting distance between All Might and them.

…

Aizawa felt tension run out of his frame. Thank god they'd gotten it together! Just in time, too. When All Might had lifted his fist against a barely conscious Katsuki who stood swaying on his feet, Aizawa had felt his quirk start to activate. Not that it would have done any good. He had to see someone in person with his own eyes, not through a lens, in order to erase their quirk.

"Did Midoriya just break All Might's leg?" Kirishima demanded, practically shaking Kaminari in his excitement. "That's so manly! Way to go, Midoriya!"

With a flick of his fingers against the remote he held, Aizawa made sure the camera didn't follow the boys into the alley. Instead, he had them focus on All Might. He had a feeling if the camera followed the boys now, they would out themselves in front of the whole class. As it was, he was glad the students were so distracted by All Might's collapse that they hadn't noticed the way Katsuki had practically curled into Midoriya's arms, a gesture of trust so very uncharacteristic of the blond that couldn't be explained by simple friendship.

Aizawa frowned as All Might, grinning, tore his sleeve off his costume and used the stretchy strength-enhanced spandex to wrap his dislocated knee. He also took off the weights from his ankles. They landed hard and impossibly heavy, cracking the concrete beneath the hero. Aizawa didn't like the look in those neon blue eyes. He turned and walked out of the observation tower, heading to the field.

…

Katsuki sat slumped against the alley wall, Izuku at his side, panting. He couldn't meet Izuku's eyes, defeat still sitting sour in his stomach. "Guess you were right, Deku. He fucking beat me."

"No, Kacchan," came Izuku's tearful response. "Don't say that."

"He kicked our asses out there!" Katsuki knocked his head against the alley wall, feeling disgusting. "We've fucking lost."

"No, we haven't!" Izuku grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, shaking him hard. "I was wrong!" he said fiercely, green eyes bright and hard. "I was wrong, Kacchan! I freaked out and I'm sorry!" Tears burned down his flushed cheeks as he clutched painfully at Katsuki's shoulders. "I let you down… I'm sorry, Kacchan… So sorry… Please… Please don't give up… This is my fault…"

Before Katsuki could say anything, Izuku pulled away and got to his feet. He wiped at his face and slapped at his cheeks. He looked down at Katsuki with a determined expression and extended his hand. "We're going to win because it doesn't matter how strong All Might is. There's only one of him and there's two of us! Together, we can beat this test and pass the final!"

Katsuki felt some of his resistance give. The bitter sting of defeat was still there, but Izuku's hard green eyes soothed most of it away. He took the nerd's hand and let the teen pull him to his feet. "You gotta plan, nerd? I'm all fucking ears."

"I dislocated his knee while he was focused on you," Izuku explained, expression dead serious. "We just have to keep that up. Force him to focus on one of us so that the other has an opportunity to do some damage. Then once he's down, we'll make a break for the escape gate."

Katsuki's eyebrows shot up. Izuku had broken All Might's knee? Holy shit! The image of that was at once hard to believe but also really fucking awesome. "Are you sure about this, Deku? We have to go at him with everything we've got. My rapid-fire blasts didn't even knock him back. Every hit will have to have maximum impact if we're going to win."

"I'm sure." Izuku gave a firm nod. "With your power and mine combined, we can do this." He stared straight into Katsuki's eyes. "Together, we can do anything. I'm sorry I lost sight of that. I won't hold you back. Let's show them all what we can do when we work together! Not even All Might can stand up against us!"

Katsuki's heart began to beat with adrenaline and a fierce grin split his face. "You're fucking sexy as hell, you know that?" he demanded and crashed their mouths together in a passionate kiss. It was rough, almost violent, Izuku kissing him back just as fiercely.

When they finally broke apart, they were breathing hard, their faces flushed. Katsuki pressed his forehead to Izuku's, a silver string connecting their lips before snapping. "Let's fucking win this," he growled.

Izuku returned his grin, his eyes bright with a ferocity of his own. "Plus Ultra!"

…

All Might ran down the street, looking for his wayward students. His adrenaline was up, One For All surging through his body and making him feel invincible. He could feel the oxygen move through his lungs, powering his muscles and strengthening his body. Adrenaline made every sense sharp. He ran with remarkable speed despite the limp, the pain of his knee hardly registering. He would not let the boys escape so easily.

A sound behind him, of boots sliding on concrete, and All Might spun, his arms raised in a block. Heat and light exploded out at him - One, Two, Three… Each so powerful they pushed him backward. Then suddenly a fiercely grinning Bakugo shot into the air. All Might only had enough time to twist halfway around to look behind him before an enormous explosion hit him square in the side! Izuku with Bakugo's grenade gauntlet!

Windows shattered, the sound of the explosion deafening, the echoing being heard for miles around. Concrete buildings cracked and shattered, deadly chunks flying through the air. Smoke billowed as heat and light and force flung him like a rag doll down the street.

All Might went tumbling, concrete biting painfully into his back. His costume was burnt away from his right side. The skin burnt and oozing along his arm and ribs. Coughing, All Might staggered to his feet and almost fell again, his damaged knee giving a scream of pain. The smoke thinned just enough that he could see the boys' silhouettes as they ran in the opposite direction… Toward the escape gate…

Neon blue eyes narrowed. He couldn't let them win so easily! How would that prepare them for the battles that were to come? He had to make them STRONG!

…

Izuku could see the gate. It was twenty-five meters away, the length of the average swimming pool.

"NOW!"

Izuku leapt straight in the air at Kacchan's warning shout, putting as much distance between them as he could, just as they'd planned.

Just as Kacchan predicted, All Might was suddenly right there beside them! The hero shattered Kacchan's remaining gauntlet and leapt up to do the same to the one Izuku still wore, but that shift in attention cost him. Kacchan let off two explosions with both palms and blasted All Might away before he could do anything more than break the gauntlets.

Izuku and Kacchan landed with All Might between them. They knew that standing close together meant All Might could take them both out in one shot. At least this way, they had a chance to get in a hit while All Might was dealing with the other.

Even with the bad leg, All Might flew at Kacchan in a blur. Kacchan had no time to defend himself. The massive hero landed a punch in his gut for the second time, and the blow was so strong that Kacchan flew across the street, shattering a window as he went crashing inside a building.

Izuku had leapt as soon as All Might had made a move at Kacchan, green lightning streaking his body. He threw a punch, but All Might was impossibly FAST and STRONG! Izuku's arm was seized before it made contact. It was the same arm that had absorbed the gauntlet blast and his shoulder screamed in pain as it popped out of the socket.

Kacchan came exploding through the broken window, shallow cuts along his arms and shoulders dripped blood and yelling a battle cry at the top of his lungs!

All Might made to grab him with his free hand, but Kacchan blasted himself to the side just in time to avoid All Might's reach.

And in that moment when All Might was focused on the roaring blond, Izuku jackknifed, power surging through every muscle, every cell, and kicked All Might's elbow upward with both booted feet.

With a squelch and a crack, the elbow bent in the opposite direction it was meant to, and Izuku rolled free as All Might grabbed his broken arm with a bellow of pain.

An explosion almost as large as the one the gauntlet produced exploded from Kacchan's palm as soon as Izuku rolled free. Windows shattered; the ground and buildings shook. Fire and heat and smoke crashed down on them like a physical force. A rain of concrete and glass fell from the sky. All Might was knocked flat on his back, his hair and costume smoking.

Izuku didn't hesitate. He sprinted toward the gate in a bounding leap while Kacchan stood his ground to guard his escape.

…

Ears ringing, the acrid sting of smoke in his lungs making him cough harshly, All Might climbed to his feet. The almost debilitating pain of his arm and opposite knee, his heart thundering in his chest, he was blind to it all. He had to teach them! He had to prepare them for the evil they would face!

All Might forced himself to take a deep, ragged breath. He turned his back to the boys and wound back his arm, shouting at the top of his lungs, "NEW HAMPSHIRE SMASH!"

…

Katsuki stared in horror as All Might - propelled by his punch with unstoppable force and speed - became a human bullet that flew straight at Izuku's back. Izuku couldn't see him, sprinting toward the gate. "DEKU!" Katsuki screamed, exploding forward, but there was nothing he could do. The massive, six hundred pound hero crashed into Izuku.

All Might was faced away from Izuku, his body curled forward from the force of his punch that had flung him backward toward Izuku. Izuku's back bent viciously, curving along All Might's forward bend. Izuku went flying from the force and screamed in pain as he went careening into the side of a van parked maybe twenty feet from the escape gate.

All Might had hit him so hard that he left a dent in the metal and bounced off, tumbling to the concrete limp as a rag doll. If One For All hadn't been enhancing Izuku's body, that blow would have killed him!

Katsuki. Saw. RED!

With a roar of rage, Katsuki screamed "_**DIE!**_" and released an enormous blast right into All Might's torso from ten feet away. This time it was All Might who went flying into a building, broken glass and chunks of walls falling down, adding to the smoke and dust. Katsuki marched forward, lips twisted in a snarling grin. Bracing his arms and anchoring his feet, he let off one enormous blast after another.

The walls of the building cracked and began to tumble down with a grinding roar that shook the ground. Katsuki's arms pulsed and swelled as he pushed them past their breaking point. His palms split from the heat, blood flowed down his forearms and dripped off his elbows, and still he kept blasting with screams of profanity.

All Might suddenly leapt upward, breaking through the rubble of the burning building and flung himself over Katsuki's head toward a staggering Izuku. The teen was barely on his feet, sweat and tears drenched his face. He was clearly in agony, but still he moved toward the gate, now only ten feet away. And All Might was going after him again!

Katsuki blasted himself forward at dangerous speed, cutting across All Might's path and let off two simultaneous blasts, one from each palm. All Might somehow grabbed his wrists, so the force of the explosion tossed them both down the street. They bounced, then skid, smoke and fire and burnt flesh assailing Katsuki's senses. His knees and back were shredded by broken concrete and glass as he was dragged helplessly along as All Might tumbled.

Just as they were coming to a stop, All Might swung him up off the ground in an arch by one blood-slick arm. It happened so fast, Katsuki disoriented from the rough fall, he could do nothing as the pavement came up to slam into him face first.

…

Izuku, his wrenched back making every breath agony, looked over his shoulder to see All Might slam Kacchan into the ground. Kacchan rolled and reached up, weakly gripping All Might's thick wrist, a small pop going off, still fighting.

Izuku felt something massive swell inside him…

Seeing All Might so much bigger and stronger crouched over Kacchan's limp, bloody form… It sent a roar burning up from his gut, through his chest, and exploding from his snarling mouth!

Pain, fear, exhaustion, it all disappeared in a surge of hot electricity! And all Izuku could see was the threat looming over Kacchan.

Izuku shot forward. Green lightning snapped and crackled in his wake. A high whistling sound pierced the air as he shot forward like a missile. Everything existed in slow motion except for Izuku himself.

He could see All Might's head turning ever so slowly. Could see Kacchan's bloody hand falling through the air, limp. Then Izuku was there and swinging his leg around, his booted foot connecting with All Might's cheek!

He could see All Might's face ripple and compress, the hero's head snapping to the side as he was flung backward into the smoldering rubble of the building Kacchan had demolished.

Izuku scooped a bloody Kacchan into his arms again, cradling him protectively to his heaving chest, and shot toward the escape gate and freedom. In a blink, he was through, the gate breaking into pieces and flying apart from the speed at which he had moved through it.

Izuku turned to look back. All Might was on his good knee, one arm hanging limp, one leg at an awkward angle beside him. His face was already swelling. He was burnt and battered, filthy from dust and soot, but he was grinning, always grinning. With a shaking hand, he flashed Izuku a thumbs-up.

Izuku felt One For All slip through his mental fingers. He tightened his hold on Kacchan. Staggered. Blinked. Kacchan grew heavy in his arms. His back SCREAMED at him in pain, and he gasped, dropping to his knees. Vision going black, he toppled forward, covering Kacchan's body with his own.

…

Aizawa jumped out of the jeep and ran to the boys. They were both battered and bloody, knocked out cold.

All Might came up, dragging his leg and clutching his broken arm. "These boys…!" he said with a grin, tone proud.

"You almost killed them!" Aizawa snapped, getting into the hero's face. "What were you thinking, All Might?!"

All Might stopped in his tracks, shock flashing across his face. "I was teaching them."

"What did you teach them?!" Aizawa demanded shoving the massive hero in the chest. Even battered and broken, All Might hardly moved. "I should have known I couldn't trust you! That you'd go too far!"

"We can't coddle them," All Might responded heatedly, thick eyebrows lowering dangerously over neon blue eyes. "They are going to be going up against villains who will do everything they can to _kill_ them, Aizawa! You think this is easy for me?! You think I enjoy beating my students into the ground?! But look at what they accomplished! They won!" he proclaimed, swinging his arm wide to indicate the unconscious and crumpled boys.

Aizawa had to clench his fists to keep from punching the idiotic man in the face. "This is not winning, All Might. Look at them! Really _look_ at them!"

All Might did so and uncertainty flickered across his expression.

Aizawa took a deep breath. "I know your training was… extreme. And it made you who you are today, but you have to realize… Gran Torino never had the power you do. Gran Torino knocking you around when you always had a good grasp of your quirk is not the same thing as you doing the same to Midoriya or any other student! The difference in power between you and Gran Torino is staggering to begin with, and they are not the same as you were! Not physically, not emotionally!"

"Aizawa, I…" All Might began.

Aizawa didn't want to hear anything the man had to say. It would only set him off more, so he spoke over him, voice hard and unrelenting. "I don't know what it will take for this to sink in! Being a teacher is not the same thing as being a hero, Toshinori. These boys did not win here even though they made it through the gate. And because they did not win. You did not win. You failed as their teacher."

Steam lifted around the massive hero and he transformed in front of Aizawa's eyes. The damage was even worse on his skinny frame than it had been in his hero form. He looked a breath away from collapse and in need of a hospital. Aizawa didn't feel a lick of pity. Rage still burned bright and hot in his stomach.

"This is not teaching," he said as clearly as he could. "These boys are incredible students and pushed themselves to the breaking point to meet your challenge, but what specifically were you trying to teach them? Teamwork? Confidence? Creativity? Did you arrange it so they had a method of winning that required that element? Do you think they will feel accomplished after having passed your test? Or will they feel like beaten down because they barely survived?"

All Might coughed blood onto his palm and fell, his good leg folding under him. "I just want Midoriya to be ready," he said with desperation, tears in his eyes. "I want him to he strong. Things are going to get bad, and I probably won't be there to help. I…" Neon blue eyes stared up at him with true terror burning in their depths. "I can't see him die at a villain's hands. Not Izuku."

Aizawa snapped, screaming, "This is not how you teach him strength, you fool! You're not a gorilla at the zoo, only knowing how to bang on your chest and beat things into the ground with your massive fists! You are letting your fear control you and sabotage Midoriya's training! At this rate, Midoriya won't survive to third year! And it will be _your_ fault, All Might! You are making that boy a nervous wreck! The pressure you are putting on him to preform is ridiculous! Do you really think a mindset of fear and anxiety is conductive to making him _strong_? Do you think he will trust you the same after this stunt? Did you consider _any of this _at all?!"

All Might simply stared up at him, helpless and injured.

Disgusted, Aizawa turned back to the boys. He activated his capture weapon to wrap around Midoriya, careful not to shift or jolt his back as he laid the boy across the backseat of the jeep. Next, he lifted Katsuki awkwardly into his arms.

It was hard to get a grip on the boy, slick as he was with blood. The feeling of Katsuki's blood on his hands made Aizawa sick to his stomach. He set him gently in the front seat and belted him in. Katsuki's head hung limp, still unconscious.

Furious to the point of perfect calm, Aizawa came to stand in front of a broken All Might. "Get in the goddamn jeep, Toshinori. I need to get the boys to Recovery Girl."

…

Nearly thirty minutes later, hands scrubbed until they were pink, Recovery Girl came out of the examination room in the clinic of the observation tower. All Might was waiting with him, still filthy and injured, the boys getting tended to first. Recovery Girl pulled a surgical mask off her face with a sigh.

"You really did it this time, Toshinori."

"How are they?" Aizawa asked as carefully neutral as he could.

Recovery Girl ignored the question and came to stand in front of All Might. The man was in his emaciated form and was slumped down in the chair, so she was able to look him straight in the eye.

"If you had hit that boy just a fraction harder, you would have snapped his spinal cord and he'd be paralyzed from the waist down. As it is, there are hairline fractures from T10 to L1. I am amazed he was able to move around after sustaining such damage. He had to be in excruciating pain. He also had torn ligaments and a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder from being violently disloacted. Not to mention the deep contusions over sixty percent of his body."

As All Might sat in guilty silence, Aizawa asked, "And Bakugo?"

Recovery girl sighed sadly. "Several laceration he'd sustained to his shoulders and arms had to be stitched. He has fractures in his cheekbone and skull, which resulted in a severe concussion. There was some swelling in his brain, but I've already tended to that. Inside his gloves, his palms were split and suffered third degree burns, and he has severe road rash along his shoulders and back. It took three nurses to get all the dirt, rocks, and glass out of his skin." She shook her head. "It's going to take a couple weeks before these boys feel remotely well, even with my power." Sighing again, she turned back to All Might. "I hope you learned a lesson today, All Might. You nearly ruined those boys completely."

"Flinging fifteen year olds into buildings and slamming them against the ground tends to break a few things," Aziawa said coldly. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he strode for the door. "I want you to know that I am going to formally request that you be suspended from teaching."

All Might simply bowed his head.

…

The sun was setting and Toshinori stared dully out at the vivid colors bleeding into the sky. Midoriya and Bakugo lay in hospital beds next to his own. Both were still unconscious and heavily bandaged. The door opened and the soft tread of feet crossed the floor. Toshinori didn't bother to turn his head.

"How are you feeling?" Principal Nezu asked calmly.

Toshinori couldn't ignore the principal. He looked over at his friend, despair in his eyes. Nezu had always been a support to him. He respected Toshinori's work as All Might and had given him a job on staff when he'd asked for one. He now stood with a look of concern on his soft white face instead of his usual carefree smile.

"I messed up," Toshinori admitted. "I'm not cut out to be a teacher."

Nezu's sneakers squeaked as he crawled up onto the hospital bed with him and sat cross-legged. He put a soft paw on Toshinori's good arm. "Being a teacher, like being a hero, is hard," Nezu said gently. "The problem is that being a hero wasn't hard for you. It came so naturally, and I think we all took it for granted that teaching would be just as easy for you as heroing. I should have interceded long ago, but you have also made amazing progress with these students, and I didn't realize the extent of the problem until now."

"I went too far in the exam. I am not fit to be a teacher." Toshinori looked down at his casted arm and all he could see was the back brace being strapped to an unconscious Midoriya. "I am resigning from my position as First Year Heroics Teacher."

Nezu put a paw on Toshinori's chest. "Not only are you a first time teacher with very little experience, in a sense, you are also a first time parent. Having your successor as your student made things more complicated and you lost perspective. You are an incredible man, Toshinori, but sometimes we all forget you are human. You haven't worked with a sidekick since your falling out with Nighteye almost a decade ago. To my knowledge you've never dated, let alone got married and raised a child. Working with children is a completely new world for you, and it is my mistake for not making sure you were fully ready for this position here."

Neon blue eyes looked tearfully at his friend. "It doesn't matter. I've already messed up. I can't fix it."

"You are a hero," Nezu said sharply. "It is not in your nature to give up! I expect you to learn from your mistakes, All Might, and come back better than ever. For your sake, but also for the sake of these children who need you."

Toshinori frowned. "What do you mean?"

Nezu gave him a surprisingly hard look. "You know what I mean, Toshinori. It's what pushed you to go too hard on those boys in the exam… Something bad is coming. I fear an all out war is in our future. I need these children prepared, and you are one of the only ones who can make sure they survive the horror that is to come. Do you understand, All Might? You are not allowed to give up now."

Toshinori swallowed hard, his heart beating hard in his chest. "Yes, sir."

"Over the course of summer break, I want you to shadow Best Jeanist. He works with and manages a large number of sidekicks as well as student interns. He is an excellent teacher, and I want you to observe him carefully over the next four weeks. Learn everything you can from him, and when you return, I will have you co-teach Heroics with Aizawa for the rest of the year. He is your senior when it comes to teaching, so I expect you to follow his lead."

Toshinori lowered his head in submission. "Thank you for this opportunity."

Nezu patted his arm and hopped off the bed. "I look forward to seeing the new All Might that will emerge after the heat of the summer. Good luck, Toshinori!"

Toshinori frowned after his friend. That 'good luck' had been way too cheerful. With a nervous twist to his stomach, he wondered just what exactly Nezu and Best Jeanist had in store for him. Clenching his good hand into a fist, Toshinori vowed to face whatever it was head on, as penance as well as for the future of his students. Plus Ultra!

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** Let me know what you thought about the changes I made to Izuku and Katsuki's practical exam! I anxiously await your feedback!


	48. Chapter 48

**A/n:** Hi! So a quick update! This focuses on the other members of class 1-A and not our main characters. I hope you enjoy it! XD

…

**Interlude: Practical Exam and Aftermath of Class 1-A**

Kirishima stood with Sato and two other students from 1-B. They stood silently, expressions grim. The teachers were clearly going all out in this test. Midoriya and Bakugo had hardly made it out alive. It was a miracle they had passed. Midoriya! And _Bakugo_! Kirishima could hardly believe it! They were the strongest of them all! And they'd had to be carried off the field unconscious and badly injured. It hadn't looked good.

So not only was he worried about his friends, he was now terrified about failing this stupid test. If the top two heavy hitters in class barely made it out, then what did that say about his chances? Or any of their chances? If he'd been in that arena against All Might, he'd have been a smear on the pavement for sure!

Looking up, Kirishima saw Cementoss heading over to where they stood in a loose group. The hero's body looked like a walking cement doll more than a human being. He could almost be described as cute, but Kirishima knew he was capable of devastating power. So much so that he was going up against four students at once. To make matters worse, they were using the city training field that All Might had smashed up, so there was plenty of cement to go around.

"I know what we just witnessed was a devastating example of physical power," the Cement Hero said evenly. "But I will tell you that your test is about more than brute strength. I will not attack you. I will simply try and prevent you from putting the handcuffs around my arm or running out the gate." He looked at each boy individually. "I have taught all four of you since the beginning of the school year. I have seen you grow, and I have perfect faith that you _will_ be able to pass this test."

Kirishima began to smile, his confidence returning. "Thank you, sensei!"

Cementoss bowed his flat, square head. "I will give you ten minutes to strategize. When you hear the buzzer, the test will have begun. Good luck, students!"

Kirishima faced the two teens from 1-B and held out his hand. "My name is Eijiro Kirishima. My quirk is called Hardening. I can turn my body into the hardest stone."

"I'm Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu," the white haired teen said loudly and grabbed his hand in a tight grip. Kirishima noticed that he had the longest, thickest eyelashes he'd ever seen. "My quirk's similar to yours. I can turn my body into steel." He squeezed down. "And I'm going to show you just how awesome class 1-B is!"

"I'm Rikido Sato," Sato jumped in as the Kirishima and the Tetsu kid tried to break each other's hand by squeezing as hard as they could. His big lips stretched into a friendly smile. "My quirk makes me stronger when I eat sugar." He held up two big bags of sugar cubes.

"Sen Kaibara," the second class 1-B boy introduced himself. "I can turn my limbs into powerful drills." He grabbed Tetsutetsu by the collar and pulled him away from Kirishima. "And we're not fighting each other, remember, Tetsu? You saw how it went for Midoriya and Bakugo against All Might. This is about teamwork, so knock it off. I'm not failing because of you."

"I'm going to work with them," Tesu protested. "I'm just going to show them how awesome I am while I do it!"

"Sounds manly." Kirishima grinned, flashing sharp teeth. "So anyone got a plan?"

"Our quirks are pretty similar. All of us have to get in close to do damage, which is why we were put against Cementoss, probably," Kaibara answered, releasing Tetsu's collar.

"So he's going to put up walls to keep us away," Kirishima said, nodding seriously. "We just have to show them how manly we are and bust right through them faster than he can put them up!"

"I'm not sure…" Kaibara said slowly, but Tetsu interrupted him.

"Cement has nothing on me! I'm going to bust through so fast, you guys won't need to do anything!" He cracked his knuckles with a cocky grin. "Just stay behind me! We'll get to Cementoss in no time!"

"That's not a bad plan," Kirishima said slowly and hit Tetsu playfully on the shoulder. "We should form a line, and as soon as one of us bursts through, the next jumps up. That way we move faster and conserve energy."

Kaibara nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

…

Aizawa walked into the observation room feeling exhausted. There were only a handful of kids watching the screens, the rest disbursing to prepare for their own tests.

"How're Midoriya and Bakugo?" Kaminari immediately asked, eyes wide.

As everyone in the room turned and held their breath, waiting for his answer, Aizawa said, "They'll make a full recovery." He made sure to speak with an easy, neutral tone to hide the heaviness in his heart. As his students gave sighs of relief and began to smile, Aizawa knew he was successful.

"Look at them go!" Ashido cheered, bringing his attention to the exam that was in progress. "They're smashing through those cement walls like it's nothing!"

Aizawa was impressed. The four teens had formed a line. One busted through the wall and the others climbed through with the next in line tackling the next wall. In this manner, they got to rest between each attack. They were making good progress, having crossed half the distance to Cementoss who stood fifty feet in front of the escape gate.

The Cement Hero could have dropped them in an instant, making the ground soft as quicksand, or buried them in a tsunami of cement, but he was trying to teach them that they couldn't always attack a problem head-on. To that end, he let them beat themselves against his walls uselessly. The question was, would those four meatheads understand the lesson?

"They won't win at this rate," Kendo, the copper-haired president of class 1-B, said worriedly, surprising Aizawa. On the surface, it looked like the boys were doing well.

Ashido whipped around to stare at her. "What do you mean? They're doing great!" She waved her arm dramatically at the screen. "They're almost there!"

"Their Quirks are amazing," Kendo agreed, holding her hands up in a gesture of peace, "but there is a limit to how long they can use them. On the other hand, I don't think Mr. Cementoss has that limitation. Your classmate, the one in the yellow hero costume, he already looks like he's getting tired, and Cementoss doesn't look tired at all. He's still at full power."

Aizawa looked to see the muscled Sato panting and looking pale. He wouldn't be able to hold up much longer.

"No way…" Kaminari said, tone worried. An electric pop sounded, making the screens go static for a moment. "They're totally going to win!"

"This practical exam is pitting students against teachers who they'd have a hard time with on purpose," Yaoyorozu accurately surmised. "I think the key will be how we deal with our weaknesses to pass."

"That's exactly right," Aizawa said, unable to stay quiet. His student had amazing analysis skills and should be rewarded. "Before your own turns come around, you should think carefully about your compatibility with the teacher you'll fight."

…

Kirishima's heart pumped harder than it had in his most grueling training sessions. It was getting harder and harder to trigger the change to harden his skin, and he started to focus it just on his arms and hands as he slammed his fist against concrete again and again. He had no idea how long it's been, but it had to be getting close to the thirty minute time-limit.

"This is never ending, man! No matter how many we break, they just keep coming!" he yelled as the three teens rushed past him, climbing over the rubble he'd left behind. Without these little two-minute breaks, he would have collapsed long ago. "Are we even close?"

"I'm sleepy…" Sato's voice had taken on a child-like quality. The downside of his quirk. The more sugar he ate, the lower his brain functions. "I'm tired…"

"I saw him! Just for a second between a gap!" Tetsu yelled, coming to stand behind Kirishima after his turn. "He's like twenty five meters away!"

Kaibara drilled through a cement wall with both hands, and Kirishima rushed through the hole, climbing over concrete debris to take his place at the next wall. "We're not going to make it at this rate!" the black-haired teen yelled. "We've got to switch it up!"

Kirishima grit his teeth and hardened his hands, leaving his arms uncovered this time. He slammed two punches into the wall, cracking it and then breaking through. "We can't go at him from different angles! It's too late for that! We're already running out of steam! If we separate, we'd have to break every wall ourselves without any breaks! None of us have the energy for that!"

"I'm sleepy…." Sato told him again, tugging on his arm. Kirishima pat him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"We need to do something!" Kaibara yelled in frustration.

"Those two, Midoriya and Bakugo, they won because they split up! All Might couldn't hit them both at once!" Tetsu called as he smashed through yet another wall.

"I already said we can't split… up…" Kirishima's eyes went wide. "Wait! I just got an idea!"

…

Kirishima collapsed to his knees breathing hard as the buzzer sounded. Sato fell straight back into the rubble and began to snore. "Good fight, man," he wheezed and offered Tetsu his hand.

The white-haired teen shook it, breathing just as hard. "Good fight," he echoed breathlessly.

Cementoss walked up, slab-like hands behind his back as he smiled down at them. "You four are extremely weak in a war of attrition. In a fight, you have to see just how much you can push the things you're good at. You made the right choice to send Kaibara off on his own to sneak through the gate while holding me off here. You were very heroic, all of you."

Kaibara, standing at Cementoss's side, offered the three exhausted teens a thumbs up.

"Congratulations," Cementoss intoned, smile growing wider. "Kirishima, Tetsutetsu, Sato, Kaibara, you passed your practical exam!"

Kirishima and Tetsu gave manly cheers, throwing their fists into the air.

…

Iida stood on a massive field that was exploding dirt into the air all over the place as the pro-hero Powerloader tunneled his way underground, creating pitfalls and sink holes. The hero could be anywhere! How were they going to get the cuffs on him if he was underground? And with all these pitfalls, how would they get across to the escape gate? Even with Recipro Burst, he wasn't confident he'd be faster than the ground could collapse beneath him. Both options seemed impossible. Failure seemed inevitable.

Ojiro held his tail over his shoulder, frowning. "Any ideas, Iida? Kodai?"

Yui Kodai was an emotionless girl from class 1-B with black hair to her shoulders and short bangs. She had big blue eyes and a calm demeanor. Iida looked to her hopefully as a geyser of dirt shot up into the air not ten feet away.

"Clearly this challenge is a puzzle, and we can't rely on our usual methods to solve it," she said logically.

"You said you can change something's size, and that the mass and weight of that item increases or decreases accordingly," Iida repeated.

"Yes," she answered calmly. Three geysers in the middle of the field exploded upward.

"I can leap pretty high and far with the muscles of my tail," Ojiro added, "but I can't jump far enough to get across."

"I have an idea, but it's going to require teamwork and trust," Iida announced.

Ojiro shared a look with Kodai. "Okay," the blond said slowly as Kodai nodded. "We're all ears."

…

"What are they doing?!" Ashido exclaimed, her pink cheeks turning red before she burst out laughing. Ojiro had just climbed onto Iida's back.

"Shouldn't you be preparing for your match? You're next up, aren't you?" Aizawa asked her pointedly.

Ashido shrugged. "We have _no_ idea what the arena will be or what we'll be up against, so we thought it would be better to stay and get ideas from our classmates!" she said cheerfully.

There was something to be said against over-planning, but Aizawa wondered if these two were taking the spontaneity philosophy too far.

"Look!" Kaminari cried, pointing to the screen. He was Ashido's partner.

Aizawa turned to watch Iida's plan unfold. It was strange, but it was functional. The 1-B girl began throwing nails into the field. They suddenly increased to the size of huge metal spikes taller than a man that pierced the ground. Iida took off into the rain of massive nails with Ojiro clinging tightly to his back and crossing his legs over Iida's belly. They were blindly trusting the girl's aim.

The boys were about halfway across the minefield when Powerloader finally got through the rain of massive spikes to intercept them. Iida leapt into the air as the ground crumbled beneath his feet. Ojiro wrapped his tail around Iida's leg just as Iida began spinning like a top with a powerful blast from his engines. Releasing Iida's leg, Ojiro was launched the rest of the distance. Ojiro staggered through the escape gate and promptly threw up.

"They won!" Kendo shouted happily. "Way to go, Kodai!"

"Not very manly, though," Kirishima had to admit.

Ashido snickered.

…

Kaminari walked into his assigned arena with Mina Ashido at his side. She was in her tight blue and pink hero costume, and he had on his special black jacket that helped him conduct electricity, the collar popped to look cool. He also had on his headphones that helped him tap into electric signals. A girl with green hair, a shade lighter and duller than Midoriya's walked up to them. She had on a tight, blue-scaled costume and a thin, black eye mask.

"Hey! I'm Setsuna Tokage, and I'm going to make sure we win this!" she said cheerfully, striking a pose.

Kaminari smiled at her. "We could use all the help we can get!"

"But the principal's so sweet," Mina exclaimed. "He wouldn't hurt us. This will be easy!"

"Watch those preconceptions!" Nezu's voice boomed out over the area from dozens of speakers. "I'm not going to make this easy! For a long time, humans put me in mazes and tested my intelligence before I broke free and won independence. Now it's your turn!"

The buzzer sounded loud, signaling the start to the test.

"Look, I can break my body into about fifty different pieces. I'll scatter and leave my mouth and an ear with you guys. I'll direct you."

"That's…" Kaminari said slowly, eyes wide.

"Gross?" the girl demanded, glaring with her arms crossed.

"Wicked!" Mina and Kaminari said together, grinning like idiots.

Tokage blushed and smiled happily. "Thanks."

"Let's do this!" Kaminari gave both girls a high five. "I'll try and pinpoint where that signal is coming from, to help you locate the principal."

They had been placed in an industrial arena with empty factories and massive pipes and machinery. Nezu could be anywhere and the escape gate was on the other side of the arena. They had a lot of ground to cover.

Tokage gave a cheshire cat grin and broke apart into fifty pieces just as she said she could. It was disturbing, but awesome as hell. Those pieces went flying in every direction, apparently controlled with her mind. Her mouth hovered near them, saying, "Don't worry. I can be many places as once. He can't hide long!"

Kaminari and Mina ran into the field, but almost immediately there was an explosion that set off a chain reaction that ended in a huge pipe falling and blocking their path. Concrete dust and debris created a smoke screen that was hard to see through. Kaminari felt his heart pump so fast, he could hardly think straight. They bolted, screaming, into one of the empty factories. The principal's laugh and taunting words echoed through the buildings and streets as more destruction rained down around them.

"Left!" Tokage's mouth told them. "He's herding you away from the gate!"

"I don't know if you can see it, but there's a flaming wall to the left!" Kaminari screamed toward her floating ear.

"I've got it!" Mina leapt up and shot acid at the already crumbling ceiling. It fell the rest of the way and smothered the fire. They leapt through the gap.

…

"They would not have passed without your classmate," Iida said, bowing to Kendo. "Please give her our thanks for her assistance."

Kendo smiled up at the screen that showed a very harried and dirty Ashido and Kaminari staggering through the escape gate. Tokage reassembled at their side and flung her arms around their shoulders. Kendo looked back at Iida, still smiling. "I'll tell her you said so, but Ashido and Kaminari took her direction well and overcame the obstacles with clever use of their quirks. She couldn't have done it without them, either."

Aizawa's lips quirked up slightly at the corners. Looked like the grudge between 1-A and 1-B wouldn't be so hard to bridge after all.

…

Hitoshi followed Jiro and Koda through the wooded area they'd been assigned. Jiro wiped sweat off of her forehead. The extendable jacks that made up her earlobes pulled out of a tree as they passed it.

"Still nothing," she announced with a frown. "I didn't think Present Mic could be this low-key."

"What's the plan once we find him?" Hitoshi asked curiously.

"We need to avoid combat if possible and head toward the escape gate." She gave him a sharp look. "Unless you think you can somehow defeat someone who can knock you out if he screams in your general direction?"

Koda, the mute boy whose head looked rock-like, shook his head quickly in denial.

Hitoshi inclined his head in tentative agreement. "I'm not sure avoiding battle will be possible, but let's try."

"All right, follow me," Jiro said confidently. "I can use my jacks to hear things really far away. I'll try and guide us around Present Mic and to the gate safely."

Suddenly a sound that was so loud it was felt as much at it was heard burst through the woods. **"Come on, let's hurry up and finish this! I don't like working with ardor in an arbor like this! YEAAAAAAAH!"**

From her knees, hands clamped desperately over her years, Jiro said painfully, "I don't know if the puns or the volume will kill me first." Shaking her head painfully, Jiro turned her attention to Koda. "You can control animals with your Quirk, right? Can't you get the birds to attack him or something?" she snapped, still holding her ears.

Koda mimed birds flapping frantically and pointed to his ears.

"They're too scared of the loud noise to listen to him," Hitoshi guessed.

"Even if I plug my ears, I feel like my eardrums will burst!" With a grunt of effort, she pried her hands off her ears and slammed her jacks into the ground. "Sounds like he's right in front of the gate. We're almost there. About twenty yards. Just through this screen of trees."

"**Hurry up and COME OOOOUT!"**

Jiro screamed and clutched at her head. "My ears!"

"**YOU COMING YET?"**

"I can't take this anymore!" Forcing herself to her feet, blood oozing out of her ears, she forced her earjacks into the speakers strapped to her shins. She then let out a burst of sound waves that canceled Present Mic's voice. "It won't last long. He'll adjust his frequency. Think of something! Quick!"

Hitoshi looked around, mind racing. There, on a boulder near them was a line of ants. They didn't seem bothered at all by the deafening sound. "Koda! The ants don't seem bothered by the noise." He lifted an ant onto his finger to show the other boy.

Koda screamed in terror and leapt behind a tree.

"He's not good with bugs, huh?" Jiro asked, tone exhausted.

"**THERE YOU ARE! How dare you mute me!"**

Jiro collapsed. "This isn't good… "

Hitoshi, ears ringing, went around the tree and grabbed Koda's arm. "Look at me!" The other boy stood shaking in Hitoshi's grasp, but he looked into Hitoshi's eyes. "Just nod your head. Can you control bugs or not?"

Shakily, Koda nodded and his expression went blank.

Hitoshi smiled grimly. "Good. **Get on your hands and knees and order the bugs to attack Present Mic**," he ordered, using Brainwash.

Immediately, the other boy did as he was commanded and dropped to his knees. He began muttering at the dirt. Bugs of all kinds came crawling and thrashing between Koda's hands before disappearing again.

"Oh, man. That is so gross," Jiro complained as Hitoshi got her arm over his shoulder and hefted her to her feet. "Just leave me. You can make it through the gate faster without me."

"No one get's left behind," Hitoshi said grimly, knowing Izuku would never leave his classmates behind.

Truth was, he still wasn't completely clear on what made heroes so great, honestly. A lot of the time they didn't seem that different from the villains, but… Izuku was different. When Hitoshi watched Izuku, it was clear what was good and what was bad, how was the hero and who the villain. If Hitoshi wanted to be a hero, then Izuku was the one to follow.

"Koda, come on!" he called, releasing the other boy from his quirk.

The teen blinked and leapt to his feet, wiping his hands frantically, horrified at having been so close to bugs.

…

Aizawa couldn't help but smirk as Hizashi stood tapping his foot in boredom, completely unaware of what was coming. Suddenly thousands of bugs crawled out of the dirt under the hero's feet and began to crawl up his legs.

"**AHHHHHHHH!" **the hero screamed in utter terror and took off running, trying to get them off.

The students in the observation tower looked pale. A few of the girls looked green.

"That's hard even for a pro," Iida observed.

Aizawa quietly chuckled to himself and wondered what Hizashi would make him do to apologize for pairing him up against those particular students in that particular arena. The look on Hizashi's face made it totally worth it, however.

…

Todoroki walked up to the gate to the suburban arena to find Monoma leaning against the wall next to it. His mirror-like blue eyes stared at Todoroki coldly, a small smirk curling his lips. "We're up against Eraserhead, huh?" the blond said casually, coming off the wall. "A hero who erases quirks. I bet you must be terrified _IcyHot_. Worried you'll be nothing without that big, powerful quirk, Mr. Endeavor Jr.?"

Todoroki had grown up in a house where any defiance or displays of anger had earned him an extra vigorous training session that always ended with him collapsed unconscious on the floor. Hiding his emotions was a skill he wished he hadn't been forced to master, but he did find it useful in situations like these. He stared cooly back at the other teen, seemingly unmoved. "I could say something about how you fear the lack of a powerful quirk, which is why you are so desperate to copy the quirks of others."

Monoma flushed angrily.

Todoroki held up his hand. His left hand. Fire flickered to life and danced between his fingers and licked at his wrist. "But I won't say something like that. It's not the time or place to be throwing insults and jeers at one another. We will have to work together or we risk failing this test." He narrowed his eyes in warning. "I do not plan to fail. Do you?"

Monoma extended his hand, his cold mask back in place. "Then in the spirit of teamwork…"

Todoroki hesitated. "Just because you copy a quirk, that doesn't mean you know how to control or use it, does it? My quirk may be a bit too volatile for you."

Monoma stepped closer, exposing his teeth as he grinned. "That's where training and intelligence comes in. I assure you, I have both."

Faster than Todoroki anticipated, Monoma stepped close and swung as if to slap him. Reflexively, Todoroki jerked his head back, but that put his hands in range. The blond slapped one before jumping back, a cheshire grin splitting his face.

"Don't worry, little Todoroki. I can handle your quirk. It's not as all powerful as you think it is," the blond taunted. Just then the buzzer rang and Monoma ran into the arena. "Try and make yourself useful, oh mighty hero! I'm going to head to the escape gate."

Todoroki grit his teeth and jogged after the bully. "That is a terrible plan," he said bluntly, his breath clouding the air in front of his face as his temper triggered his quirk. "I've seen Aizawa in action. He is more than formidable. We will have to think of something more creative than that to win."

"It's really not that complicated," Monoma disagreed, coming to a stop and facing him. "Aizawa _is_ formidable, which is why we shouldn't come in close contact with him. Splitting up is smart as he can only erase the quirk of someone he sees. He can't get both of us at once if we split up."

"But we're heading to the same place," Todoroki pointed out.

"No," Monoma said slowly as if to a simpleton. "You're going to go play decoy and distraction, and I'm going to sneak through the gate."

"I won't last a second alone," Todoroki protested.

Monoma actually laughed. "You guys think you're so great, but the second someone actually needs you to do something, you roll over." Shaking his head, he ran his hand through his blond hair. "Fine. I'll hold him back and you escape. Seems like running is something you're good at."

Rage stirred in his core and Todoroki brutally shoved it down.

Monoma clenched his fist and fire leapt out of his skin along the back of his arm and hand. His sleeve instantly burned away. With a twist of his wrist, the fire disappeared. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get going, _oh mighty hero_. Run!"

"That's your problem, Monoma. You don't listen. You refuse to acknowledge any perspective but your own," Todoroki said coldly.

"He's not wrong," Aizawa said, suddenly dropping down from above.

Todoroki dropped low to the ground, just barely avoiding the snapping scarf as it lashed at his head. He tried to summon his ice, but he couldn't. It had been erased. Monoma gave a cry, but Todoroki had no time to worry about his partner. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted into a narrow alley between two houses. He zigzagged until he could summon ice with his right hand.

Panting, Todoroki leaned against the wall. The escape gate was east, but he honestly didn't think he could make it. Monoma was behind him, most definitely captured, but would Aizawa be guarding him or would he now retreat to the gate, thinking Todoroki was heading that way? But if Aizawa stayed with Monoma there was a chance he could lose. If he went toward the gate, he was protecting both means of winning at the same time. Decided, Todoroki turned around.

He found Monoma strung up, hanging from a light post. Little caltrops were scattered on the ground. If he fell carelessly, he could be really hurt. Todoroki concentrated his most narrow beam of fire he was capable of and started to melt the capture material Aizawa had used to tie the teen up.

"What are you doing? That was our chance to win!" Monoma spat. "Had to come back and play the hero! Couldn't possibly miss a chance to strut and pose!"

"Shut up for once, Monoma," Todoroki hissed. "You'll give away my position."

"We're going to lose because of your ego. What's it matter now or in five minutes?" the blond spat hatefully.

"I wouldn't have made it on my own. I told you that," Todoroki said through gritted teeth. "We have to get out together." He slowly started to lower the teen, grunting with effort. The boy wasn't light.

"Let me guess, you have some great, amazing plan and we can only win if we follow it!" Monoma hissed in disgust. "You think you're smarter than everyone else, don't you? That no one else can ever think up a good plan!"

Todoroki turned his back on him to stop himself from lashing out. "Do you want to hear my idea or not?"

"My plan would have worked if you had just done what I told you!" Monoma snapped furiously.

Todoroki took a deep breath and turned around. "I don't agree, but even if you're right, it's too late for that now. Do you want to try something else? Or do you want to forfeit and fail this test right now?"

The blond glared at him. "Fine. What's this oh so amazing plan of yours?"

"We make an ice tunnel to the gate and walk out," Todoroki said. "It will require some control on your part, but you already assured me you could handle it. If we're in the tunnel, Aizawa won't be able to see us to erase our quirks. The ice won't permanently damage the houses and we'll be able to get through."

Monoma crossed his arms, a look of disgust on his face. "A tunnel has two openings. Aizawa could just drop down in front of or behind us and erase our quirks."

"I will be making the ice tunnel. It will be closed at both ends. You will be using fire to melt the ice in front of us and we will essentially be tunneling through the block of ice I create. I'll also be sealing the back behind us."

"This is a stupid plan," Monoma said shaking his head. "He'll just break through the side."

"Then we'll have to try capturing him in that second between when he breaks the ice and sees us in order to erase our quirks," Todoroki said through gritted teeth. "I never said it was going to be easy. I just said I think it's our best chance."

"Fine. We'll do it your way, but when we fail, I want you to get on your knees and apologize," Monoma demanded, pointing a slender finger down at his feet.

Todoroki shot him a narrow-eyed glare. "Let's just get this over with."

It took all of his concentration to make the wall in front thick enough that it could mostly withstand Monoma's fire blasts but thin enough to melt and allow them through. He also had to create tiny holes in the ice so the steam could escape and fresh air could enter. It was slow going and after only fifty meters, Todoroki already felt like collapsing. He was shaking with the cold, frost coating his right side. He couldn't catch his breath and his body felt both achy and numb. Monoma didn't look much better. He'd had to tap Todoroki twice since starting, so at least ten minutes had gone by since they'd started.

"We… have to be… close," Monoma panted. His attitude was gone, too exhausted to be an asshole.

Todoroki said nothing and kept stamping his foot and swinging his arm out, creating their tunnel.

As if summoned by Monoma's pronouncement, a chink sounded against the side of the ice. Both boys froze. Todoroki crouched and summoned his fire, letting it flicker up and down his left side. Slowly, the painful numbness of too much ice use began to dissipate as his core temperature rose, but the steam increased and the ice grew thinner at the added heat.

In a violent burst, the ice to the left of him shattered! Monoma gave a yell and blasted the hole with fire. The flames shot out and blocked the hole, but it also began to widen it, melting their shield. Todoroki could think of only one thing to do. He made a wall of ice form around Monoma, shielding him, and blasted an enormous hole in the roof of their tunnel with a powerful stream of fire. Hot steam billowed around them, obscuring them momentarily from view.

"Use the fire to slow your fall!" Todoroki yelled.

"What?!"

Todoroki slammed his foot down and a flat-tipped column of ice shot from the ground, launching Monoma up and out of their prison toward the escape gate. Then Todoroki launched himself out the same way. One of them had to make it through!

They hit the ground ten feet from the gate just as the buzzer sounded. Time was up. They had failed. Todoroki stood panting, steam still rising from his shoulders. Monoma sat heavily, glaring over at him.

"I think I sprained my ankle, asshole! Way to warn someone before flinging them through the air!" he snarled. "I told you your stupid plan wasn't going to work!"

Aizawa dropped down. "It was creative, but you both rely too heavily on quirks." His dark eyes fell on Monoma. "And you did not use your skills effectively together."

"_IcyHot_," the boy spat in disgust, "didn't want to follow my plan! He forced me to…!"

Aizawa held up his hand. "Your plan wouldn't have worked, either. Instead, you should have thought of a plan together. A plan that utilized each of your skills to its fullest potential." He looked from one boy to the other. "When you are in the field, the lives of others are dependent on your ability to think strategically and work efficiently with everyone around you, even if you do not have a good personal relationship."

Monoma made a disgusted sound and looked away. "I wasn't the problem!"

Todoroki stood stoic, face expressionless.

Aizawa sighed tiredly and shook his head. "You're both dismissed. Get cleaned up."

…

Todoroki wasn't the only one from class 1-A to fail the practical exam.

Uraraka, Aoyama, and Reiko Yanagi from class 1-B had been paired with Thirteen. After six minutes, the rescue hero cornered the three students and used Black Hole. Uraraka willingly released her hold on the railing she was clinging to, and Thirteen was forced to stop her quirk or risk killing her. Using that moment when Black Hole was turned off, Uraraka cuffed Thirteen with the martial arts she'd learned at her internship. However, in the end, they were given a failing grade for allowing themselves to be cornered in the first place. If Thirteen were truly a villain, she wouldn't have stopped Black Hole and Uraraka would have killed herself with that move.

Sero and Mineta had also been paired with a student from class 1-B. Yosetsu Awase had cussed Mineta out after the small teen had made comments about not caring about passing as long as he could touch Midnight's body. Their argument had allowed Midnight to get too close. At that point, Sero only had time to save one of them as the cloud of sleeping gas rolled over them and he'd chosen Awase. Awase put up a heroic fight, even welding Midnight's whip to the ground, but in the end, he couldn't hold his breath long enough to escape.

…

"Man, I can't believe it," Kirishima said lowly as he took his seat at his desk the morning after the practical exam. "Midoriya and Bakugo ended up in the hospital, barely passing, and Todoroki actually failed the practical?"

Kaminari grinned. "It's a new world order. The bottom will rise to the top!"

Sero leaned over and high-fived the blond. "It's our time to shine!"

"You failed, too," Kirishima pointed out, shaking his head.

Sero slumped. "Don't remind me." He shuddered. "I am dreading my interview with the principal. He's terrifying!"

Kaminari paled, remembering his battle against Nezu in the practical. "No kidding," he grumbled.

The classroom door opened and Aizawa walked in, his shoulders slumped as usual and his face mostly obscured by his hair and scarf. There was instant silence. Kirishima sat perfectly straight at the edge of his seat.

Aizawa stood at the podium for a long minute, looking out at all of them. When he began to speak, his voice was low and measured but could be heard clearly by everyone in the room. "You may have noticed three empty desks today. Midoriya and Bakugo are still in recovery, however Minoru Mineta is no longer a student at UA. He failed his practical exam and did not pass his interview with Principal Nezu and the first year teachers."

The silence that met these words somehow deepened. Kirishima wasn't surprised per say, but damn. He'd always thought the interview was just a lecture meant to scare them into working harder, but they were actually serious about kicking them out. He shot an anxious look over at Sero and saw the teen looked pale as death.

"Yuga Aoyama, you will present yourself in the principal's office directly after homeroom for your interview. Ochaco Uraraka, you will come after lunch. Hanta Sero, after your last class today." As each name was called, the student in question flinched, expressions terrified. "And finally Shoto Todoroki." Aizawa gave the teen an even look. "There has been talk amongst your classmates that it is unfair for you to receive a failing grade due to your partner in the test. Do you agree?"

"I do not," Todoroki answered firmly. All eyes were on him, but he didn't flinch or waver. Kirishima couldn't help feeling impressed with his manliness. "A hero will be faced with very difficult situations. The situation of the practical exam was not too much for me to overcome and I still failed to do so. I accept the failing score and will attend the interview. I will make it clear to the principal and my teachers that I want to be here and will strive to do better."

Kirishima wanted to applaud. The other kids who had failed sat straighter, their fearful expression hardening into looks of determination. Kirishima grinned. Todoroki was going to pass that interview, no problem! So would the rest of his friends!

"Very well." Aizawa bowed his head in a nod. "Your interview will be held during homeroom tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir. I will be ready," Todoroki promised.

Aizawa turned his attention to the rest of the class and everyone grew silent once more. "I have the results of your written exams." And he pushed a button projecting that list up on the board. Kirishima's breath caught.

1 - Katsuki Bakugo and Momo Yaoyorozu 98%

2 - Tenya Iida 96%

3 - Shoto Todoroki 92%

4 - Izuku Midoriya 90%

5 - Tsuyu Asui 88%

6 - Kyoka Jiro and Mashirao Ojiro 86%

7 - Hitoshi Shinso 80%

8 - Mezo Shoji 78%

9 - Koji Koda, Ochaco Uraraka, and Rikido Sato 76%

10 - Fumikage Tokoyami 74%

11 - Eijiro Kirishima and Toru Hagakure 72%

12 - Hanta Sero and Denki Kaminari 70%

13 - Yuga Aoyama 68%

14 - Mina Ashido 64%

Holy shit! Kirishima turned in his desk and caught Kaminari's eyes. The blond was actually crying. Tears rolled down his flushed cheeks, his breathing faster than normal as he stared up at the board. He'd passed!

"I want to acknowledge the most improved score from the practice exam," Aizawa said with uncharacteristic warmth. "It has been many years since I've seen a leap this high. In just four weeks, Kaminari improved his exam average by twenty percent."

Everyone began clapping. Uraraka and Ashido actually got out of their desks to hug the still gaping blond. Kirishima threw his fist in the air and let out a loud cheer. He just couldn't believe it! Even Jiro reached forward to pat Kaminari firmly on the back.

"Way to go, dummy. Congratulations!"

"You did, it!"

"That's amazing, Kaminari!"

"Great job!"

"I'm so proud of you!"

Kaminari practically melted into their hands, covering his face as he broke down.

Aizawa let this go on for a minute before clearing his throat. Kirishima, still grinning like an idiot, throat stinging from cheering so loud, returned his attention to the front.

"I would also like to acknowledge, Yaoyorozu." Aizawa's dark eyes landed on her. "You tied for first place on the written exams, but with your perfect score on the practical, you have pushed yourself to the top of the class. I hope you are proud of all that you have accomplished in the first term."

Yaoyorozu, Shoji, and Hagakure had gone up against Snipe. They and Tokoyami, Tsu, and 1-B's Shishida who had been paired against Ectoplasm were the only two groups to score 100% on their practical exam. They had managed to win, not by using the escape gate, but by actually handcuffing their teacher! It had been an amazing show of teamwork and skill.

Everyone cheered and clapped for her. She blushed and stood, bowing humbly as she accepted their congratulations. As everyone fell silent and Yaoyorozu took her seat, Aizawa's tone became heavy as he spoke again.

"Unfortunately, Ashido, Aoyama, you did not quite manage to pull your average exam score up to the passing seventy percent mark. Aoyama, be prepared to discuss both your practical and written exams in your interview."

Aoyama simply nodded, seemingly unbothered by his fate. Kirishima didn't know whether to be impressed or afraid for the dude.

"Mina Ashido, your interview has been scheduled after homeroom tomorrow morning."

Ashido slumped in her desk. "Yes, sir," she said miserably.

"As for the special summer training camp… You are all going."

Ashido actually jumped out of her seat, joy spreading across her face. "I am?!"

Aizawa smiled at her. "If you can pass your interview, that is."

Ashido sat back down, but she looked much more hopeful.

"Those of you who failed the written or practical exam will take extra classes during the camp, but, yes, you will all be attending. I expect you guys to take this time to grow as much as you can. I am very proud of how far you have come, but the truth is, regardless of your scores on these tests, all of you, even those of you ranked at the top, have a lot to learn if you're going to be ready to earn your provisional hero licenses this year."

Kirishima's eyes widened.

"The provisional licensing exam is usually taken in your third year," Iida spoke up. His arm had snapped into the air, but as usual he did not wait to be recognized. "Only the most accomplished second year students are recommended to take the test. I have never heard of a first year taking it."

Aizawa put his hands behind his back. "That is true… But the world is changing. UA was attacked directly. Hosu suffered major damages and casualties. Your class, of all the classes here at UA, know firsthand the danger we face."

He leaned forward, hands braced on the podium. "Let me be perfectly clear. You are all here because you want to be heroes. Well, the world is going to need heroes more than ever sooner than we'd like. It is our plan to prepare you for that, and we are going to do that by accelerating your training.

"This acceleration starts with the summer training camp. It's going to be brutal. You're going to wish you were dead, but we hope to get you to a second year level in the span of those two weeks, so if you have any reservations, I would recommend you not attending."

There was the general sound of uneasy shifting.

"There is nothing wrong with admitting this is too much too soon." Aizawa met each of their eyes. "You will not be expelled. You will not be kicked out of this class. You will not be shamed. There is nothing wrong with not being ready. You will get there in time, and we will simply adjust your training back to baseline until you feel you are ready for the higher level training."

Kirishima's stomach clenched with anxiety. Yeah, okay, this was scary stuff, but… He was here to be a hero! He wasn't going to be the same as he was before. He was going to move this time! He stood up, slamming his hands on the desk. "Count me in!" he declared heatedly. "If things are going down, if there're going to be more villain attacks…" He lifted his chin. "I want to be able to protect people! No matter what it takes! That's why I'm here!"

"Me, too!" Ashido said hotly, getting to her feet and flashing him a grin.

The class began to stand with them, everyone getting to their feet and proclaiming they wanted in. Not a single student in the room remained sitting.

Aizawa actually bowed. "I want you all to know I have never been more proud of any class I have ever taught."

Kirishima grinned, heart pumping hard and fast in his chest. He didn't care how hard the training was. He was going to be a hero as great as the heroic Crimson Riot!

**Chapter end**

**A/n: **I know our boys weren't in this chapter, but I didn't want to leave the other exams out completely. Hope you enjoyed it! :)


	49. Chapter 49

**A/n:** Yay! I managed another quick update! I am SO EXCITED to see what you think of this one…. XD

**Encounters**

Izuku woke slowly. Firm bed. White light. Infirmary. He turned his head to see Kacchan in the bed next to him. The blond was on his back, a thin sheet pulled up to his waist. He was shirtless, but he didn't need a shirt. He wore a shirt of bandages. Even his arms and hands were wrapped in the white dressings. Tears made Izuku's eyes blurry, but he blinked them away impatiently.

Izuku tried to sit up, but it was hard. Something was wrapped around his middle. His hand hit plastic. A back brace? Woozily, he slid out of bed on his socked feet. He wavered like a drunk as he crossed the distance between the two beds and practically fell half on the unconscious blond.

"Come on, Kacchan," he slurred softly. "Share."

Weaseling his way onto the bed, Izuku lay on his side, putting his head on Kacchan's pillow. Draping an arm over the blond's chest, he felt sleep pull him under.

…

The second time he woke it was to the feel of a heavy, calloused hand falling on his head, fingers tangling in his messy waves. Izuku smiled. "Morning, Kacchan."

There was no response.

Cracking his eye open, Izuku saw Kacchan's eyes were open and staring at the ceiling. There was a darkness about his expression that worried Izuku. "Kacchan?"

Kacchan sat up, face tense with some unnamed emotion. Izuku painfully pushed up into a sitting position next to him and felt a hot ache in his lower back. Pulling his legs under him in a kneel, Izuku tucked his feet under his butt. It let him sit straighter with more support, and the ache faded away.

They were both shirtless and in hospital pants. Besides the brace, Izuku had athletic tape wrapped around his shoulder, supporting the joint. Healing bruises, already faded to pale yellow and green were splashed across Izuku's pale his skin. Glaring, the blond reached a hand forward to touch the brace Izuku wore.

"Kacchan…" Izuku said softly, grabbing the trembling hand and holding tightly. "I"m okay. It doesn't even hurt."

Kacchan flashed him a glare. "If that brace is still there after being tended to by Recovery Girl, then it was broken, Izuku. I was supposed to watch your back and I let him fucking _break_ it."

The guilt and self hate in his love's voice made Izuku's chest burn. Izuku slid his hand up the slope of Kacchan's muscled shoulder to grip the back of his neck. He leaned forward, staring intently into angry red eyes. "Maybe we didn't win this one the way you wanted, but… We were really fucking close. Your grenade gauntlet knocked him off his feet and got us close to the gate. Then you held him off long enough for me to get through the gate."

Kacchan glared murder at him. "I don't take any half-assed victories, Deku! If this hadn't been a test at school, we would have fucking died out there!"

"That wasn't a normal test, Kacchan!" he yelled back. "If it had been, we would have won without a doubt!" Izuku took a deep breath, lowering his voice. "When he slammed you into the ground…" He shook his head, trying to stop the horrible memory from blooming behind his eyes. "Kacchan, I'm dead certain no one else was attacked like that. And we _still_ managed to get through. All Might… He went too far… He has perfect control over his strength, but…" Tears filled his eyes, angry and sad at the same time. "But he didn't use it appropriately!"

Kacchan made a snorting noise and crossed his arms. "I'm glad you don't think sunshine and rainbows shoot out his ass anymore, but I aim to be the best," he growled furiously. "All Might going a little hard shouldn't knock me on my ass like that!"

"Kacchan…" Izuku huffed.

"NO!" Kacchan roared, arms slashing out, pain and rage thick in his voice. "Don't coddle me! I fucking got my ass handed to me! And this might be as far as I'll ever fucking go!"

Kacchan's harsh panting filled the silence that fell between them. Izuku knew Kacchan had been frustrated, that he'd come up against a wall, but he hadn't realized how bad it was. For the first time in his life, Kacchan was genuinely worried that there was no 'better'. That this was his best, and his dream would only ever be a dream, never a reality.

"Fine, Kacchan." Izuku made his voice even, his hands clenched into fists on his knees. It took all his self-control not to reach out when all he wanted to do was wrap Kacchan in his arms and tell him how wonderful he was, but he knew Kacchan would only explode if he did that. "Even if this is as far as your quirk ever goes, that doesn't mean you've mastered every possible application of it. Things like Stun Grenade and Howitzer Impact. There's more your quirk is capable of. And there's your combat skill, too. You always lecture Todoroki about depending too much on his quirk. You can still improve your martial arts."

Kacchan threw himself out of bed, distancing himself form Izuku and his words. "You wouldn't fucking understand! You have this fucking quirk that is only going to keep growing fucking stronger!"

Izuku caught his eye and held it. "So do you! You're not even fully grown yet, Kacchan. Your quirk is still developing."

Kacchan made a disgusted sound and moved as if to storm out.

"Don't you dare walk out on me," Izuku said with surprising heat.

Kacchan hesitated and looked over at him.

Izuku spoke in a low, controlled voice. "I know exactly how you're feeling, like burning snakes are writhing in your belly and all you can do is either punch something or run."

Kacchan's fists clenched. "I'm not _running!_" he barked.

Izuku softened. "Kacchan, I know you. Just like you know me. First year of high school is NOT how far you go. Not even close, " he said with perfect conviction, his green eyes shining. "You're a _genius_, Kacchan. No one here understands what that means, not like I do."

"The fuck?" Kacchan glowered, breathing hard, but he wasn't running.

Izuku gave him a grim smile. "It _means_ you're going to break through this wall, and you're going to do something so fucking amazing no one will be able to look away. And I'm going to be right there at your side to see you do it."

…

The clarity in those jewel-like eyes, the certainty, took Katsuki's breath away. He fell into those eyes and surrendered to that faith, the fear and rage burning so hot inside him impossibly banked by Izuku's unwavering conviction.

"Why do you believe in me so much?" he demanded in a rough growl, tears making his voice thick. Not letting the nerd answer, he marched forward and roughly grabbed Izuku's face, kissing him hard and deep.

Izuku immediately wrapped his arms around Katsuki's shoulders, kissing him back just as desperately. It was heated and messy, much like the kiss in the alley during the exam. Katsuki's bandaged hand slid up Izuku's arm, dragging roughly along soft, bruised skin, and cupped Izuku's jaw. He pulled back just enough to look into Izuku's heavy-lidded eyes.

Their mouths hung open, Katsuki's tongue still half in Izuku's mouth. Drool slicked their lips. Neither could look away. Kissing Izuku was like drinking warm honey. It was overwhelming and addicting. Licking into Izuku's mouth, Katsuki latched onto Izuku's swollen lips, biting down softly and sucking hard. Izuku gave a hungry moan and clutched tightly to Katsuki's shoulders. The taste of Izuku filling his mouth, the warmth radiating from his soft skin, it calmed Katsuki in a way nothing else did.

"Are you really alright?" he asked, voice rough as he cupped Izuku's face in his hands.

"I'm fine," Izuku murmured. He reached up to run his fingertips over Katsuki's bottom lip. "Are you okay?"

Katsuki snorted at that. He wasn't the one going around with broken bones every other weak. "Shut up, Deku," he muttered and kissed him again until they were both breathless and panting.

Breaking the seal of their mouths, tongues untangling reluctantly, Katsuki rested his forehead against Izuku's. "I wish we were home. I want to examine every inch. Kiss every bruise," he whispered, voice husky.

Izuku laughed, eyes practically twinkling. "So needy," he teased.

Katsuki growled and tickled his side in retaliation, but stopped when Izuku gasped in pain. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Izuku gave him a sweet smile and suddenly yawned so wide, tears formed in his eyes.

Katsuki snorted. "Come on," he said roughly, pulling Izuku flat onto the bed. "It's the middle of the night. We should get some more sleep."

Izuku gave another big yawn and rolled onto his side, looking up at him. "Recovery Girl's quirk is amazing, but it can take a lot out of you."

"Yeah." Katsuki hated how many times Izuku had needed to use that quirk.

"Lay with me?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes, but he laid down on his side facing Izuku. "Better?" he asked.

Izuku gave a sleepy nod. Katsuki watched the teen's eyes flutter closed, his lips still red and swollen. He was irresistible, and Katsuki reached forward to thumb Izuku's bottom lip. Izuku's mouth softened into a smile, his eyes still closed. His lips parted, his tongue slipping out to lap softly and slowly over the tip of Katsuki's thumb in lazy, kittenish swipes.

Katsuki shivered, warmth burning low in his belly. He pressed his thumb forward into that warm mouth. Izuku's lips closed around it, tongue undulating softly around the pad. A sudden wave of tiredness washed over him, and he fell asleep to the sensation of Iuzku softly sucking on this thumb.

…

Aizawa walked tiredly to the clinic in the observation tower to pick up the boys. He found them sharing a bed, curled around each other. They were on their sides, Katsuki's head tucked under Midoriya's and resting half on the boy's chest. They had their arms flung over each other, holding tight. The arm Midoriya had threaded under Katsuki's body was curled around Katsuki's back, his scarred hand cradling the back of the blond's neck.

He watched them for a few minutes, smiling at the picture they made. The sight of their faces, soft with sleep, eased some of the tension he'd carried since the practical exam yesterday, but he couldn't stand around all day mooning at the two love-sick teens. He cleared his throat, crossing his arms. "I'm going to ignore this breach in protocol only this once," he said dryly, forcing his smile into a neutral expression.

Two sets of sleepy eyes cracked open. Upon seeing him, neither seemed too alarmed or made any move to get up.

Aizawa sighed. "I have no idea why Recovery Girl hasn't done something about this."

Recovery Girl's sharp voice answered from the next room, "Because they heal faster when they rest deeply, and they were restless apart." The old woman entered the room, smiling, her syringe cane clicking against the floor as she walked. "Don't worry. I would have separated them if they'd done anything more than sleep." Turning to the boys, she gave them a wry smile. "Good news. You are well enough to leave the clinic! But I want to see you on Monday, Midoriya, before you leave for camp. If you've taken it easy over the weekend, you should be able to remove the brace then."

Katsuki rolled onto his back and covered his eyes with his arm, apparently not ready to get up, but Midoriya sat up, saying, "Yes, ma'am."

The sheet pooled in his lap at the movement and Aizawa caught sight of the blue and white brace supporting the teen's lower back. He hated seeing it. It brought back the memory of a six hundred pound superhero slamming into his small, still developing body, sending him careening violently into a van. It had been one of the most horrifying things Aizawa had ever seen. Until Midoriya had pushed back up on his feet, he had truly thought the boy was dead.

Aizawa still hadn't come to grips with the fact that Midoriya had not only gotten up but had gone back to fighting. Anyone else would have been on the ground screaming and crying in pain. Grown men would have been paralyzed from the agony. Midoriya had forced his broken body into combat, delivering a kick so strong that it had fractured All Might's cheekbone, and proceeded to carry Katsuki fifty meters before passing out. Quirk or no, that was a truly heroic feat, and also disturbing in the extreme that his pain tolerance was so damn high.

"Aizawa-sensei?" Big green eyes stared up at him, concerned.

Aizawa frowned and shot Midoriya a warning look. It was his job to take care of the child. The boy had no place worrying about him. "It's been nearly twenty-four hours since the exam. Friday's classes have just ended. Your mother's been notified of your injuries as well as your projected recovery rate and expects you home soon."

Katsuki finally sat up, his eyes still sleep-heavy. "I'm going with him."

"Perhaps not this time," Aizawa gently advised. "I think Ms. Midoriya would like some time alone with her son before he leaves for the training camp, and I would like to check in with you as well."

Katsuki crossed his arms with a scowl, but he didn't argue or defy his wishes, which Aizawa would take as the win that it was.

"Get dressed. I will drive you home, Midoriya. I have things to discuss with both of you on the way."

…

Katsuki was feeling really horny. There was no other way to word it. The phantom sensation of Izuku's wet, warm mouth sucking softly on his thumb as they drifted off to sleep made him scowl and shift awkwardly in his seat. Oblivious, Izuku sat next to him, playing idly with a loose bandage on Katsuki's wrist. Fuck, he was really fucking pissed off that he wasn't going home with the nerd tonight. The only reason why he'd agreed to separate was the fact that the nerd was still wearing a back brace. Just tickling Izu last night had made him gasp in pain.

Frustrated, Katsuki scowled at the back of Aizawa's head as their teacher climbed into the driver's seat. Aizawa proceeded to give them this speech about accelerating their training so they'd be ready for the provisional licensing exam at the end of the month and increasing the intensity of the training camp.

"What the fuck do you think?" Katsuki practically growled. "Of course I want in!" It sounded like the best fucking thing in the world and he shot Izuku a sharp grin.

"Me, too!" Izuku echoed, jaw set and expression determined. He held tightly to Katsuki's hand.

"Depending on what Recovery Girl says, you may have to sit out the first few days," Aizawa said to Izuku. "But we were all really impressed and proud of you. You didn't use your arms to attack and your kicks didn't break any bones in your feet or legs. You're getting better at controlling your quirk, and I'm very impressed you remembered how important it is not to break your arms even in that intense situation."

Izuku flushed prettily at the praise, ducking his head shyly. "Thank you."

They pulled up to Izuku's apartment and Aizawa turned the car off and stepped out of the car.

"You're coming up?" Izuku practically yelped in surprise, scrambling out of the car after him.

"I have already apologized over the phone, as has the principal and All Might," Aizawa said evenly, dark eyes watching them carefully. "But I would like to apologize for the exam getting out of hand in person."

Izuku flushed. "You don't have to do that!"

"Yeah, it wasn't like you were the one who fucked up," Katsuki said darkly, arms crossed.

"I approved the match up and I'm your homeroom teacher," Aizawa corrected. "Now let us go."

Katsuki sighed and was tempted to stay in the car. Sometimes Inko and Izuku were just too damn dramatic. Aizawa had no idea what he was walking into. In the end, it felt too much like pussing out, so Katsuki sucked it up and followed his very flustered and nervous boyfriend up the stairs and into the apartment.

Inko was already teary-eyed, hands fluttering around Izuku, afraid to hug him because of his back. "Izuku! Oh, look at you! Does it hurt? Do you need to sit down? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine, mom," Izuku assured her, grabbing her hands to still their frantic waving. He gave her smile. "You remember Aizawa-sensei?"

Inko flushed, holding tight to Izuku's hands. "Of course." Her green eyes narrowed into a glare. "Thank you for bringing my Izuku home." Then she caught sight of Katsuki. "Katsuki-kun!" She let got of Izuku to fuss over him. "Are you okay? Look at all those bandages!"

Katsuki sighed. His arms were still wrapped from elbow to fingertips. Bandages still wrapped around his chest as well, but she couldn't see that under his shirt. The road rash on his back wasn't completely healed yet. "I can take them off tomorrow," he told her, pushing her gently away. "I'm perfectly fine."

Aizawa bowed. "All Might has been sent to train under a respected teacher with years of experience. When he returns, he will be supervised during his lessons with the students. UA deeply regrets the miscalculation of All Might's ability as an untried teacher."

Katsuki lifted an eyebrow and smirked in sadistic pleasure to hear All Might was no longer able to run a class or interact with the students on his own.

"Good," Inko said harshly. "What he did was completely unacceptable. Nothing can justify the force he used in that exam!" She crossed her arms, clearly furious. "I expect UA to operate at a higher standard. If it weren't for Izuku's…" She stopped, unable to say the words. She still couldn't talk about Izuku's psychic quirk out loud. "I would be taking Izuku out of UA immediately!"

"Mom," Izuku went to her side and gently took her hand. His expression was solemn, his freckles standing out starkly on his cheeks. Katsuki felt a pang. He'd wanted Izuku to realize All Might wasn't perfect, but he couldn't help feeling like a light inside the teen had been lost with the realization. "It wasn't the school's fault. All Might took it too far because I'm his successor, and the school is addressing that."

"I should hope so!"

A framed picture of Inko and Izuku smiling in the park came flying off the wall. Katsuki, ready for something like that, had caught the motion as soon as it started moving and grabbed the frame out of the air before it hit anyone and broke.

Inko flushed and took it from him. "Thank you, Katuski-kun."

"Thank you for your understanding," Aizawa said formally. "I look forward to teaching your son in the future."

"Oh! Please stay for dinner!" Inko invited as Aizawa tried to excuse himself.

"I'm afraid I already have something prepared at home," the man refused politely. "Katsuki?"

"Coming." He pulled Izuku toward him and kissed him softly on the lips. "Try and get some sleep, nerd," he said roughly, knowing Izuku would hear the worry behind the growl.

Izuku gave him a sweet smile and squeezed his hand. "I will," he said. A clear, _I'm fine_.

Katsuki took a good look at the steady strength in his eyes. He really was.

He didn't say anything as they returned to the car and drove away. Neither did Aizawa. Katsuki was lost in thought, but that didn't mean he didn't notice as they missed the turn toward Aizawa's house. He shot his teacher a suspicious look. "Where are we going?"

"An all-night gym after we pick up some dinner from a drive-through."

Katsuki's eyebrows shot up but then his eyes narrowed as his mind worked to figure out why. He didn't like the conclusions he'd come to. Scowling, he looked out the window, arms crossed. When they got to the restaurant, he bit out his order sharply. The gym wasn't far and Aizawa parked near the front. It was surprisingly busy.

Katsuki ate the food with quick efficiency and turned to face his teacher. "I fucking lost to Ponytail, didn't I?" he growled, hands fisted, fury burning in his gut. He was fucking trash in the practical and he'd fucking lost to that extra on the written exams?! Rage and fear roared through his veins, making him sweat and his heart pound. His skin felt like it was on fire!

"Tied. You both averaged ninety-eight percent," Aizawa told him solemnly. "However, she scored a perfect on the practical, which makes her top of the class for first term."

"FUCK!" Katsuki screamed and slammed his way out of the car, panting.

Aizawa followed at a much more measured pace. "I know you don't want to hear it, but I'm going to say it anyway. Snipe did not put up near as much of a challenge as All Might. The practical exams were not equitable, and so her ranking does not reflect on your true potential."

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Katsuki roared.

Aizawa sighed, resigned. "We will do drills only, Katsuki. You will not use your quirk. Your hands are still healing."

Katsuki was too mad to speak. He spun on his heal and stomped his way into the gym.

Slumping tiredly forward with hands thrust deep in his pockets, Aizawa followed.

…

Izuku sat alone in his room. It was almost one in the morning. He'd stayed up late watching movies with his mom and reassuring her that he was fine, that he was strong, but sitting alone in his room he felt a strange hollowness as he looked around at all his posters and toys and bedsheets. The great and mighty hero All Might! This was the image of everything he imagined a great hero to be! Tears filled his eyes and his breath came quick and shallow.

Grabbing his phone, he was about to call Kacchan, but then he hesitated. Kacchan was probably sleeping, his wounds still not fully healed. Besides, Izuku didn't want to disappoint him or waste his time on something this dumb, but he did need to talk to someone. It felt like something was clawing at his insides and he needed to get it out.

Scrolling through his contacts, he considered his options. Hitoshi wouldn't understand. He had trouble with emotional things. Izuku stopped at a name and with a shaking hand pushed call.

"_Hello? Deku?"_

Izuku blushed. "I-I"m sorry for c-calling so late, Uraraka."

"_You can always call me," _she scolded._ "Are you okay?"_

"Yeah. They let us out of the clinic. I'm home now. I'll even be at school tomorrow."

"_We don't have school tomorrow, silly. Summer break started,"_ she said with a laugh.

They usually had a half-day of school on Saturdays, but he'd forgotten about the break. "Right," he said, blushing.

"_What's wrong? I can hear it in your voice."_

Izuku's hand tightened around the phone. "I… I didn't know who else to talk to about it."

"_What?"_ she asked gently. _"You know I'll keep whatever you say between us."_

"All Might," he admitted as he lay down flat on his back to help relieve the pressure building there from sitting. A poster of All Might grinned down at him from the ceiling. Scowling, he turned on his side and closed his eyes. "I just…"

"_He let you down, didn't he?"_

Izuku clenched his eyes closed even tighter. "It's so stupid. I just… I really… and now I feel like…"

"_Like this great wonderful world you thought was real, that you believed in it, was all a lie,"_ she breathed in understanding.

Izuku felt a tear fall down his cheek. "I knew you would understand."

"_Oh, Deku, I'm so sorry."_

"I want to hate him," he admitted. "It hurts so much."

"_It wasn't all a lie," _Uraraka said gently. _"And believing in the magic got you really far, you know. It gave you a dream and a purpose. And we can still be a part of that magic from the other side. Kids are going to see us when we're heroes. They're going to think we're superhuman and perfect and want to be just like us. The Amazing Uravity and Unstoppable Deku! They'll run around playgrounds and living rooms pretending to be us and put posters of us on their walls. And we'll help them dream and believe for a little while."_

Izuku smiled, tears falling down his cheeks. "Thank you."

"_No problem," _she said softly. _"I'll always be here for you."_

"Same," he promised. Wiping his face on the sheets under him, he asked, "So what'd we miss?"

"_You won't believe this! Mineta was expelled!" _

Izuku gasped. "What? When? Why?"

"_He failed the practical exam, and when he went into his interview, all he talked about was wanting to be a hero so he'd have a lot of girlfriends. They finally kicked him out!"_

Izuku felt sad for the other boy, wishing he'd taken their words to heart. "I hope he's okay."

"_I heard from Sero that he's enrolling into another hero school in his hometown."_

Izuku sighed. "Maybe the expulsion will make him think about things."

"_Doubt it,"_ she disagreed. Then perking back up, she said, _"Kaminari passed his written exams! Aizawa gave him this huge shout out because he improved twenty percent from the practice test."_

"You know our scores?!" Izuku sat bolt upright and a sharp, hot spike of pain shot up his spine. He bit his lip and carefully laid back down.

"_Yeah! Bakugo tied for first place with Yaoyorozu on the written tests, but she scored a perfect on the practical. Her team handcuffed Snipe, so she's been ranked top of the class for first term."_

Izuku winced. God, Kacchan was going to blow a gasket.

"_You got fourth on the written tests with an average of ninety percent."_

It was an A, but just barely. "How'd you do?" he thought to ask.

"_Ninth. I got a seventy-six. I'll do better next time!"_ she said cheerily. _"Did you hear about the training camp? They extended it a week. Aizawa wants us to take the provisional license exam at the end of the month!"_

"Yeah. I'm really excited about it." His tone fell. "I really hope they'll let me participate."

"_What do you mean? Why wouldn't they?"_

"Recovery Girl's going to look me over on Monday before we leave. Depending on what she finds, I might be benched for the first few days of the camp."

"_That sucks! But you have to take care of your health!"_

He smiled. "I know. I am."

"_Good." _He could practically see her firm nod. _"The class is getting together on Sunday. We're meeting at that big open air mall and picking up stuff for the training camp. You'll come, right?"_

"Yeah, of course!" he smiled and looked around, thinking, _Maybe I can find new decorations for my room, too._

"_Awesome! I'll text you the details. See you then!"_

"Good night, Uraraka. Thanks for listening."

"_Anytime, Deku!"_

Izuku hung up and looked around again. Jaw set in determination, he got up and began taking down the posters and putting away his figurings. It took just over an hour, but all of his All Might merchandise was securely tucked away in his closet. His walls looked bare, the desk and shelves empty, and he put a pair of plain white sheets on his bed. The comforter he folded and stuffed in his closet, too. Crawling under the thin sheet, Izuku curled up and tried to fall asleep.

…

"_I hate fucking crowds,"_ Kacchan said hotly in his ear. _"I'll be stuck with those losers for two straight weeks, and I'm not starting early. I'm not fucking going, so stop asking!"_

Izuku sighed. Kacchan had been in a fowl mood since learning about the class rankings, so he didn't take the bite and snap personally. "I know. I'm sorry. I just… I miss you." He hadn't seen Kacchan since he'd left his apartment on Friday. "How's training with Aizawa?" he asked, changing the subject. Tilting the phone away from his mouth, he called, "Bye, mom! See you later!"

"Bye, honey!" she called back

Izuku grabbed his backpack and made his way out the door.

"_He keeps going easy on me,"_ Kacchan huffed in his ear._ "Even though I'm fucking fine. All the bandages are off and everything."_

Izuku smiled. "Well, we leave for the camp tomorrow. There will be nothing easy about that."

"_Thank fuck!" _Kacchan exclaimed hotly. _"I'm ready to go all out."_

"I hope I'm cleared to start right away," he said. "I need to get stronger, too!"

"_You'll be cleared when you're cleared,"_ came Kacchan's logical answer.

"Yeah." Izuku turned the corner and started to jog to the station.

"_Stop fucking running! Stupid, Deku!"_ Kacchan practically roared in his ear. _"Running's high impact! If you want to train at the camp, then fucking take it easy!"_

"Sorry!" Izuku practically yelped. "I forgot! It's just habit, and I really am feeling much better. I watched movies and rested all day Saturday, you know. Mom and I put together two puzzles and watched four movies. We didn't even cook or clean! We ordered in and threw everything away when we were done. And I went to bed early and slept in! I didn't have a single nightmare!"

"_Good,"_ came Kaccha's satisfied response. _"Call me later. I'm heading to the gym with Aizawa."_

"Try to take it easy on him," Izuku advised.

"_He's a fucking pro. He can take it." _And Kacchan hung up.

Izuku laughed. Poor Aizawa-sensei.

It didn't take long to get to the mall. It was huge and sort of reminded Izuku of a canyon. There were multiple levels of shops on either side and a partial roof that was open down the middle to the bright blue sky. It was a beautiful day, the weather warm with a slight breeze, perfect for shopping.

Izuku found the class crowded around a dancing bear statue. He was fussed over, of course, with many exclamations of - "Man, that was crazy!" - "Are you alright?" - "You were amazing in that fight!" - and hugs from Uraraka and most of the other girls. Izuku calmed them all down with a radiant smile and gently turned the conversation to the practical exams he'd missed. By the time he'd heard most of the stories, the entire class had gathered except for Kacchan and Todoroki. Even Hitoshi was there, standing at the fringe of the group looking very uncomfortable and perfectly blank-faced.

"Let's meet back at the food court in an hour," he suggested after hearing everyone needed to get different things.

Agreeing, the class broke into groups until he was left with Hitoshi and Uraraka. He positioned himself in the middle and linked his arm through theirs. He gave them a big smile. "Alright! Let's go!" They all needed a duffle bag to pack for an extended trip, so they made their way to the luggage store halfway down the mall.

"I like the pockets on this one," Izuku said, holding up a bright yellow duffle. "And it's not too expensive."

"Ooh, that's nice," Uraraka complimented, shifting her weight onto one hip and tucking her hair behind her ears. "But I want different sections on the inside, too."

"Hmmm." Izuku looked to see Hitoshi watching him. "Do you have a color preference, Hitoshi?"

Purple eyes stared at him, nearly blank.

Izuku stepped closer, glancing over to be sure Uraraka was out of earshot. "You didn't have to come. I could have picked up anything you needed."

Hitoshi frowned and ran his hand through his hair gravity defying hair. "Aizawa ordered me to. He said I can't be a shut in forever if I want to be a hero."

Izuku gave him an encouraging smile. "Okay. We'll take it slow." He nudged him. "Why don't you look through these bags. See if you like one? It's quiet in this section at least."

Hitoshi obeyed.

After a few minutes, Izuku heard a soft sound and looked up to see Hitoshi staring in adoration at a black bag with a huge cartoon calico cat face on either end. Izuku bit back a laugh and smiled. "I like that one. It's really cool."

Hitoshi looked up, smiling. "Well, you can't have it. It's mine."

Izuku did laugh at that. "I'll arm wrestle you for it."

"Only after you answer one of my questions," Hitoshi countered, smirking.

Izuku put up his hands. "You've overwhelmed me with your power. I give up. It's yours."

"Let me see!" Uraraka bounced over, a bright pink bag with white harts all over it under her arm. "Ooh! Shinso, that's so cute!"

The boy actually preened, clutching the bag possessively. "Thanks."

Izuku chose the bright yellow duffle with all the pockets and they went up to the counter to pay. "We've got fifteen minutes," he said, looking at the time. "Let's head toward the food court. We can stop and look at things on the way."

Halfway there, Hitoshi found a pet store. Of course they had to go in and Izuku couldn't get them out again. Laughing, he called, "Take your time! I'll meet up with the others and tell them you're almost done!"

"Okay!" Uraraka called back happily. They were in the middle of debating the merits of each toy. "We're right behind you!"

Izuku grinned, leaving them to their pet store adventure. It was nice seeing Hitoshi opening up to their other classmates. He still held himself so aloof.

Izuku was almost to the food court when an arm suddenly went around his shoulders. Izuku twisted in reflex to get away, but not before a hand grabbed him by the throat tight enough to block his air supply. Izuku was about to break the hold, when a terrifying voice hissed in his ear, "Don't move. You saw how fast your friend's arm disintegrated. Your throat will be _much_ quicker."

Mouth open and gaping, face turning red, Izuku's eyes shot to the side to see Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains, grinning crazily down at him!

Shigaraki wore a black hoodie with the hood pulled up to obscure his features. Not a single dismembered hand was in sight. Izuku couldn't help but scan the scars marring the man's face, wondering if he'd done that with his punch.

"Let's go over here and sit. I want to talk to you," the villain said with dark glee.

Izuku was forced to stagger over to a bench beside a fountain. His eyes flashed over the crowds. Parents with children. Teens. Couples. Old people. Men. Women. No one noticed his silent struggle. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

His heart thundered in his chest; sweat dampened his face. Death sat centimeters from his skin. Anything he did wouldn't be faster than Shigaraki touching him with that last fingertip. His vision spun, he was going to pass out! He couldn't breathe!

Shigaraki eased his grip, letting air pass through Izuku's throat. Izuku hacked and coughed, gasping, eyes watering in reaction. "I didn't expect to see you here," the villain mused. "It must be fate." A pair of completely insane eyes, wide and blood-shot, stared down at him.

"Shi… ga… raki…" Izuku croaked, panting.

"Wipe that look off your face, _hero_," he spat, suddenly furious. His middle finger tapped his skin for a millisecond, and it felt like a brand had been thrust against his throat. Izuku yelped, reflectively jerking away, but Shigaraki held tight. His expression calmed at Izuku's cry of pain. "Act natural, like I'm an old friend. Don't make a fuss, okay? … Calm down and catch your breath." He smiled, a laugh in his voice. "I want to talk to you. That's all."

In a panic, Izuku tried to wipe his expression clear.

"Good boy." Shigaraki turned his attention to the crowds. "Do you see them? Walking around with those thoughtless smiles on their faces? I can't stand it! All those people. Smiling without a care in the world. Any one of them could go on a rampage and kill dozens, but they stand here smiling, thinking nothing could ever hurt them! Like someone isn't dying right this second. Like no one's crying for help. As long as they don't have to see it, it doesn't matter! Heroes will take care of it. It's not their problem." Dangerous anger bled into his voice as he hissed, "_I hate them!_"

"If you do anything, a hero will come and capture you," Izuku warned, heart thumping hard and fast as his mind scrambled for a plan. "They patrol this block constantly."

Insane, blood red eyes snapped over to him. "Such the little _hero_," he drawled. His hand clenched closed, brutally cutting off his air again. "That may be true, but not before I kill you." His grin widened, his skin pale and grey, his lips horribly chapped. "After killing you, I could crumble twenty - no, thirty people before I'm caught." A psychotic grin stretched the villain's face. "Do you want me to find out?"

Panic screamed in Izuku's veins. Shigaraki was serious. He wasn't bluffing. Oh god! Izuku had gone away the last full moon! He had no idea how many people would die here if he messed this up! He had no warning, nothing to go on! This wasn't a vision. There would be no do-overs! His vision was tunneling. Desperate, body rigid from lack of air, he managed to shake his head no.

"I don't get it!" Shigaraki exclaimed, hand abruptly letting him breathe again. Izuku quietly coughed and gasped, still caught in the killer's grip. He looked in the direction of Shigaraki's glare and saw a cart selling Hero Killer merchandise. "All anyone wants to talk about is Stain! He stole all the attention at Hosu! No one talks much about my Nomu and the damage they caused, but all these videos went up about Stain. They only ever talk about me to speculate if the Hero Killer has joined us! Even the new recruits only come around because they want to meet him." Red eyes snapped to Izuku, fingers tightening warningly as he demanded. "What's so great about him, huh? No matter how much he boasts, in the end he just destroys what he doesn't like, right?" He leaned down, putting his face close to Izuku's. "What do you think the difference is between me and him, little hero?"

Izuku's heart was racing. What the hell did the madman want him to say?!

Voice utterly cold, Shigaraki murmured, "I hate you, too, you know." He pressed his forehead against Izuku's damp temple. "You ruined everything at the USJ. You almost killed me. I'm still healing, you know. And when I woke up, I wanted to show you and the heroes that I wasn't dead. Hosu was my recovery party, and maybe I wanted to spit in the Hero Killer's face for rejecting me."

Izuku stared ahead, mind racing, skin crawling at the touch touch of the killer.

"I would kill you right now for that, but…" Shigaraki pulled him into some kind of half hug against his side. "But you put that Hero Killer in his place! Really knocked him down. He's still recovering, bleeding all over my floors, and because of that, he's decided to stick around. So I guess I can forgive you." Shigaraki pulled back, putting a few inches between them again. "You fought both of us and won. Not many people can say that. So tell me, hero, what's the difference between us?" When Izuku sat silent, sweating, Shigaraki leaned close and whispered. "Not answering isn't an option, or would you like another demonstration of my power?"

Izuku studied psychology. He wasn't an expert, but he did have a good grasp of the basics. He watched people. Attentively. Obsessively. Less recently, but for years before he'd had One For All he'd studied the people around them. Eager to be useful, to help. It was the only way he thought he could be a hero without a combat quirk, and Izuku's analytical mind went into overdrive.

Shigaraki was young, now that he saw him up close. Maybe early twenties, maybe late teens. He seemed insecure. Child-like actually in his inability to understand others. His feelings seemed genuinely hurt, and he'd been completely honest - psychotic but honest - this whole conversation, as if he weren't capable of emotional deception. Strategic deception, yes, but his social skills were stunted. A little like Hitoshi, which suggested he grew up isolated and didn't really know how to talk to people. To him, this might be a perfectly normal interaction. Shigaraki wanted reassurances, but he also wanted the truth. He didn't understand why other people were attracted to Stain while treating him and the League with distain and only fleeting interest. Izuku had to be so very careful on how he answered. He didn't want to enflame Shigaraki's hatred for innocent people or himself. His mind raced to think of something to say.

"What's the difference?" he echoed, voice strained, stalling, and then inspiration struck! "I think… It's that Stain has an end goal. He wants to make a world where there are no fake heroes. He doesn't just attack indiscriminately or destroy just because he wants to. He has a specific target, and there is a way for people to survive in his world. They feel like they have a chance, which makes them want to understand him. As twisted and evil as he is, Stain is trying to make the world better…" Izuku's mouth dried up, his heart jumped in his chest as he looked and saw the most terrifying look of madness on Shigaraki's face.

"Ahhhhh, I see. Thank you. It's like a weight off my chest. I've connected all the dots. Why the Hero Killer pisses me off, and why you irritate me so much…" He began to laugh softly, dry and crackling. "It's because you both sound like _HIM!_ A better world?! You've both been infected by All Might!" Grin nearly splitting face in two, he leaned down inches from Izuku's terrified face. "I understand now. Everything's because of All Might. Yeah, that's it!"

Shigaraki sat straight and flung his head back, laughing out right, his hand clenching down hard enough to nearly crush Izuku's windpipe. Not only could Izuku not breathe, but now his blood flow was restricted. He'd pass out in a minute or less if Shigaraki didn't let go.

"What was I worrying so much about?" Shigaraki gasped, delighted. "These guys are able to smile thoughtlessly because All Might is smiling thoughtlessly, too!" Rage burned under the laughter of his voice. "It's because that trash is smiling thoughtlessly, as if there was no one he couldn't save! It's all because of All Might!"

Izuku reflexively reached up toward his throat as he began to faint.

"Look! All Might!" A voice called out.

Shigaraki's head snapped over to look in the direction of that voice, feral eyes wide, and suddenly, his expression went perfectly blank.

Hitoshi, purple eyes hard as glass, ran forward. "Let him go," he snapped, words sharp and clear.

Instantly Izuku was released. He slid off the bench and folded on his knees, barely conscious. He sucked in air desperately through his bruised and swelling throat. Uraraka appeared from between the now stopped and staring crowd and got his arm over her shoulders.

"Deku!" she cried, scared and panicked. She jerked him up and dragged him to Hitoshi's side.

"Guess our chat is over," Shigaraki said from behind him.

Izuku lifted his head, his vision swimming and saw Shigaraki standing, hands shoved in his pockets. He looked directly into Izuku's eyes.

"Thank you, hero-chan, but you should be careful. The next time we meet, I will likely have decided to kill you." Then turning his attention to Hitoshi and Uraraka, he said, voice low and ice cold. "If you try following me, I'll get angry." Then he turned and started to walk off.

"Don't!" Izuku croaked, throat in agony. He grabbed their arms tightly. "He… really will… kill everyone," he croaked painfully. "Call heroes…"

…

Katsuki exchanged a fast flurry of strikes and blocks with Aizawa. They were both breathing heavy, sweat soaking their bodies as they fought. Suddenly Aizawa's phone went off. Katsuki used the microscopic opening from the distraction and pinned the man on his face, arm twisted behind his back.

"Up."

Katsuki's triumphant grin faded as he obediently moved away. Aizawa sounded serious.

His teacher instantly went to his phone and answered. His eyes snapped to Katsuki and he made a sharp gesture at the locker room. They ran over. Aizawa didn't let him get changed, gesturing to put his shoes on quickly as he did the same.

"What the hell is going on?" Katsuki demanded as soon as Aizawa hung up the phone.

Aizawa didn't answer, instead running out to the car. Katsuki sprinted after him, barely able to get into the passenger seat before Aizawa was pulling away.

"Shigaraki was at the mall," Aizawa explained quickly. "He apparently held Midoriya captive for a few minutes before releasing him and disappearing. The mall's being evacuated and the hero's are doing a sweep."

"Izuku?" Katsuki demanded, hands fisting. _Jesus fuck! He couldn't let the nerd go anywhere!_

"He sustained minor injuries," Aizawa said grimly. "Detective Tsukauchi is heading to the hospital to question him."

"Fuck," Katsuki growled. "Is that where we're going?"

"I'll drop you off," Aizawa explained, voice flat. "The rest of your class is still at the mall. I'll catch up with you after I deal with that."

Katsuki was out of the car before it came to a full stop. He ran through the emergency room doors and hit a metaphorical wall. The receptionist gave him some bullshit about not being able to tell him where Izuku was, but before Katsuki blew her face off, Inko arrived and the bitch finally told them where to go. They found Tsukauchi waiting in the hall outside of Izuku's exam room.

"How is he?" Inko demanded, eyes wide and teary. "How's my boy?"

"The doctors are tending to him now," the man said with a calming voice. "We'll know as soon as they're done. From what I gather, Midoriya has some bruising around his throat."

Inko gasped, her trembling hands coming up to her mouth.

"Don't worry. We have nearly fifty officers combing the area surrounding the mall and dozens of heroes on the scene," he tried to soothe her.

Katsuki snorted. They weren't going to find the psychopath and Tsukauchi knew it.

Just then the door opened and the doctor stepped into the hall. "Ms. Midoriya?"

"Th-That's m-me," she said, choking back sobs.

"There was some deterioration to a small section of skin and muscle at front of Midoriya's throat. It doesn't seem to be spreading, but we'd like to keep him overnight just to be sure. The bruising is deep, but his airway is remaining clear. We're icing it for now."

"Can he speak?" Tsukauchi wanted to know.

"Yes, but speaking and swallowing will be painful for a few days," the doctor answered. "If you have any further questions, please ask the nurse to contact me. Excuse me."

"Thank you, doctor!" Inko cried and practically burst into the room.

Izuku was sitting up in the hospital bed, still in his clothes. Ice packs were strapped to his throat, hiding the damage from view. He gave them his wide, hero's smile. "Mom," he croaked painfully. "Kacchan."

Inko flung her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Midoriya, I know it's painful, but we really need to know what happened. Any information you can give me will help me keep you and your class safe," Tsukauchi said softly, persuasive.

Izuku nodded and proceeded to tell them what happened. Tsukauchi wrote the dialogue down quickly as Izuku recited it verbatim. "I'm sorry… I didn't know what to say… I was hoping to maybe put the seed of limiting his destruction in his head… I know it's harder to catch someone who acts so randomly. An end goal would make him more focused, but also more predictable… I think I made him even more obsessed with killing All Might…"

"You have nothing to apologize for," Tsukauchi reassured him. "You kept your cool and protected the innocent people at the mall from getting hurt, and I don't think he _can_ be more obsessed with All Might. Obsession is obsession, and All Might was his focus long before you." The detective leaned down to cover Izuku's hand with his own. "Truly, Izuku. You were heroic out there today."

"This is the villain behind the Hosu attack?" Inko demanded, still clutching Izuku to her chest. "Why hasn't he been caught yet?"

"Due to one of his allies having a teleportation quirk, we've had to work really hard to discover the League of Villain's base of operations." He shifted his eyes to Izuku. "Running into you on accident today will really help us narrow down possible locations. The mall must be near his hideout or at least very familiar to him if he was there."

Inko turned her face away, clearly unsatisfied.

"Mom, I'm fine," he rasped softly, smiling up at her.

Tears immediately flooded her eyes. "Oh, Izuku! You're in the hospital! Again!" she protested tearfully. "I don't know how much more my heart can take!"

Katsuki pulled on her shoulder, probably rougher than what was polite, but Katsuki didn't give a fuck. "Didn't you hear the detective? Izuku was a fucking hero today. I'm proud as hell of him, and you should be, too," he said harshly.

Inko looked stricken at these words, but Katsuki was fed up. She kept saying she supported Izuku, but as soon as anything came up, she broke down and tried to wrap Izuku in bubblewrap. He was getting sick of what this back and forth was doing to his boyfriend's confidence. It had to stop.

"This is what it means to be a hero," he said firmly, staring unblinking into her tearful eyes. "And Deku is fucking good at it. You have to trust him. He's got some bruising, but he came away mostly unhurt and went toe-to-toe with that fucker. Izuku was a fucking badass!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Izuku's mouth fall open in utter shock.

There was a tense pause as everyone waited to see how Inko would react.

Inko blinked, and then… She straightened and set her shoulders. "Yes… You're right, Katsuki-kun," she said, tears still leaking, but her voice stabilizing. She turned her attention to Izuku and ran a shaking hand through his hair. "You did an amazing job, Izuku. That's never the question. I just worry about your safety."

Izuku blinked, still completely taken aback. His cheeks warmed with a faint blush. "I know, mom. I love you, too."

Inko nodded and kissed his forehead. "I'll be right back. I just have a few questions for the nurses." And she slipped out of the room, most likely to compose herself.

Izuku stared at Katsuki, eyes wide and filled with wonder. "Thanks," he said, soft.

Katsuki shifted, heat burning in his center. "Whatever, Deku. It was just the fucking truth."

After a beat, Tsukauchi cleared his throat. "All Might would like to talk to you, if you have a moment."

Izuku broke eye contact as his attention shifted to the detective. "He's here? I thought…"

"No. On the phone," Tsukauchi corrected.

"Oh. Okay…" Izuku answered, but it sounded more like a question.

"You don't have to fucking answer that asshat if you don't want to, Deku," Katsuki snapped.

Izuku's head ducked at the reprimand, but then it came up and he squared his shoulders. "No. I'll talk to him."

His voice sounded like it was being pulled through gravel and glass. Katsuki wanted to insist he rest, but he knew better than to try and talk Izuku out of something when he had that fucking stubborn glint in his eyes. Tsukauchi dialed his friend and passed the phone over to Izuku.

"Why don't we give them a moment?" the detective asked.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, but obediently stepped out of the room. They stood in silence for a moment before Tsukauchi murmured more to himself than Katsuki, "Hitoshi Shinso… I didn't know his quirk worked like that…"

Katsuki had picked up on that, too. Shigaraki hadn't verbally responded to Braindead. He'd simply looked over, responding to the call of All Might's name. Had Braindead gotten stronger? Had he been training his quirk? Maybe with Aizawa? Or had he been holding back out on them this whole time?

"It didn't hold long," Katsuki grunted. "When that asshole has someone fully under control, nothing except a hard physical jolt breaks them out of it or he lets go. No one touched Shigaraki. He broke out of it on his own after only a few seconds."

Unless that was another misdirection. If Braindead was downplaying his power, he could have let Shigaraki go to make it seem like the lack of verbal response weakened him. In fact, the whole mindless zombie effect when his quirk was active and the whole I can't affect minds without seventeen hours of hypnosis could be bullshit, too. Could Braindead be fucking with their heads, their thoughts, and they didn't even know it? Katsuki filed the terrifying thought away as a possibility, but three things stopped him from completely exploding in paranoid rage.

One: All quirks had limits. Katsuki wasn't going to go into this tailspin double thinking every thought he had around the asshole. Braindead wasn't omnipotent. No one was. Katsuki refused to believe he had that kind of power.

Two: Even if Braindead were trying to downplay his quirk, that took careful control and a whole hell of a lot of commitment, and yet he'd broken that restriction to save Izuku today. This was evidence that Shinso wasn't wholly villainous.

Three: Katsuki could think of a really compelling reason why Shinso would have the habit of downplaying his abilities, and it had nothing to do with fucking them over. If Katsuki had grown up in a lab where assholes were constantly trying to pimp out his quirk and take it apart, he'd be fucking secretive as hell, too.

So, yeah, Katsuki was well aware the bastard could be innocent, but he wasn't fucking naive. Not like Izuku who, despite having the worst of humanity poured into his brain every month, still fucking _believed_ in people. No, Katsuki wasn't naive. He was well aware Braindead came from a really fucking shady institute that collected psychic quirks. Who just happened to be the same age as Izuku… And just happened to got to UA the same year Izuku did… And just happened to get transferred into Izuku's class.

Willing or not, it was really fucking possible the asshole was still under the Institute's thumb and keeping tabs on Izuku for them. It was even possible at some point Braindead would help the Institute 'collect' Izuku. Bottom line: Hitoshi Shinso was a fucking threat, and Katsuki hadn't ever thought otherwise.

…

"_Tsukauchi?"_

"No…" Izuku rasped, throat on fire. "It's… It's Izuku… He said you wanted to talk to me?"

"_Do you need me to come?" _All Might asked. _"Are you alright?"_

Izuku's heart was still beating fast from Kacchan's declaration of support, he felt like he was almost floating. "I'm fine. You don't need to come. Shigaraki wasn't targeting me specifically. He just happened to see me and wanted to talk, I guess. He's still really obsessed with killing you."

"_Good."_ All Might's tone was solid and final. _"Better me than innocent civilians or you." _

There was a pause. Perhaps for the first time in his life, Izuku wasn't in a hurry to fill it. He didn't know what to say.

"_We shouldn't have this conversation over the phone, young Midoriya. I should discuss it with you in person, but I don't want to wait until the end of summer break… I want you to know that… I never meant to hurt you so terribly. I only wanted to make you strong. I wanted to prepare you for what is to come, but my methods were too extreme and misguided. I am deeply sorry, Izuku. I hope you can forgive me for my miscalculation."_

Instead of answering the implied question, Izuku asked something he would never have even considered before. "Um, All Might, are there times when you don't save everyone?"

There was a pause, and then All Might answered, voice grave. _"I do. A lot."_ A melancholy sigh. _"Someone could be injured and passing out somewhere in this world right now. It's frustrating, but I'm human, too. I can't save the people I can't reach." _His voice became more determined. _"But I want you to understand that's why I keep standing up and smiling. Because even if I can't be there physically all the time, my smile can be a symbol of Justice. It can reside in the hearts and minds of those who see it, villains and victims alike. So that when I can't be there in person I can still push people to stand on their own or make villains hesitate, even if it's only a little."_

Izuku felt tears fill his eyes. All Might was… human. He'd known that of course. He'd seen up close the damage to All Might's body, his emaciated form, but… Izuku had still thought he could do _anything_, save _everyone_. That he was the perfect hero. The realization that All Might was NOT perfect and was downright WRONG at times, that he hadn't saved everyone, and people like Shigaraki had been hurt by that, it was heartbreaking. The world seemed so much darker and more terrible for that understanding, but…

But All Might _was_ a Hero. He sacrificed his life and body to the pursuit of _saving_ people. And it was hard, harder than Izuku had really understood for the hero. All Might was ignorant about things and made mistakes and struggled forward just like everyone else. Knowing this made Izuku sad but also more sympathetic.

"I forgive you," he rasped, tears on his cheeks.

"_Thank you, Izuku,"_ All Might said softly, sincerely. _"That means more to me than you'll ever know."_

Izuku closed his eyes and ended the call.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **_(grins)_ Well? What do you think? ;p


	50. Chapter 50

**A/n: **I LOVED all the comments for the last chapter. XD I got a ton of good ideas of what I can do with this training camp arc!

**Warning****:** This chapter has a bit of smut, so if you don't like, don't read past thes **xXxXxXx** ymbol.

…

Going to Summer Camp

Izuku woke up at four on Monday morning, his phone giving off a gentle chime. He was still in the hospital and his throat felt like fire. Rolling out of bed, he stumbled into the bathroom. Groggy from poor sleep (hospital noises and pain keeping him awake most of the night), he washed his hands after using the toilet and looked in the mirror.

His throat looked horrible. A deep black-purple that went all the way around his neck. Sighing, Izuku turned the light off. There wasn't a lot of room, but he stood in the space in front of the bathroom door and started All Might's yoga routine. His phone chimed every sixty seconds, indicating when he should flow into the next movement.

"That was beautiful," his mom said sincerely. She'd woken a little more than halfway through his routine. "You've become so strong."

Izuku gave her a smile. "Thanks, mom," he said with a blush and quickly went back to the bathroom to wash the sweat from his face. When he came back out, a nurse was waiting for him.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked as she carefully checked his throat.

Izuku gave her a thumbs up and a raspy, "Good." Then flashing his most potent puppy-dog eyes at her he asked, "Can I go now?"

The nurse sighed. "Yes, if your mother is ready to sign you out."

Inko gave a wane smile as Izuku turned his begging eyes on her. "I'll start the paperwork."

An hour later, they were back at their apartment, Inko trailing after Izuku as he went to his room to start packing.

"You took down your stuff?" she asked, surprised. "I thought you two made up?"

Izuku nodded. "It didn't feel right anymore," he answered, his voice raspy and painful. "I forgave him, but that doesn't mean I'll forget what happened. I can't follow him blindly anymore."

Inko teared up. "I'm sorry, Izuku," she said softly. "Do you want me make you a bento?"

Izuku shook his head with a smile. "It's okay. I'm sure they'll feed us."

"Pack at least five pairs of underwear. And don't forget your toiletry bag," she advised.

Izuku stopped and went over to her, giving her a hug. "I'm going to be fine. This will be fun!"

She hugged him back. "I know, Izuku. Just…" Pulling back, she ran her hands through his thick hair. "Be careful. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Half-past seven Izuku jogged up to the school gates, his duffle hooked over his shoulder. Recovery Girl said she'd see him at eight, so he sat outside the clinic and took out a silver coin. Running it along his knuckles, he watched the coin move like a metronome across his fingers as he meditated. What seemed a second later, a hand shook his shoulder.

Coming up as if from deep underwater, Izuku blinked rapidly, the coin clenched in his fist. "Wha…?" he croaked.

Recovery Girl stared down at him with a deeply disapproving expression. "Got hurt again, did you?"

Izuku flushed a warm red. "A villain found me Sunday at the mall, but I got away!" he assured her, flashing a smile.

"Not before you took some damage, it looks like," she countered, then relenting held open the clinic door. "Come in."

Izuku trotted in after her and let her examine him. The x-rays showed the fractures in his spine were healed.

"Besides the villain attack, you must have been taking it easy," Recovery Girl said in approval. "You look good." Turning from the pictures of his spine, she came over and tugged him down, kissing his throat. "There. I want you to go to the cafeteria and eat a big breakfast, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Izuku agreed and then bent down to hug her. "Thank you. For everything."

Recovery Girl waved him off, a reluctant smile turning her lips up. "Just get out of here. Try not to need me during the break, kid."

Izuku flashed a winning smile and made his way quickly to the cafeteria. As ordered, he ate a large breakfast, but he had to eat fast. It was almost nine! Stuffed full, Izuku trotted his way toward Ivy's office. He knocked once and her easy voice called for him to enter. Izuku stepped in and shut the door behind him.

…

Katsuki stood in the shadows of the school, next to the side exit. He watched through bored eyes as class 1-A stood in a group on one side of the bus and class 1-B stood on the the other. There were a handful of kids in the middle mingling from both classes, centering around Cheeks and a blond chic with horns on her head, but for the most part the classes remained separate.

The school door opened and Izuku came trotting out. Katsuki grabbed his wrist to stop him. Izuku's face lit up at seeing him, but Katsuki noticed how his eyes were a little swollen and red-rimmed. He'd been crying.

Izuku's throat looked a hell of a lot better than it had last night. All that remained of that fucking psycho's grip were fading yellow and green stripes in the shape of fingers and a faint pink scar the size of a cherry where Shigaraki had disintegrated Izuku's skin. Seeing those marks on Izuku's pale throat made something dark and dangerous coil through Katsuki's insides. If he ever caught Shigaraki alone, the fucking psycho was _dead_.

"How's Ivy?" he asked quietly.

Izuku leaned into his side. "Good. We talked about the test and All Might, but also… a bit about how I feel about going away last full moon." Deep green eyes looked into his own. "She helped me think through some things. I feel okay right now."

Katsuki nodded and squeezed Izuku's wrist. "I want to get you somewhere private," he said, voice heavy and eyes burning hot.

Izuku leaned a little more heavily against him. "Me, too," he admitted, then in a tone of confession whispered, "I… I dreamed about sucking you off last night."

Katsuki's breath caught, his heart thundering in his veins. "_Fuck_, Izu…"

"Deku?"

The call came from Uraraka who had caught sight of him in the shadows of the building. Izuku gave Katsuki a heated look before pulling away, a polite smile on his face as he joined the class. Heart pounding in his throat, a low growl of frustration humming in his chest, Katsuki followed after him.

"Midoriya! Man, that looks nasty," Kirishima exclaimed. His crimson hair, spiked up with gel, looked more vivid than ever in the mid-morning light. "How're you feeling?"

"Does it hurt?" Uraraka asked, eyes huge.

"I'm fine," Izuku told them honestly. "You should have seen it before Recovery Girl got ahold of me. This is nothing. I hardly even feel it. How's preparations coming?"

Katsuki didn't hear anything else, stalling on the outskirts of the crowd as Izuku dove further in.

Todoroki came and stood at his side, hands in his pockets, expression calm. "I can't believe he ran into Shigaraki."

"They better fucking find that asshole soon," Katsuki cracked his neck, darkness and hunger still burning deep in his core. "He's a ticking time bomb."

Kirishima came up and flung his arm around Katsuki's shoulders. "Well, you're the bomb expert, so you should know!"

Katsuki shrugged him off sharply. "Get off me, loser."

Kirishima laughed. "Are you excited for the camp? What do you think they'll have us do?"

"I heard the camp is in the mountains, so we'll probably do intense endurance training," Todoroki answered logically.

Kirishima grinned, his teeth pointed like a shark's. "Like hiking and mountain climbing? I can't wait! Before high school, I went camping with my family twice a year, so I think I'll have an advantage." Then he was bounding away as Kaminari called him over excitedly.

"They better let me blow shit up," Katsuki put in, arms crossed. He hadn't used his quirk since the practical three days ago. It was a fucking itch under his skin. Suddenly, he caught a flash of lavender out of the corner of his eye. Braindead was hovering just outside the group milling around Izuku and Yaoyorozu, his pale purple hair defying gravity.

"What is it?" Todoroki asked quietly, sensing his shift in mood.

Eyes never leaving their target, Katsuki said, "Just… keep your eye on Braindead. Yeah?"

"Am I looking for anything in particular?"

Katsuki shrugged. "If he communicates with someone outside of school. If he's where he's not supposed to be. That kind of thing."

Todoroki nodded.

Half past ten, Izuku and Yaoyorozu as well as Kendo from class 1-B got everyone organized on the bus. A coin toss decreed 1-B had the front and 1-A had the back. Vlad King got behind the wheel while Aizawa promptly took the seat behind him and fell asleep against the window.

Katsuki chose the very last seat and Todoroki sat next to him. Izuku sat in the middle, talking to everyone and checking in on them. Kaminari, Kirishima and Sero took the seats in front of Katsuki and cajoled him and Todoroki into taking turns on the handheld game console Pikachu had bought. It became a type of tournament between the five of them. The winners playing the next challenger.

"Too fucking slow, Pikachu!" Katsuki crowed as he blasted the electric teen's character through a wall. "I fucking win!"

"Are you sure you've never played this game before?" Kaminari asked with a pout.

"What can I say? I'm fucking great at everything," Katsuki boasted, grinning.

"I bet I could beat you."

Katsuki's eyes snapped over to the blond asshole from 1-B sitting three rows up on the other side of the bus. "Yeah? Well, that just shows how fucking stupid you are."

"Hand it over." Monoma extended his hand for one of the games.

Kaminari looked uncertainly around at his friends. Sero nodded eagerly, Todoroki looked blank, and Kirishima shrugged, so he passed the device up. Of course the rest of the bus caught wind of the competition and quieted, turning their attention to the two most antagonistic kids from each of their classes as they faced off.

"Monoma…" Kendo said warningly from a few seats in front of the blond.

"It's just a friendly game, right, Bakugo?" Monoma said smoothly. "Unless you're afraid of a little competition?"

Katsuki's grin widened. "Bring it on, bitch."

Focused intently on the screen between his hands, Katsuki quickly realized the little shit was cheating. Didn't fucking surprise him. Eyes narrowed, he set out to destroy the pathetic loser. It was close, but Katsuki just barely managed to win against the asshole. He looked up with a smug grin and caught the boy's mirror-grey eyes. The frustration there was potent.

"Looks like we know who's better," Katsuki taunted with a smirk.

Monoma flushed red, fury on his face, and some of the 1-B extras quickly interposed themselves between them, blocking the asshole's view of Katsuki.

"Shit, that was amazing!" Kaminari exclaimed. "You're really good at that."

Katsuki yawned and tossed the game into the yellow-haired teen's lap. "I'm going to fucking sleep."

Closing his eyes, he leaned against the window and crossed his arms. No one noticed as Todoroki bumped Katsuki's knee with his own. Katsuki's smirk widened into a grin.

…

Izuku felt a frisson of desire run down his spine as he caught the wicked smirk on Kacchan's face. Turning away quickly before anyone saw him blush, he turned his attention to Kendo. She was already looking his way, looking worried. Izuku gave her a nod. They would have to keep their eyes on those two.

The bus began to slow and Izuku looked outside excitedly, but they were still on a winding mountain road. They were pulling off at an overlook.

Aizawa climbed wearily to his feet and called "Everyone off the bus!" before climbing down the stairs and out onto the pavement.

Clambering off the bus, the two classes gathered around their teachers.

"Yo, Eraser!" a female voice called cheerfully.

Izuku's eyes widened in excitement as a brown-haired woman with brown eyes stepped out of a car in a red and white hero costume that looked a bit like a maid-outfit. A blond woman stepped out next and stood next to her in an identical hero costume except in blue and white. Both of them had huge, white cat-paw gloves on their hands.

Aizawa gave them a respectful bow. "Long time no see," he said in greeting. "Class, these are the pro heroes who will be working with us during the camp, the Pussycats."

"The Wild, Wild Pussycats!" Izuku corrected, unable to help himself. He bounced on his toes excitedly. "They're a four-person hero team who set up a joint agency right out of UA! They're a veteran team that specializes in mountain rescues!"

Aizawa sighed. "Yes. Thank you, Midoriya. Greet them, everyone."

The forty kids chorused a "Nice to meet you!"

"Don't be shy," Mandalay, the woman with short brown hair, said kindly. "Come take a look!" She gestured them over to the railing that protected people from falling off the fifty foot cliff they stood on. "We own this whole stretch of land here."

Izuku gaped. The forest stretched all the way to the horizon. It was miles and miles of land!

"You will be staying at the foot of the mountain." She pointed with a sharp claw that protruded from the glove she wore. "Do you see the sun reflecting off glass? Over there? That's the camp!"

"Then why did we stop here?" Kaminari asked, tone worried.

Izuku could feel the shift in tension in the kids around him, but he didn't know what had made them so nervous. As soon as he caught sight of Kacchan's excited grin, he had a guess what they were all thinking. Izuku turned wide eyes to Mandalay, but it was Pixie-Bob who explained.

The woman tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder and held her cat paws close to her face, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "It's eleven thirty now. If you're fast, maybe you'll get there in time for a late lunch. Maybe… three hours?"

Kaminari gave a faint, "No way…"

Mandalay gave a sweet smile and waved. "Kitties who don't make it by two thirty won't get any lunch at all, I'm sad to say!"

All eyes turned to Aizawa and Vlad King, but there was no help there. Vlad King was grinning openly and waved his fingers at them while Aizawa gave them a chilling smile. "Sorry, ladies and gentlemen," he said. "Training camp has already begun."

Pixie-Bob gave a wild laugh and slammed her cat paw onto the ground. Faster than they could react, the earth rose up and carried them right over the side of the cliff. Like a wave, it washed them down, depositing them almost gently on the forest floor.

"Since it's private land, you can use your quirks as you wish!" Mandalay called down. "You have three hours! Come to the facility on your own two feet!"

"_After_ getting through The Beast's Forest!" Pixie-Bob cried before jumping in the air in a cheerleader's pose.

"I am blaming 1-A for this," a 1-B boy said grumpily as he climbed to his feet. "Stuff like this only happens around you guys."

"It's no use complaining," Kirishima said with a huge grin. "We just have to go."

And that's when a huge monster as big as a house broke through the trees, knocking one completely over! It looked like an alien-dog with huge tusks spearing up from it's bottom jaw. Koda ran forward, hands outstretched toward it.

"Calm down, kind beast! Stay back!"

Instinct had Izuku shooting forward, green sparks running over his body. He grabbed Koda and snatched him away just as a huge foot came slamming down where the teen had been standing. The blow shook the ground. Getting hit by that thing would really hurt them! Their teachers weren't pulling their punches.

"They're earth golems!" Kacchan roared, blasting into the air and exploding the head in a rain of dirt. "Blondie's controlling them!"

_Them?_ Izuku whipped his head around to see more enormous, terrifying figures start lumbering out of the forest.

"Break into groups!" Izuku yelled. "Surveillance quirks out front! If we get turned around in here, we could be lost for hours!"

Then the beasts were upon them. It was sheer chaos, everyone tripping over each other's toes. One of the 1-B students made the ground quicksand and the beast sunk, which made Kacchan's explosion miss as the head was no longer where it had been.

"Get out of my fucking way!" Kacchan screamed furiously.

Two horns came flying through the air and knocked Izuku down when he made a leap at one of the t-rex looking monsters.

"Sorry! I am sorry!" Pony cried as her horns returned to her.

Kendo enlarged her hands and shoved a beast as big as an elephant completely onto its side… right onto Hagakure and Jiro. "Oh my god! Help me get them out!" she cried, panicked.

Vines exploded out of the ground to grab a beast just as Todoroki went to freeze it. The beast broke free of the brittle, frozen vines and whacked Kaminari and a 1-B girl hard enough that he went flying into a tree and crumpled to the forest floor dazed.

…

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Mandalay asked Aizawa worriedly as Pixie-Bob reported the kids were getting _trashed_.

Unlike during the practical exam, Aizawa had no doubts at all that this was the right thing to do. He cast a look at Vlad who simply nodded his head, his muscled arms crossed. "Yes," Aizawa answered for them. "I'm sure. Destroy them if you can."

Pixie-Bob gave a squeal of delight and turned her attention to the forest.

…

"TO ME!" Izuku bellowed.

"GATHER UP!" Kendo yelled at his side.

Their classes limped and tumbled toward them. Some were bleeding. They all looked shaken up - confused, angry, frightened. They were all filthy, dirt coating them head to toe.

"Todoroki. Dome! Thick as you can," Izuku instructed.

A huge dome of ice began to form around them. A monster broke in on one side, but Kacchan exploded the thing with an enormous blast that shook the ground and billowed up smoke. Then the ice close in all around them. They stood there panting and staring at each other with wide eyes.

"I know we don't know each other well, but we need to work together," Izuku said into the silence.

"This isn't a game. Our teachers are serious," Kendo said sternly, crossing her arms. "They will leave us out here until we get our act together."

A huge thud sounded as a monster crashed into their shield. Cracks formed in the ice.

"We need to group up," Izuku repeated again. "Those who have the force to break the golems please step forward."

Sato, Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Iida, Ojiro, Aoyama, and seven kids from 1-B stepped forward.

Another bang and more cracks. The ice wasn't going to hold much longer. Kacchan rolled his shoulders, eyes on those cracks, an excited grin stretching his features as he bounced on his toes. Kirishima and Testsutetsu slammed their rock-like and steel hands together, making sparks fly. Their enthusiasm began to spread and some of the tension drained away from the ragged group.

"Good," Izuku said quickly, running out of time. "Now pair up. That way you can take turns and conserve your strength."

Kendo took over. "Those of you who can immobilize the monsters, I need one or two of you to join the offensive pairs."

When Todoroki made to move toward him and Kacchan, Izuku held up his hand and said quietly. "Kacchan and I can do it alone. Help the others."

Todoroki nodded and found a different group.

"Surveillance quirks!" Izuku called. A huge chunk of ice fell inward, a monster claw trying desperately to break inside. Shoji, Jiro, Tokage, and a kid with pitch black skin so dark it looked like a void hurried forward. "We have to get to camp as soon as possible," he yelled over the ice breaking. "We're only going to get more tired, hungry, and thirsty! Time is not on our side!"

"Anyone not in a group already, take up the rear!" Kendo yelled. "Help those who get hurt and make sure no one is left behind!"

Then the dome shattered and four monsters descended on them. Izuku leapt up and kicked one in the head while Kacchan set off two explosions that destroyed the second monster's torso. Kendo's huge fists smashed together with a monster between them, destroying the third, and Iida leapt up with Recprio Burst, kicking in the head of the last, while Tetsutetsu demolished its middle.

Shoji, Jiro, Tokage with her quirk Lizard Tail Splitter, and the boy with black skin burst out of the huddle and took off toward the camp. They fanned out, looking for obstacles and leading the group toward the camp in as straight a line as possible.

…

"Ooooh, looks like green bean and carrot got them organized," Pixie-Bob cooed. "The kittens are starting to work together. Not bad, not bad."

Aizawa gave a cool smile. "Now let's see what they can do. Put the pressure on, Pixie."

The woman grinned and offered sharp salute. "My pleasure, captain! Pressure coming right up!"

…

Iida ended up with a short, chubby white-haired boy from class 1-B. Apparently he had a quirk that doubled any impact and increased the force of that impact, so when Iida leapt and kicked a golem with Recipro Burst, Shoda would trigger his quirk at the same time and the monsters simply disintegrated from the exponentially increased force of that kick. It took a few tries to get the timing right, but once they did, it was extremely effective. Of course, such an attack required the monsters to stay still, so Todoroki was with them, freezing the monsters to the ground.

Uraraka ended up in a group with Tsu and Hagakure. The invisible girl would act as a distraction, running around and yelling, while Uraraka would come out from the side and slap it, diving away. Once it was floating, no longer affected by gravity, Tsu grabbed it with her tongue and threw the monster into the air. Uraraka released her quirk and it would be smashed to pieces.

Koda made birds and other animals distract the monsters long enough for Dark Shadow to tear into them and Ojiro to bust apart what was left with his extremely muscular tail.

Ashido ran by and threw acid on the ankles of the beasts bringing it down so that Sato and Kirishima could bust it up.

Yaoyorozu made a massive canon and Kodai shrank it so she could carry it forward before setting it down and enlarging it so Yaoyorozu could arm it with another cannonball and shoot it again.

Kaibara and Tetsutetsu powered through, drilling and punching, while another of their classmates excreted a glue-type substance, sticking the monsters in place.

Sato and Kirishima paired up with Ashido and Sero. Ashido brought them down with acid and Sero tied them up with tape allowing Kirishima and Sato punched the monsters into the dirt.

A 1-B girl with green vines for hair immobilized the golems so that Kaminari could fill them with hot electricity or Aoyama's laser, carefully aimed, sliced them right in half. She held the

Kendo smashed through them with her massive fists each the size of a small car and packing an equal punch. Monoma copied her quirk and smashed monsters apart at her side. The only problem was due to the size and weight of the enlarged hands, they were on the slower side. That was easily solved by one of their classmates who made the monsters sink a few inches into the ground to hold them still for their massive punches.

Pony, meanwhile, fell to the rear of the group with Shinso. She jumped up on her horns and surfed them up and down the ragged line, making sure no group got too far behind or separated from the main body while Shinso used the coils of the capture weapon to swing through the trees helping her and keeping a lookout so they weren't ambushed from behind.

And then there was Izuku and Katsuki.

They completely let loose, moving around each other as if in a dance. Explosions went off again and again. The glow of hot fire and plumes of smoke intermixed between a green blur of energy smashing through monsters like a rock thrown through a glass window. Every blow sent hot wind whipping around the trees.

…

"Ooooh, dibs…" Pixie-Bob purred, pale blue eyes glowing with delight.

"Dibs?" Aizawa asked her.

"On Green Bean and Firecracker," the woman breathed. "They're remarkable."

"I know," Aizawa said simply.

…

The sun was sinking behind the mountains when Izuku and the others dragged their sorry hides out of the forest eight hours later. Aizawa, Vlad King, Pixie-Bob, and Mandalay stood waiting for them on the porch of an enormous cabin.

Izuku was shaking. Every muscle in his body hurt from hours of non-stop fighting. Kacchan marched at his side, expression calm, too exhausted for his normal anger. He smelled of smoke and was covered in soot and dirt. His fingers dug at his forearms trying to work out the knots that had formed in the muscles. They were all wrecked.

Sato was caring Uraraka who had grown weak from throwing up so much. Each step he took, his legs shook, threatening to give out. Kirishima's crimson locks had long ago fallen messily around his sweaty, dirt-smeared face. Even Hitoshi's hair that stood upright naturally was drooping and clung to his sweaty cheeks and neck.

Kendo was dragging her two massive hands on the ground behind her like sleds, two injured 1-B students laying on them. Tsu and Ashido had to lean on one another to walk, and as soon as they made it past the tree line, they dropped to their knees. Yaoyorozu, visibly thinner and shaking, had made a leash and pulled a mentally-fried Kaminari behind her.

Smiling in delight, Pixie-Bob tossed her blond hair over her shoulder. "Oh, you're finally here, meow," she said cheerfully, a kittenish smirk on her face.

Mandalay grinned. "That took quite some time."

"You said three hours," Sato practically whimpered.

"Oops. That's the time it would've taken us." Pixie-Bob's smile practically dripped poisoned sweetness. "Sorry!"

Tears actually formed in Sato's eyes.

"I'm hungry…" Kirishima groaned, falling on his butt and dropping his head back. "I'm gonna die…"

Pixie-Bob moved among them, patting their heads. "You actually did a good job, kittens. I honestly thought it would take longer. You guys are great… Especially… You two!" She spun around and pointed at Kacchan and Izuku. "Were you able to act without hesitation because of your experience?" She flung her arms around Izuku's shoulders. "I call dibs on training you!"

Too tired to protest, Izuku let her hang off him. "It's been bothering me for a while, but who's that?" He pointed a trembling hand a boy who looked to be in first or second grade.

Mandalay gave him a warm smile. "Oh, he's my cousin's kid. Come on, Kota. Greet everyone. You'll be with them for the next two weeks."

The boy gave them an utterly disgusted look and crossed his arms. "I don't intend to hang out with guys who want to become heroes!" Then he stormed away, entering the building behind him and slamming the door.

Mandalay looked sadly after him.

"Enough," Aizawa suddenly said, drawing all eyes to him. "Get your stuff off the bus. Once you put your bags in your rooms, we'll have dinner in the cafeteria. After that, you'll bathe and go to sleep. We'll start for real tomorrow."

"Put the injured on the porch," Mandalay called. "I'll see to them while you clear out the bus."

Izuku grabbed the leftover bags of the injured to carry them into the building. Kacchan grabbed one more than he did, a challenging grin on his dirty face. Izuku huffed a laugh, shaking his head.

The building was made out of wood like a cabin, but it was laid out more like an inn. There was a type of lobby when they first walked in, and two hallways that branched right and left like a V. Above the left sat the kanji for boy and above the right sat the kanji for girl. The center had a huge archway that opened up into a good-sized cafeteria.

Izuku made his way down the boy's hallway, listening to the chatter of his classmates as they found two rooms, each with fourteen futons prepared on the floor. The groups naturally divided so that one room belonged to 1-B and the other belonged to 1-A.

Izuku chose the futon second closest to the big window on the wall opposite the door. It was dark by this point and a cool breeze danced through the screen. Kacchan happily took the futon directly under the window. He flashed Izuku an appreciative smile.

"I'm going to take these bags to the girl's side," Izuku called.

Kaminari muttered something about being lucky and Sero snickered.

The girl's side was identical to the boy's side, but because there were only six girls in each class, they arranged the rooms differently. One room had twelve futons spread out on the floor, the second room had pillows and books, a few magazines. They even had two low tables. It was a living space.

Yaoyorozu took the bags from him. "Thank you, Midoriya. That was really helpful."

"No problem," he assured her tiredly.

Izuku went back to the boys and nagged them into at least washing their faces and hands in the bathroom across from their rooms before herding them into the cafeteria. Ragdoll, a woman with long green hair and yellow eyes was there. She was running around like Pixie-Bob and Mandalay putting platters of food out on the tables. She was the third member of the Wild, Wild Pussycats.

Over a counter, Izuku could see into the open kitchen. A tall, muscular man in a similar hero costume to Pixie-Bob, Mandalay, and Ragdoll was cooking up a storm, slinging pots and plating dishes. It was Tiger, the final member of the Pussycat group.

They practically fell into their places at the tables. They'd divided so the girls took one table, the 1-B boys took the middle and the 1-A boys took the second middle. Aizawa and Vlad had a table to themselves. Well, Kota sat with them, and Izuku assumed the Pussycats would, too.

The food was simply amazing! Izuku's eyes watered as he took huge mouthfuls of perfectly cooked, fluffy rice. Kirishima was tearing into a beef roast. Kacchan had a whole chicken leg in his hand. Kaminari and Todoroki slurped up noodles. There was no conversation as they stuffed their faces.

The food slowly disappeared, and as Pixie-Bob started to clear the tables, she warned, "This is the only night we'll do this for you, so you better enjoy it."

The boys shared wide-eyed glances at that. Izuku just laughed at their fear. He was feeling warm and relaxed from the good food.

"Okay, guys!" Mandalay said, clapping her hands. She'd taken the cat paws off to eat. "At the end of your hallways, through the curtains, is a locker room and bathing space. Out the back are two hot springs! No one goes to bed without soaking for at least thirty minutes!"

"This is not what I expected when they said we'd be camping," Kirishima admitted as they made their way down the boy's hallway. "I expected tents in the woods! This is really fancy."

"I'm sure we'll do some camping at some point," Izuku reassured him.

"I'd rather have the hot spring," Kaminari said, eyes wide and excited as they stepped into the locker room.

It was small but nice. There were lockers for them to store their pajamas and towels and things. Along the far wall were open stalls where you could soap up and wash off, and through a large glass door, he could see a rock pool with steam lazily rising up off the water.

"Oh my god! Are those _tattoos_?!" Tsuburaba, a boy with short light brown hair who could make the air turn solid, cried out as Iida got undressed.

The 1-B boys looked shocked by this discovery.

"I thought the red on the back of your hand was a glove or something," another boy said as he stepped closer to look at the bright red, orange, and gold phoenix inked into Todoroki's skin. "Truth?"

"That's badass!" Awase exclaimed, clearly comfortable with profanity. "I'd never've thought you'd have it in you," he remarked to Iida and slapped him hard on the back.

"The school let you have those?" Kaibara, the boy who could make his body parts into drills, demanded.

"It was a personal choice," Iida answered calmly. "There was no reason for the school to deny us. Our uniforms and costumes cover the images most of the time."

"Except for IcyHot here. Those feathers cover almost the entire back of his hand," Tsuburaba pointed out. His eyes fell on Izuku. "Even the class president has one, huh? Class 1-A is at another level."

"Do they hold metaphorical meaning?" the boy with tar-black skin and dirty white hair asked.

"Didn't you hear Glasses over there?" Kacchan snapped. "They're fucking personal."

"Just like 1-A," Monoma drawled, eyes sharp and vindictive. "Doing something to get attention and then complaining when they get it."

Izuku managed to grab Kacchan around the waist as he lunged at a smug Monoma. "Don't, Kacchan," he gasped, using all his tired muscles to keep hold of his furious boyfriend. "Come on. Let's take a walk."

Kacchan yanked away and pulled on one of the white robes from the locker before storming out. Izuku did the same, following closely at his heels. The door slammed behind them, cutting off Iida's explanation behind the tattoos.

"Kacchan…" Izuku called worriedly.

The blond kept marching. He turned at the bathroom door and slammed in. It was like the bathrooms at school, floor to ceiling stalls around the toilets and a row of sinks and mirrors. Izuku yelped as Kacchan suddenly grabbed his wrist and yanked him into one of the stalls, slamming the door behind him and locking it. Izuku stared into smoldering ruby eyes and swallowed hard.

"Got you alone now, Izu," Kacchan practically purred, voice smooth and deep.

Izuku blinked, his eyes narrowing. "You did that on purpose!"

Kacchan gave a wicked grin and then he was on him, kissing him hungrily, practically devouring Izuku's mouth.

Izuku's resistance crumbled as shocks of pleasure shot down every nerve, lighting fireworks under his skin. Moaning, he pulled Kacchan in closer. He was exhausted from eight hours of battle, but he needed this. Needed it more than he'd realized, and he clutched at Kacchan desperately.

** ...**

**xXxXxXx**

A fog of lust filled Katsuki's head. He broke from Izuku's mouth and licked and lapped at the boy's throat, covering the fading marks with his tongue. Shoving Izuku down on the closed toilet seat, Katsuki knelt between Izu's open thighs.

Every gasp and bitten off moan that he pulled from his love ramped things up higher. Desperately, he shoved Izuku's robe from his shoulders, pulling it open down the middle so Izuku was completely exposed to his hungry gaze. Bending forward, he sucked and bit his way down the freckled chest until he latched onto a pebbled pink nipple.

Izuku arched into his mouth, his head tossed back as he keened. Katsuki had just enough clarity to remember they needed to be quiet and practically shoved three fingers into Izuku's open mouth. Izuku bit down softly and immediately began slurping and sucking, his tongue lashing between each finger.

Katsuki shivered, his dick throbbing painfully, and pressed them in deeper until Izuku gagged. He popped off Izuku's chest and stared hungrily at the swollen, red nipple twice the size of the other. He dove back down to give Izuku a matching set.

Izuku whimpered, drool and spit dripping down Katsuki's hand and wrist. His hands went to Katsuki's hair and tugged fitfully, pushing Katsuki's mouth even harder against his chest, his body squirming under Katsuki's hungrily sucking mouth. Katsuki bit down softly, taking the swollen nub between his teeth front teeth. Izuku gave a guttural groan that even Katsuki's fingers couldn't fully smother.

"Fuck, yeah," he growled, lips throbbing, eyes hazy as he stared into Izuku's flushed face. "Look at you. So fucking messy. Love it, love you, shit Izuku, make me want to take you apart."

Izuku's lips were stretched around Katsuki's fingers, lips slick and swollen, his pupils blown wide, completely lost to the pleasure and heat between them. The tears that gathered on his lashes looked like crystal as the light struck them from above. He was so fucking beautiful, it hurt to look at him, and yet Katsuki couldn't look away.

Panting, he tore his spit-soaked hand from Izuku's gaping mouth and gripped Izuku's flushed cock tightly. Izuku curled forward, gasping and whimpering needily. Katsuki bit his lip to keep from moaning himself and slowly started jerking Izuku off.

"Suck your own damn fingers, Deku," he growled. "I'm fucking busy."

Izuku immediately shoved four fingers deep into his mouth, eyes glued to the fist working up and down his cock. Katsuki watched, shocked and painfully turned on, as Izuku began to thrust his fingers in and out, fucking his mouth with them. Izuku's other hand went up to twist and pull one of his swollen nipples. A low moan worked free from Izuku's sloppy mouth, the sensation clearly intense.

"Oh fuck," Katsuki groaned as he watched Izuku pleasure himself. It almost pushed him over the edge and, shuddering, he curled over Izuku and wrapped his lips around the head of Izuku's weeping cock.

Izuku groaned, his free hand spasming closed in Katsuki's hair. Katsuki went with the hard push on the back of his head and sank halfway down Izuku's cock. A salty-bitter flavor hit the back of his tongue. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but Katsuki couldn't stop.

Resisting the push of Izuku's fist in his hair, his mouth slid back up Izu's dick. Nipping sharply at the glistening tip, Katsuki swirled his tongue around the swollen cock head before sinking back down the pink-flushed shaft. Izuku's whole body spasmed as cum exploded into Katsuki's mouth.

It was startling, and Katsuki almost pulled off completely, but the whole fucking point was to not make a mess and, fuck, if Izuku could do this then so could he! So with a growl, Katsuki forced his head to stay in place and swallowed thickly. Izuku's cum was thick and sticky, and he couldn't force another swallow, so he tried to hold as much in his mouth as he could, catching the spillover with his hand.

Expression slack, mouth hanging open, hands fallen limp to ether side, Izuku stared down at Katsuki, emerald eyes dazed. Katsuki spat his mouthful into his palm, strings of cum falling from his lips in ropy strands. Disgruntled and half-turned off, Katsuki scowled at the fucking mess in his cupped palm.

Suddenly, Izuku grabbed his wrist. Without hesitation, the teen slurped and licked his own cum from Katsuki's hand. The feel of that tongue dragging against his palm and licking over his sticky fingers made Katsuki shiver and his cock throb hotly once more.

"Holy fuck…" he breathed, awed. "That's so fucking dirty…"

Izuku smiled easily, staring up through his lashes and curling bangs, pleasure suffusing his expression. "Do you like it when I'm dirty?"

"Hell yeah," he rasped, quick and honest. He was right back on that painful edge again. "You're hot as fuck, Izu."

Staggering to his feet on numb legs, he pulled his hand away and tilted Izuku's chin up with it, smearing spit along his jaw. With a heated smile, he growled, "My turn," and opened his robe the rest of the way.

Grabbing Izuku's face with both hands, he pulled the teen forward. Izuku folded without resistance and practically slid all the way down Katsuki's throbbing dick. "Ooooh shiiiiit," he groaned, long and low, practically crooning.

Using both hands to hold Izuku's head still, he began to thrust in and out, the tip of his cock knocking against the back of Izuku's throat with every snap forward. "Oh fuck, oh shit, oh fuck you're perfect. Just like that, so goooood…" he moaned, head rolling back. Then Izuku hummed.

Katsuki gasped and slammed Izuku's head down his dick as the vibrations rocked him to the core. In response, Izuku swallowed and sucked him down his throat. Katsuki exploded! His hips jerked and bucked as he came. His whole body convulsed as molten lava roared through him like an explosion.

Suspended in that moment of ecstasy, his back arched, his body completely strung through with fire and light, until his legs went boneless and he sank, slipping from Izuku's mouth and sitting on his ass. He was breathing hard and fast, his back leaning against the door of the bathroom stall with Izuku sitting above him on the toilet-seat lid.

"Shit," Katsuki panted, staring up at him in awe, body still twitching with after shocks. "That was fucking amazing."

Green hair wild, robe still hanging off his arms, Izuku licked his lips like a fucking well-fed cat, eyes heavy-lidded and smiling contentedly. "Thank you for the meal, Kacchan," he said, voice husky.

Katsuki's heart leapt, a shiver running through him. Grin wild and free, he laughed. "Oh my god, you're such a fucking slut." As Izuku blushed hotly, Katsuki pushed up to his knees and kissed him sloppily. "I fucking love it."

**Chapter end.**

**A/n**: Let me know what you think! XD


	51. Chapter 51

**A/n: **So…. just a heads up… a loooooong chapter ahead._ * collapses and pushes upload * _Hope you like it… _* dies *_

…

**Summer Camp: Day One**

Izuku's alarm went off softly at four in the morning. His groping hand found his phone in the dark and quickly switched it off. Blinking in the near pitch darkness, he sat up and stretched, rubbing his hands through his hair.

"Fuck, nerd, it's too damn early," Kacchan grumbled, rolling onto his stomach.

"Sorry," Izuku whispered and ran a hand down the warm skin of Kacchan's arm. "Go back to sleep."

He'd already set aside his yoga clothes - a pair of spandex shorts and a tight t-shirt. He scooped them up and made his way carefully around the futons and sleeping classmates scattered across the floor. He was just spitting his toothpaste out in the bathroom sink when Kacchan stalked in, yawning widely. Izuku couldn't help the smile that leapt onto his lips.

"You didn't have to get up with me."

"If you can do it, I can do it, Deku," Kacchan growled grumpily.

Feeling warm inside, Izuku waited for Kacchan to finish and they made their way outside together. They walked down a path far enough that the cabin was out of sight. It was still pitch black, the stars speckling the sky above them. Trees rose up around them, forming a protective cocoon. Crickets and bugs chirped and sang. An owl hooted. Izuku felt himself settle into his body, feeling solid and present as he started the yoga countdown on his phone.

When they first started practicing together, Kacchan had stood behind him so that he could see the positions and memorize them. It didn't take long for him to move up to Izuku's side, but somewhere along the way, they began to practice facing each other. They became each other's mirror. When they fell into synch, it was like singing with someone in perfect key and made him feel like they were one. Even their breathing fell together, a rhythmic in and out. It was deeply spiritual, and when they synched especially well, it always brought him to tears.

As they came out of the last position, Kacchan moved forward and brushed the tears away from his cheeks with gentle fingers. Izuku's sigh was soul deep, feeling truly, utterly at peace as he so rarely did. Turning his head, he pressed his lips to Kacchan's palm and stared deeply into his ruby eyes. They looked into each other for a long moment, hearts still beating as one.

"Ready?" Kacchan finally asked, expression soft the way only Izuku ever saw it.

"Yeah." Izuku pulled a silver coin out of his waistband. "Ready."

They sat cross-legged on the dirt. Kacchan closed his eyes, centering himself as he began his mediation, but Izuku kept his eyes open. He watched the coin run along his knuckles back and forth… back and forth… until he fell into a trance.

Beebee-beep… Beebee-beep…

Izuku slowly swam back to consciousness. He'd been close. He could almost feel the deep darkness where Daisuke sat lapping at his mind. A hand ran gently through his hair and gripped the back of his neck. The pressure felt good and he moaned, eyes fluttering open.

"You with me?" Kacchan asked, voice low.

Kacchan was crouching at Izuku's side, an easy smile sitting on his lips. God, he was beautiful. Izuku wound his arms around Kacchan's neck and kissed him sweetly. Pulling back, he smiled. "Yeah. Was close that time. Could feel it."

Kacchan offered his hand. When Izuku took it, he pulled him to his feet. "Come on. Let's get breakfast."

On the way in, Izuku caught sight of Hitoshi sitting in one of the armchairs in the lobby outside of the cafeteria. He had a worn novel in his hand, the cover too faded to read clearly. "Morning, Hitoshi," Izuku greeted, stopping to talk. Kacchan didn't bother and kept walking. "Sleep well?"

Hitoshi looked up, dark circles still lining his eyes. He gave Izuku a crooked smile and shrugged. "It took a while to sleep with so many people around me, but I got a few hours. You?"

"I slept great," Izuku answered. "I was so tired I hardly even noticed anyone else."

"What were you doing outside? Yoga?"

"Yeah." A couple girls came out of the girl's hallway and made their way into the cafeteria. "Looks like breakfast is being served. I'm just going to get changed. Save me a seat!" he said before trotting down the hallway and slipping into the 1-A room.

Kacchan had gotten Kaminari and Kirishima up, but a lot of the boys were still sleeping."Come on, guys! It's past six! Time to get up!" Izuku called cheerfully, shaking shoulders as he made his way over to his bag.

He watched as Kacchan crouched next to Todoroki and tapped the back of his fingers against the teen's cheek right below the large scar that ran from his forehead to the top of his cheek. "Oi, IcyHot. You up?"

"M'up," Todoroki mumbled, eyes still closed.

It was so interesting to see how his his classmates acted right when they woke up. Izuku watched, bemused, as instead of going to the bathroom to get dressed, Kaminari stood and stripped in the middle of the room, completely oblivious to everyone else as he pulled on his gym uniform. Kirishima was wide awake already, chatting with Kacchan about training. Ojiro stood and did some stretches. Tokoyami put earbuds in and headed straight for the bathroom. In the end, Iida surprised Izuku the most. He looked like roadkill as he sat up, swaying. He practically zombie crawled out of bed, dragging his feet to the bathroom, but not three minutes later he was back and as alert as if he'd had an entire pot of coffee.

"The water here is so refreshing!" the teen called loudly. "Why don't you go splash your face? It will invigorate you!"

Izuku snickered as Sero and Sato groaned and tried to cover their heads with the blankets.

…

Breakfast was basically a gallon of scrambled eggs, a dozen platters of bacon, and a buffet of fresh fruit, several bowls of steamed white rice, and an entire loaf of wheat toast. Katsuki rolled his eyes as Todoroki, practically sleep walking, went straight for the canisters of hot tea, completely skipping over the food. Katsuki poured a big glass of orange juice instead.

He had a feeling they were going to need their energy today so he put a good amount of food on his plate as well as the plate he made for Todoroki, but he was careful not to put too much because he also had a feeling they were going to get their asses kicked and too much food would end up as puke on the ground.

At exactly six thirty, Pixie-Bob jumped up on the table and put her cat-paw hands on her hips. "Alright, kittens! Stop what you're doing! Time's up! Scrape your plates off into the large trashcans by the door on your way out and put your dishes and silverware in the trays. Hop to!" A sadistic grin split her face. "You don't want to know what happens when you're late."

There was a mad rush for the doors, and they found Aizawa and Vlad King waiting for them in the center of the yard. The two classes spilled into the yard before them. After murmurs and a few yawns, the forty kids slowly stilled and became quiet.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," Aizawa drawled, irony lacing his tone. Katsuki doubted they'd think it was 'good' for much longer. "Today we will begin to increase your strength in earnest. The goal of this training camp is to maximize everyone's abilities in oder for everyone to obtain their provisional licenses. This training is designed to prepare you all to face hostilities that are becoming more real by the minute, but before we begin, I'd like to test something. Bakugo," he called and tossed something at Katsuki's head.

Katsuki caught it easily and glared at his teacher.

Aizawa simply said, "Try throwing that."

Katsuki turned the ball over in his hand. It was white with an electronic strip down the middle. It was the same one from Aizawa's fitness test on day one. Katsuki stepped away from the group and faced the woods.

"His previous record on the first day of school was 705.2 meters," Aizawa informed class B. "Let's see how much he's improved."

Pinky bounced on her toes, clapping her hands. "Oh, we're checking our progress?"

"Maybe he can throw it a kilometer or something now!" Tape-boy said excitedly.

Red gave a loud cheer. "Kill it, Bakugo!"

Katsuki gave a battle grin. His heart pumped smooth and easy in his chest. He secreted sweat in his right palm. He took a pitcher's stance. "Here I go…" He wound up, lifting his leg and priming his quirk. "GO TO HELL!" he screamed as he threw the ball, triggering a huge explosion at the point of release.

A huge fireball bloomed into the air. The trees and everyone's hair and clothes whipped around in the hot wind produced by the explostion. The ball went fucking _flying_ and he grinned, cocky.

"709.6 meters." Aizawa held up the phone so Katsuki could see the score himself.

Katsuki stared at him, instantly scowling. Four fucking meters. Really? That's all he'd improved?

Tape-boy had the gall to say, "Huh? It's less than I thought."

Katsuki whipped around to glare murder at him, making the teen gulp and hide behind Pinky. Fucking coward.

"It's been about three months since you started high school," Aizawa began. "Through various experiences you all have definitely improved, but that improvement has mainly been at the mental and technical levels with some increase in stamina. As you can see, your quirks themselves have not improved that much."

Vlad King nodded. His deep, husky voice had a slight lisp as he talked. Probably due to his two canines on the bottom protruding upward between his lips. "When muscle fibers are overused, they break and become stronger and thicker. Quirks are the same. If you keep using them, they become stronger, and if you don't, they waste away. In other words, there's just one thing to do! Break through your limits!"

Aizawa turned and began walking into the woods and they all followed him as if pulled by a string. "Those of you who are operative types will have to raise your maximum limits. Heteromorphic types and other composite types need to train the parts of their body related to their quirks. Normally this would occur as you bodies grow, but we don't have that kind of time."

They broke through the woods into a type of valley that had been clearly designed as a training ground. Grass stretched forward for a good mile before vertical cliff faces pushed upward toward the sky. The mountain was to the right. Three canopy tents were set up to the left with chairs and tables. Tiger was there, organizing coolers and boxes of snacks. The rescue hero was wearing his hero costume, but unlike last night when he'd been behind a counter cooking, Katsuki got a good look at all of him. It wasn't just his top that looked like his female partners'. Just like the girls on his team, he also wore a skirt. He even wore the same boots with fur lining at the top.

And there it was. Katsuki now understood why only Izuku and maybe one or two others knew about the Wild, Wild Pussycats. Either Tiger was gay or just a cross-dresser, either way his choice to wear the same uniform as his female teammates had sunk their popularity.

"But there's forty of us!" one of the girls called up from the middle of the pack. "How are you going to help us all?"

Ragdoll gave them a wave, tilting sideways at the waist. Her costume was green to match her hair that fell long and loose down to her knees. "That's where we come in! My quirk is called Search. I can watch up to one hundred people and know their exact location, weaknesses, strengths, everything!"

Pixie-Bob came up from behind them, smiling. "And I can shape the earth, so I can design the perfect environment to break your quirks open."

Mandalay was with her and added, "And I can give advice telepathically to many students at once!"

Tiger called from the rest station, "And I can make you strong!" He posed, curling his arms and flexing his biceps. He was enormous, his muscles seemingly chiseled from stone, which made him wearing a skirt even more incongruent. There was nothing feminine about this man, so it was a really unexpected choice.

"Based on their track record and wide range of quirks, these four are the most logical choice to train your quirks in a short amount of time." Aizawa gave them a terrifying grin. "It'll be so hard you'll feel like dying, but try not to actually die. Bakugo, Todoroki, with me."

"Those with super strength, I'll take you on," Tiger yelled out, striking a pose. "Plus Ultra!"

Katsuki watched as Izuku made his way over to the man. Braindead and a hairy animal boy from 1-B visibly hesitated before following him. "What's his quirk?"

"Pliabody," Aizawa answered. "It allows him to stretch, flatten, and bend his body in ways that would normally be impossible. He's also worked really hard to strengthen his physical body as much as possible. He has a lot he can teach the kids with the strength-based quirks."

"And the dress?" Katsuki asked boldly.

Todoroki gave him a shocked glance, but Katsuki just shrugged. What? He was fucking curious. Sue him.

Aizawa stopped and turned to look at him. His eyes were dark and disapproving. "I would usually assign punishment for such a rude question, but since I know you and can guess what's at the source of your curiosity, I'm going to let it slide." Then he turned and kept walking. "If you have questions about Tiger, I suggest you ask him yourself."

Katsuki scowled. It was not in his nature to tiptoe around and make small talk. It stressed him out like almost nothing else. His blood pressure rose and he could hardly keep the frustrated rage at such futility in check, which is why he'd asked Aizawa about it instead of Tiger to begin with. He was aware the subject was sensitive, and it wasn't liked he wanted to offend the hero or piss him off, but it almost sounded like Aizawa was challenging him to talk to Tiger.

_Fucking fine,_ he thought, glaring hotly at Aizawa's back. He would never back down from a challenge.

"Todoroki, this is you." Aizawa gestured to a metal barrel filled with water sitting in the grass. "I want you to alternate using your ice and fire sides while in the tub. Your goal is to keep the temperature of the bathwater uniform. This will get your body used to freezing and let you practice controlling the temperature of your flames. You might even be able to use both quirks at once eventually."

Todoroki took this in and then nodded. "Yes, sensei."

"And you're over here," Aizawa said, drawing Katsuki about fifty feet away where there was another metal barrel set up. This one was a little smaller, and it had been placed on a stand over a small cooking fire. Steam wafted up from the water, small bubbles rising to the surface.

"I want you to submerge your hands. Extended exposure to the near boiling water will help increase your heat tolerance, but it will also open your sweat glands. Every ten seconds, I want you release the biggest explosion you can straight into the air and then plunge them back into the hot water." Aizawa pierced him with his eyes. "If your hands begin to blister or split, you are to stop immediately and let them cool off. We don't have access to Recovery Girl out here, so if you injure yourself, you'll be benched until you heal naturally."

"Alright, alright," Katsuki scowled. "I got it." And without waiting another minute, he plunged his hands into barrel up to his wrists.

His explosions were much hotter than the temperature of boiling water, but they were quick. His skin was resistant, but it wasn't used to being exposed to high temperatures continuously. Counting a slow ten count in his head, he let the sting build up, the burn starting at the more sensitive skin of his wrists and slowly moving down. At ten, he lifted both hands above his head, forced his glads to secrete as much sweat as he could, and triggered his quirk.

_**Bah-BOOOOM!**_ A huge ball of fire exploded upward causing the ground to tremble under his feet. He slammed his hands back into the boiling pot. The water hissed and bubbled around his furnace-hot palms. Sweat rolling down his face, Katsuki began the count. One… Two… Three… Four… _fuck!_… Six… Seven… Eight, Nine, Ten!

He sped up the count toward the end, his skin bright red. He was supposed to push his limits, but he wasn't allowed to break himself. He had to time it fucking perfectly. Yanking them out, he held them over his head. He paused, letting them cool and also giving himself time to secrete as much nitroglycerin as he could, then _**Bah-BOOOOM!**_

…

Hitoshi had been put in Tiger's group with Izuku. He didn't have a strength-enhancing quirk, but he was still behind in the physical fitness department, and Izuku figured it wasn't like he could practice his quirk by himself.

The idea was the stronger your body was without the quirk, the more powerful you'd be once your quirk was activated. Izuku knew this to be true from the brutal training he'd undergone just to get his body strong enough to accept One For All in the first place.

Physical fitness was a huge requirement in order to perform as a hero, so everyone spent time in Tiger's section at some point. That meant whenever anyone had used their quirk too much and had to rest it, they were sent to Tiger for an hour or so before they had to go back to quirk training. There were only three of them assigned to Tiger full time: Izuku, Hitoshi, and a boy named Jurota Shishida from Class B.

Shishida had brown hair covering most of his body except his face and hands. His quirk made him beast-like, increasing his strength, speed, and senses, which explained why he'd been put with Tiger. Tiger was perfect for the job. He was a drill sergeant from hell. He was constantly pacing in front of them, telling them to tear their muscles apart in order to become stronger. His exercises were a weird combination of pilates - boot camp - crossfit - and cardio, and they had been clearly designed to torture them!

Izuku spent the morning doing suicide sprints up an agonizing mountain incline, rock climbing vertical surfaces, doing push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, and lifting ridiculously heavy weights. Hitoshi had come close to passing out several times.

After five hours of this torture, they were finally released to go to lunch. Izuku could hardly lift his arms. Head hanging, he dragged his throbbing body over to the tents. Hitoshi was just as miserable, his purple hair hanging low, his hands and arms shaking. He'd had a really bad charlie horse and so was limping pretty bad, too.

"Shinso," Aizawa called.

Dull-eyed and exhausted, Hitoshi lifted his head.

"It's time to work on your quirk. I want you to hold as many students under your control as possible and have them eat lunch."

Hitoshi perked up, looking interested. "Did you warn them in advance?"

Aizawa nodded. "I told them it was a good opportunity to experience a mental control quirk and possibly learn how to fight against it, but not all of them will make it easy for you to take control."

Hitoshi smiled. "Good."

Izuku shook his head and split off from them, heading to the table Kacchan had chosen. Todoroki, Kirishima, Iida, and Uraraka sat with him. Thin trails of smoke rose from Iida's calves, Uraraka looked green, her cheek pressed to the wood of the table, and Kirishima looked battered, bruises running up and down his forearms and shoulders, which were easily seen in the black tank top he wore. Todoroki looked perfectly normal except he was dripping wet.

"How're you doing?" Izuku asked, groaning in pain as he sat on the bench next to his boyfriend.

"Fucking grand," Kacchan muttered tiredly.

"Want me to feed you?" Izuku offered. Kacchan's hands looked lobster red. They weren't blistering, but they had to be painful.

"Fuck you," Kacchan snapped tiredly, his tone holding none of its usual heat.

"There is no shame in needing help," Iida was quick to assert.

"You can feed _me_ if you want," Kirishima offered with a lopsided grin.

Izuku rolled his eyes, smiling. "Nothing's wrong with your hands." He made a sympathetic face. "The bruises do look painful, though. What does Aizawa have you doing?"

"Ojiro is beating the hell out of me with his tail to make his tail stronger. All I have to do is stand there and take it. The idea is to increase the strength and duration of my hardening." Kirishima ruffled his hair. "But, man, that boy packs a punch when he hits. Remember when he gave you that concussion, Bakugo? Trust me. That was a love tap from him."

"Do you want me to kill you?" Kacchan asked sweetly.

"What about you Iida? Uraraka?" Izuku asked as Kacchan and Kirishima descended into bickering.

"I am doing sprints up and down the mountain," Iida proclaimed.

"They tie me to a tree and have me use my quirk on myself," Uraraka said miserably. "I… I have to twist and flip in the air…" She groaned, clearly feeling sick. "To get my inner ears used to it or something."

Izuku rubbed her back soothingly. "I'm sorry."

"I have to sit in a tub," Todoroki told them. "I activate my ice around it and then my fire. The goal is to transition smoothly and quickly back and forth so that the water stays lukewarm. I haven't managed it yet."

"Do you have mayo on your table?" Hitoshi called from the next table over.

Izuku saw the bottle and grabbed it, turning, "Ye— "

As if from the bottom of a well, Izuku heard Kacchan sigh. "Stupid, Deku."

Izuku would have blushed if he had control of his body, but he didn't. He spent the rest of lunch as one of Hitoshi's puppets. Uraraka also fell prey, but she did it on purpose to see if being brainwashed would make the nausea stop. Iida also went under, volunteering to help a fellow classmate master their quirk.

"You're not going under?" Kacchan asked Kirishima.

Kirishima shook his head. "Maybe another time." He poked Izuku in the cheek and got no reaction whatsoever. "You?"

"Hell no," Kacchan denied, scowling.

It was pretty impressive actually - or creepy as Pixie-Bob put it when she walked by - as nearly eighteen students sat in perfect silence, eating and drinking in perfect synchronicity. Aizawa didn't like it and ordered Hitoshi to try and have his puppets do things at different times.

"Stretch your control. Push your limits," he encouraged.

Izuku would have used the chance to talk to Daisuke, but Hitoshi hadn't pushed him down hard enough. He was still too present behind his eyes, only a short distance between him and the outside world. It was almost like standing in a transparent black fog, which made no sense, but that's what it felt like.

It was actually kind of peaceful since he trusted Hitoshi and was able to relax into his mental grip. Just as Uraraka hoped, the pains of his body were as distant as the world. Everything was less while cocooned in Hitoshi's quirk. Quieter, darker, more still. Slowly, Izuku became aware that the connection went both ways. At least a little. He could sense the effort Hitoshi was exerting to cocoon him.

At first Hitoshi's grip was smooth and strong, gentle but unyielding, but slowly that strength began to grow unsteady. Izuku could sense eddies in the fog where cracks were forming as Hitoshi's hold became strained and brittle. Then, with the snapping sensation of a joint being put back in place, Izuku filled his own body and reality blared in on him from all sides, no longer muffled.

"You with me?" Kacchan asked as Izuku gasped and blinked rapidly, squinting his eyes at the sudden brightness.

"Yeah," he croaked.

Kacchan pushed over a glass of water and Izuku downed it.

Returning to Tiger's area, Izuku found Hitoshi lying flat on his back in the grass with an arm thrown over his eyes. Tiger was still by the rest area, so they had a few more minutes before hell started again.

Izuku's thighs screamed in pain as he sat next to his friend. "How many did you manage to hold on to?" he asked quietly, recognizing the signs of a headache.

"Eighteen at first, but I had to drop to ten when Aizawa told me to have everyone moving at different times."

"That's amazing," Izuku praised him. "You're going to be able to help a lot of people with that ability."

Hitoshi rolled so that his head was pillowed on Izuku's thigh.

Izuku smiled at this and gently sank his fingers into his friend's soft, purple hair to get at his scalp. Hitoshi made a sound a lot like a purr that reminded him of Hitoshi's cat. "Who'd you get to look after Cali?"

Hitoshi's voice came deep and slow when he answered. "Aizawa asked Present Mic to stop by and check on her every day."

"On your feet, kittens," Tiger barked as he marched over. "You're not at a spa! Twenty push-ups! Plus Ultra!"

"I'd rather not," Hitoshi said deadpan.

Izuku laughed.

After four more hours of hell, Izuku could hardly move. He lay flat on his back and stared blindly up at the summer-blue sky. A shadow fell over him. Tiger looked down at him with his hands on his hips, his expression hard. Izuku flinched. If he could have crawled away, he would have.

"On your feet, solider. It's time to work out your quirk." Tiger reached down with one hand, grabbed Izuku by his arm, and hauled him to his feet. "You call it Full Cowling, right? Let's see it."

Izuku shivered in his grip, unable to stand on his own. Sweat dripped off him and he felt like he might be sick. Tiger shook him, pulling a whimper from Izuku's lips, but he managed to crack open One For All like turning a rusted spigot. A faint glow illuminated his pale skin before fading as green sparks ran up and down his frame. It was only about five percent of the power that rumbled like thunder deep at his core.

"Can you stand now?"

Izuku blinked and realized that most of the pain he'd been in had faded. He could stand and did so.

"Good." Tiger turned and walked into the forest. "Follow me."

Izuku walked after him, rolling his shoulders and bouncing on his toes a bit. The stretch and movement was painful, but not so bad as to make him sick like before. "Where are we going?" he asked curiously.

"Somewhere to give your quirk a workout," Tiger answered mysteriously.

Izuku was both nervous and excited. He knew what Tiger considered a workout and the idea of more of it was terrifying. The muscled hero came to a stop in front of a medium-sized tree. Izuku looked up and judged it to be about twenty feet tall with a trunk diameter of about six inches.

"Do you want me to climb it?" Izuku asked, relieved the task wouldn't be that hard.

"Kick it down, kid," Tiger ordered, buff arms crossed over this chest.

Izuku had stared at him in horror. "Kick… it down?" he repeated.

Tiger nodded. "You have to be sharp, exact. No hesitation, but I'm warning you now, you break your leg and we'll pack you up and send you home."

Izuku swallowed. Tiger was serious. Wide-eyed he looked back at the tree. Tiger sighed and swung his arm out to push Izuku back. The rescue hero took a deep breath and punched. The tree shuddered. Faint cracks appeared around where he'd hit. He punched again. There was definitely cracks there.

Tiger pulled back and showed Izuku his hand. It was red and swollen, but not broken. "Truth is, you pack way more punch than I do, kid. This is totally possible for you to do. It will help strengthen your joints and bones, too. Just don't overdo it."

Izuku nodded hard, once. "Yes, sir." He spread his feet and took a deep breath. The pale green sparks turned into an electric current, red lines appeared, snaking up his leg, then he stomped forward, holding tight to the power in One For All. There was a loud crack. Leaves rained down on them. A dead branch crashed to the ground. Izuku took another deep breath and stomped forward with his other foot. Same thing happened as, just before impact, glowing red lines snaked up his leg. Another loud cracking sound and the tree began to topple.

"Get under it! Don't let it hit the ground! Catch it in the middle!" Tiger barked.

Izuku blurred forward in sheer reaction and caught the tree trunk in his upheld palms. His body screamed, his thighs on fire even through One For All.

"Carry it back to camp. We'll use it for firewood. Then we'll come back. We have more trees to clear out," Tiger told him.

Izuku gasped. Carry it? It had to be close to one thousand pounds! But he had no breath to question or complain. Gritting his teeth, Izuku slowly made his way back to camp. He had to walk sideways to get the long tree through the forest. It was agonizing and felt like hours before the forest gave way to the clearing before the cabin. Tossing the tree down, the ground rumbled under the impact. Izuku stood there gasping for breath, swaying.

"You okay, kid?" Aizawa stood just on the tree line, watching. Izuku had staggered past him and hadn't even noticed.

Izuku gave him a delirious smile and fainted.

He come to in Tiger's arms as the hero carried him inside. Every muscle in his body screamed in agony, so Izuku had no other choice but to let himself be carried. In fact, he was in so much pain that he didn't even blush when Tiger undressed him to his underwear and gave him a quick rinse before setting him in the hot spring. The heat felt like agony at first. Izuku tried to bite back a shout, but it had slipped out anyway.

A hazy time later, Hitoshi and Shishida staggered into he spring next to him. Shishida hid his face behind fur-covered arms as he cried and gasped, but Hitoshi sat pale and stoic through it all. Eventually the heat seeped in and the pain released its claw-like grip.

…

Katsuki and Todoroki dragged their sorry asses back to camp with everyone else once they'd been dismissed at five. It was like some fucking zombie movie. There wasn't a word spoken, only the sound of slowly shuffling feet and the occasional groan. Aizawa and Vlad King stood on the porch as they came to a sloppy halt in front of them.

"Good work today," Vlad called. "You got an hour to rest and get some energy back, and then I want your sorry asses back here. If you're late, you don't get to eat."

"Those of you with muscle soreness, I recommend sitting in the hot spring," Aizawa advised. "There's also a clean lake half a mile that way if you'd rather cool off." He pointed to the side.

Katsuki made his way to his teacher's side. "Deku?"

"Tiger brought him and the other two assigned to him back early." Aizawa answered easily. There was no hint of tension or worry in his voice, which set Katsuki at ease. "They're soaking in the hot spring. When they're done, Mandalay will massage some ointment into their muscles to help with the pain."

The last thing Katsuki needed was to sit in hot water right now. His hands were lobster red from working the hell out of his quirk. "I'm going to the lake," he told him.

"Don't drown," was Aizawa's response, sensing Katsuki wasn't going just for fun.

Katsuki had only spent an hour before lunch and an hour after lunch with Tiger while Izuku had spent the whole ten hours busting his ass. If Katsuki had any hope of keeping up with the nerd, he would have to put in some extra physical training, and swimming was a great strength and cardio exercise.

Todoroki fell into step with him, which he'd expected, but so did Pikachu and Frog-girl. "Not going to soak in the hot spring?" he asked, curiously.

There was a slack look to Pikachu's face, making him look dumber than he usually did. The teen shook his head, but it was more like a twitch than a shake. "Lake s-sounds good-d."

"Shit." Katsuki scowled. "What the hell did they have you doing?"

"He was charging large capacity batteries, like for motorboats, all day," Frog-girl answered when it was clear Pikachu didn't have the mental capacity for more than three words at a time. "Aizawa said it would help his body handle larger amounts of electricity."

Katsuki shot her a doubtful glare, but she simply shrugged. He didn't bother asking her why _she_ was coming. She was a fucking frog, after all. Lakes were their natural habitat.

It didn't take long to find it. About ten minutes into the woods, they stepped out on the shore of a crystal clear lake. Frog-girl dove right in and was gone, just like that. Damn that girl could swim. Katsuki pulled his shoes off and ran into the water. Once he was knee deep, he dove forward making a big splash. The cool water was shocking, but it felt fucking great around his hands and arms. He came up, shaking his his head, and grinned at Todoroki.

"Race you to the other side," he challenged. They could just see the opposite shore, so Katsuki estimated it was only about two or so miles out.

Todoroki dove in and swam to his side. Katsuki's flashed him a grin and began pulling himself through the water. He turned his head every third stroke just enough to bring his mouth above the surface to breathe. Todoroki was right at his side, matching his pace. Strangely enough, Katsuki felt the competitive edge fall away and he sank into the rhythm of their strokes. Almost in synch, they swam toward the other side of the lake. It was relaxing as hell; his muscles working, his lungs expanding and deflating, his heart beating hard and strong.

They were a little more than halfway across when Frog-girl popped up right in front of them, forcing them to come to an abrupt halt.

"The fuck!" Katsuki snarled, instantly pissed off as his zen was shattered.

"If you're going to make it back to camp by the time Aizawa set, you need to turn back now. Just wanted you to know." Then she was gone.

Tredding water, Katsuki looked over at Torodoki. "Fuck," he said again, disappointed. They were both breathing hard, sweat rolling down their temples from the workout. "Where'd you learn to swim, anyway?"

"We have a pool at home," Todoroki said softly, not meeting Katsuki's eyes. "It was the only place he wouldn't come for me. He hated water, so I got really good at swimming."

Katsuki glared at nothing as the image of a young Todoroki running battered and terrified into a pool bloomed inside his mind. He could just imagine Endeavor pacing the edge like a fucking mad dog waiting for his prey to come out.

"Fucking piece of shit," he spat. "Come on. I'm starving."

He did a flip and began to swim back the way they'd come. His strokes were harder, fueled by anger. After a few minutes of beating the water, Katsuki began to cool off and he slowed. Without missing a beat, Todoroki swam up next to him and they fell once more into the rhythm they'd found so easily on the way out.

…

"Alright, Midoriya. You're up first," Tiger called cheerfully.

Izuku groaned as he was lifted out of the hot spring. He protested, but Tiger ignored him and carried him to a room on the second floor. It looked like a mix between a spa and a clinic. Mandalay was waiting there. Izuku was laid face down on a massage table in nothing but his wet underwear so that she could rub a strange smelling ointment into his skin.

"I know it hurts, but I promise this ointment will really help," she assured him.

"Thanks… * _gasp _*… for taking care of me," he managed as her fingers kneaded his abused muscles.

She laughed. "It's no problem. It is our fault you're like this."

Izuku sank into the pain-pleasure of her fingers, his hands gripping the legs of the massage bed in a death grip. "How's K-Kota… * _groan _*… doing? Are his parents… * _gasp _*… coming to stay at the camp, too?" he asked, hoping conversation would distract him from the torment.

"No." Izuku's eyes opened at her sad tone. "No, they're not." Her hands stilled on his back. "Kota's parents… They were killed taking down a villain two years ago. They were Water Hose."

Izuku rolled over and stiffly sat up. "I'm so sorry," he said softly.

Mandalay gave a wane smile and began to massage the ointment into his arm. "He's been moody after their deaths, which is understandable. As you probably noticed when you got here, he hates heroes now, but we brought him to the camp because he's been especially bad since the incident at his school."

"Incident?" he gave her a curious look, tilting his head.

"A psycho with a knife snuck into his school. The police noticed something suspicious and arrested him before anything happened, but the bastard went in through Kota's classroom so he saw the whole thing."

Izuku's felt the world tilt under his feet. His heart thundered in his ears.

"_Kota?" A child's voice. Standing at a blackboard. A teacher's concerned look as she crouches down next to him. "Kota-chan? Are you okay?" The teacher's eyes lifting to something behind him. A man crying but smiling at the same time. The spray of blood hitting Izuku in the face - warm and wet - as the man slashes the teacher's throat. The little boy next to Izuku collapsing as a knife was plunged brutally into his back, blood puddling under his small body. The knife flashing at Izuku's face next, ducking, terrified and scrambling. Slipping in hot, tacky blood and falling to his hands and knees. Rolling away as the knife flashes down at him, fighting, running. Flinging himself bodily at the fire alarm. Pulling it, the alarm piercing the air. Kids and teachers running into the hallway, but all Izuku could see was the man, covered in blood, standing in the door to the classroom. Watching, sick with horror and guilt, as the man grabbed a kid running past him and stabbed him in the gut before flinging the boy down. The tiny body flopping like a dying fish as red blood poured out on the floor…_

"Midoriya?"

Izuku realized he was panting. Nausea clawed up his throat. "Is… Is he okay?"

Mandalay shook her head. "I don't know. I mean, it could have been so much worse. I honestly don't know what's going on in his head." She gave a strained laugh. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I'm sorry."

"No. It's okay. I asked, and I'm glad you did," he assured her. "I'll keep an eye on Kota. If I can help, I will."

Mandalay's expression went soft. "Thank you, Midoriya. You're a good kid."

Izuku sat through the rest of the massage in silence, mind racing and feeling anxious. When it was done, he climbed shakily off the table, much to Mandalay's shock.

"You should rest," she protested. "Don't worry about dinner. I promise I'll bring some up when it's ready."

Izuku smiled to reassure her. "I'm just going to check in on my class. I promise to take it easy."

Mandalay stared at him with wide eyes. "Tiger's training is brutal. You tore almost all of your muscles today. If you overdo it now, you'll get sick. You're already running a low grade fever."

She was right, of course. He still hurt like the blazes and felt wrung out, but he couldn't just lay there when he had responsibilities. He had to check in on everyone and make sure they were alright. He had to talk to Kacchan about Kota.

"The hot spring and the ointment really helped," he said as upbeat as he could manage. "Thank you so much for taking care of me."

…

"This way, kittens!" Pixie-Bob cried and led them to the side of the cabin.

Katsuki scowled, annoyed. There were a dozen picnic tables spread out in the side yard. Huge baskets full of vegetables were waiting for them on one of the tables as well as two huge cooking pots on top of fire grills. Shit, they were making them cook their own goddamn dinner.

"Let's see which class can make the most delicious curry!" Pixie-Bob cried, excitedly. "Ready? Set? GO!"

"Wow, Bakugo!" Pinky exclaimed, watching as he cut a carrot with quick efficiency. "You're really good at that."

"Better than the girls," Tape-boy agreed in awe. "You chop as fast as my mom."

"It's manly to be self-sufficient!" Kirishima protested. "Show me how you do that."

Katsuki sneered at them. "It's not rocket science, idiots." He caught sight of Todoroki's mangled vegetables and laughed. "Damn. I didn't know anyone could be that bad."

Made sense, though. Bastard probably had a shit ton of servants growing up. Todoroki had probably never cooked a thing in his life. Ponytail was just as bad. Fucking rich kids. Katsuki smirked at her when her carrot went flying as she tried to cut it.

"Gather round, extras. This is how it's done." He demonstrated how to hold the vegetable firmly and to press down with the heel of the hand and rock the knife forward as it cut. "You don't want to cut the vegetables in different sizes because the smaller the piece, the faster it cooks. You'll end up with fucking uncooked pieces with pieces that are soft as hell if you mangle them like that."

Katsuki looked up to see Izuku watching him as the green-haired teen stirred one of the massive pots. Leaving the extras to figure it out, Katsuki made his way over. "You good?" he asked, setting the vegetables he'd chopped beside the nerd.

Izuku gave him a tired nod. "Yeah. Just sore."

"You look like shit," Katsuki said with narrowed his eyes. "Why aren't you resting?"

"I just wanted to check in on everyone," Izuku defended.

Katsuki had noticed Izuku going around and talking with each of their classmates and had known exactly what the nerd was up to. Self-sacrificing to the point of self-harm, that's Izuku all up and down, but what he wouldn't allow was Izuku pushing himself for no goddamn reason!

"You're just stirring a pot over here by your fucking self!" he snapped, annoyed. "Go sit the hell down, nerd."

Izuku smiled and touched Katsuki's hand gently as he took over stirring for him. Izu's hand was shaking, and Katsuki shot him a nova hot glare, but the nerd didn't see it. He was too busy staring pensively at the side of the cabin. Katsuki followed his gaze and caught sight of that little brat of Mandalay's sitting in the shadows, knees drawn to his chest, scowling at the world.

"I knew you'd come over when you saw me alone," Izuku explained, strain in his voice. "I needed to talk to you." His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "Kota's parents were Water Hose. They were murdered by villains two years ago. If that wasn't bad enough, he was the kid… you know, at the elementary school…" Izuku visibly swallowed, his face so goddamn pale. "I think I was him."

Katsuki felt his whole body come alert. "Does he remember?"

"Probably not. I got the name of the school, remember? Nighteye got the police there ahead of time. The attacker hardly got through the balcony before he was arrested. No one was killed. So what I saw and what I, I mean _he_, did in the vision didn't happen in reality."

Katsuki gave Izuku a hard stare. "That means you saved him. He's sitting over there right now because of you. So why the fuck do you look so worried?"

Izuku shifted, ducking his head guiltily. "He's miserable. I just… feel like I'm supposed to help him."

Katsuki sighed, annoyed, but after all these years, he'd learned there was no point in trying to get Izuku to see how stupid he was being. 'It's not your business' or 'It has nothing to do with you' or 'It's not your responsibility', all those things were incomprehensible to Izuku, but that's why Katsuki got his tattoo. Izuku's moral compass was more 'good' than Katsuki's.

"Fine." He crossed his arms. "Talk to him or some shit, then. Staring at him sadly while you stir a pot won't do anything."

Izuku ducked his head further. "I don't know what to say." Green eyes stared up at him imploringly through curling, green bangs. "What would you say to him?"

Katsuki snorted. "Words aren't going to change what he's going through. Action speak louder than words. You'll have to _show him_ how great heroes are."

Izuku looked thoughtful at this. "Thanks, Kacchan." And with utter sincerity said, "You're the best."

Katsuki scowled to hide his sudden blush. "Just go sit the fuck down."

Izuku squeezed his arm before wandering off toward the picnic tables.

"Midoriya okay?" Todoroki asked as he knelt to boost the fire under pot.

Katsuki muttered his answer, not really wanting the whole goddamn class to hear. "He's worried about the little brat over there. He's depressed or some shit."

"Sounds like Midoriya," Todoroki acknowledged, not at all surprised. "He wants to help everybody."

Katsuki sighed and had an inkling on how Aizawa must feel all the time. A mix of resigned and exhausted. "Yeah, don't I fucking know it."

…

As worried as Izuku was about Kota, he still had a job to do. He was the class representative. It was his job to make sure everyone was okay and to fix any problems that came up. The first two people he checked on was Uraraka and Aoyama. He knew how bad the side-effects were when they over-used their quirks, and he was right. Both of them were sitting at a picnic table, heads pillowed on their arms. Izuku got them cold water and soaked towels to put around their necks.

"Thanks, Deku," Uraraka said sweetly, sighing.

"No problem. Just rest," he encouraged.

The sound of someone chopping wood caught his attention and he made his way around the back of the cabin. Tokoyami and Shoji were cutting the tree he'd kicked down and carried back into kindling.

"What did Aizawa have you guys doing today?" Izuku asked curiously when they paused in their chopping.

A mouth appeared on the end of one of Shoji's tentacles. "I had to hunt down Hagakure to help sharpen my senses and help her practice her stealth. I had to make more tentacles and spread them out over a larger distance than I'm used to doing to try and find her. My head still hurts from concentrating so hard."

"Sounds difficult," Izuku sympathized. "Do you think it will work?"

"It's too soon to tell," Shoji answered with a shrug and took up the axe again.

"What about you Tokoyami?" Izuku turned his eyes on the boy with the bird head.

Tokoyami definitely looked the worse for wear. His usually lustrous black feathers were dull and a few had even fallen out. "I was taken to a deep cave with no light and tried to exert control over Dark Shadow."

Izuku's eyes widened, instantly curious to know what a fully-powered Dark Shadow looked like. "Were you able to do it?"

Tokoyami shook his head glumly. "Aizawa had to erase my quirk before I could exit."

"Well, it's only the first day," Izuku encouraged. "Imagine how far we'll have gotten by the end of the week."

Shoji groaned. "That would involve imaging doing this for a week. I don't think I have that kind of courage right now."

Tokoyami clicked his beak. "We are weighed down, every moment, by the conception and the sensation of Time. And there are but two means of escaping and forgetting this nightmare: pleasure and work. Pleasure consumes us. Work strengthens us. Let us choose."

Izuku smiled, bemused. It seemed like the teen had a quote for every situation. "Who said that?"

Tokoyami's eyes were large with a lot of white with only a small iris of red and the black of his pupil. It made his stare piercing. "Charles Baudelaire. A French poet."

"You have an incredible memory, Tokoyami," Izuku complimented him, impressed.

Suddenly feeling dizzy and nauseous, Izuku excused himself and made his way back to the others. He saw that Aoyama was still resting at the picnic table but that Uraraka had gotten up to help the others cook. Izuku joined him, the shaking in his hands getting worse. Kacchan would lay him out if he didn't sit down.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked, reaching over to rub Aoyama's back soothingly.

"Are you?" the blond asked quietly.

Izuku smiled sickly. "I look that bad, huh?"

Aoyama nodded his head and closed his eyes.

"Did you want to lay down in the room?" Izuku watched him worriedly. "I'll help you walk there."

"After we eat," the teen answered miserably. "A little food in my stomach will help."

Izuku nodded his understanding.

"Not bad, kittens!" Pixie-Bob called out. "It looks like the curry's all set to simmer for a bit. Set the tables and go wash anything dirty! That way you have less clean up after you eat!"

Izuku made to stand, but without opening his eyes, Aoyama grabbed his wrist.

"Let them do it. They will feel bad if you push yourself."

Izuku sank back down. "Okay," he allowed, admitting - if only to himself - that he hadn't felt this body-sick since the worst days at the beach before he'd been given One For All.

In the quiet, his attention immediately went back to Kota. He couldn't believe he was meeting someone he'd possessed during a full moon. "Hey, Aoyama, what would you say to someone who hates heroes?"

Aoyama hummed, blue eyes blinking open. After a minute, he gave a wide smile. "Unless we can face that which pains us, we can never truly sparkle."

Kacchan, Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, and Kirishima soon filled up their table. Kacchan handed him a bowl of curry, and Uraraka handed a half-filled bowl to Aoyama. Izuku caught sight of Kota slipping away into the woods and frowned. The kid really hated them if he'd rather skip a meal than eat with them.

Feeling miserable, Izuku only got through half his bowl of curry before he stopped.

"Come on, nerd. Time for bed," Kacchan ordered, getting up.

"But you're not done eating," Izuku protested. "I can go in on my own."

"Just shut up and let's go," Kacchan snapped.

Izuku relented. Arguing would only upset Kacchan more. He gasped as his thighs spasmed when Kacchan helped him to his feet.

"Shit, Deku."

Kacchan got Izuku's arm around his shoulders and practically carried him into the cabin. He went straight for the bathroom. A boy from 1-B lifted his eyebrow as Kacchan dragged him into a stall. Izuku blushed, but Kacchan didn't react beyond giving the boy a warning glare.

"Do your thing. I'll go get your fucking toothbrush."

Izuku's face flushed a deep red, but he managed to use the bathroom by himself. He even made it to the sink and was halfway through washing his violently shaking hands by the time Kacchan returned.

"I can do it," Izuku protested, afraid Kacchan would want to brush his teeth for him.

Kacchan gave him a narrow-eyed glare. "Just hurry up."

Izuku brushed his teeth, but to his utter horror, he needed help getting changed. He just couldn't lift his legs or arms that high. Kacchan snorted, smug at being right, and got him into the stall again. With gentle hands, he sat Izuku on the toilet-seat lid and stripped him naked.

"You smell funny," he remarked.

"Mandalay put some kind of ointment on me," Izuku explained, still blushing.

Kacchan nodded and helped him into loose sleep pants and a white cotton shirt with a picture of a cartoon explosion splashed across the front. Izuku smiled at seeing it. He'd bought it because it reminded him of Kacchan's quirk.

Izuku staggered like a drunk back to the room and would have fallen if it weren't for the strong arm hooked around his waist. He saw that Hitoshi was the only one in the room. His friend was already fast asleep. Kacchan eased him down onto his futon. Eyes falling closed, Izuku murmured, "Help Aoyama, kay?"

Soft and far away, like the slow whoosh of the ocean on sand, he heard Kacchan answer, "I've got it. Now sleep, nerd."

…

Katsuki went back out to the tables. A lot of the extras had already started clean-up, but Red had saved his bowl and even got him an extra one just in case. "Thanks," Katsuki said grudgingly and sat down.

"Of course class A thinks they should be waited on hand and foot," a sickeningly sweet voice said from behind him. "Shall I take that for you, sir?"

Katsuki turned with a teeth-baring smile. "Sure." And tossed his now empty bowl on top of the others Monoma was carrying. The blond gave him a cold look, but Katsuki simply smirked. _Come at me, bitch, _he thought savagely. His hands hurt like fuck, but that didn't mean he couldn't kick the asshole to death.

"Keep walking, Monoma," Carrot snapped, coming up behind the little shit.

The blond sighed and gave them a fake-ass smile. "Of course. I'd never shirk my responsibilities."

Katsuki ignored him and started on the extra bowl Kirishima had saved for him.

"Deku okay?" Uraraka asked worriedly. She looked pathetic.

"Sleeping finally, thank fuck," Katsuki told her.

She smiled, relieved. "You should go in to sleep, too, Aoyama," she said kindly.

"Can't move," Frenchy said pathetically into the tabletop.

Well, shit, Deku wasn't kidding. Katsuki went to stand up, but Kirishima waved him off.

"I've got this, man!" he said cheerfully. He hooked an arm under the blond's and hoisted him to his feet. "Up you get, twinkle toes."

"It's Can't Stop Twinkling," Frenchy corrected weakly.

Katsuki snorted at the dumbass name.

Kirishima laughed. "Don't know about that, man. Looking kinda dull to me."

"Can you help me, Bakugo?" Pinky called. She was standing with Ponytail. They were trying to carry the big ass pot to the kitchen.

Katsuki practically inhaled the rest of the curry and burped before trotting over. "Move over, you losers," he told them, mostly to see the sour look on Ponytail's face when he did. With a smirk, he hefted the huge pot up onto his shoulder.

Clean up took less than thirty minutes with everyone helping out. It was just past seven thirty, but Izuku and Braindead weren't the only two completely wiped from training. A few went in to sleep and a few others went to soak some more in the hot spring. The girls disappeared into their rooms to do who knows what while the rest of the 1-A boys ended up in the lobby so as not to wake up the ones who were sleeping. A few of the 1-B boys joined them.

"Let's play a game," Pikachu suggested. He was lying across the arms of an armchair, his head hanging almost completely upside down. He still looked like crap, but at least he was coherent.

"I challenge you guys to Truth or Dare!" a brown-haired 1-B boy suggested. "Class B versus Class A. We'll keep points. If you pass on a truth or a dare, the other team gets a point."

Katsuki wouldn't normally play some dumbass game with a bunch of extras, but three of the five 1-B boys sitting out here were the three who had cornered Izuku in the bathroom. Monoma clearly had it out for him, and he wanted to get this fucking confrontation over with and put those assholes in their place once and for all. The other two looked pretty average, one with black hair spiked up with a wide blue and white headband tied around his forehead and the other with short brown hair and small black irises in the whites of his eyes.

On the 1-A side, there was Shoji, Kirishima, Todoroki, Sero, Kaminari, and Katsuki.

"First team to three wins," Katsuki suggested, leaning forward. "We don't have all night to beat your fucking asses."

"Bring it on, asshole," the boy with the headband snapped, a competitive grin stretching his lips.

"Bakugo," Monoma drawled, mirror-like eyes glinting. "Truth or Dare."

Katsuki bared his teeth and did what he knew no one was expecting. "Truth." He wasn't stupid enough to put himself in the power of that fucking asshole. He'd have him kneel at his feet or some shit like that. Fuck that!

Monoma blinked, but then his smile widened. "Did you kill that guy in the park on purpose or was it really an accident like the media played it?"

Katsuki held that cruel gaze and answered truthfully. "I don't do accidents."

The air between their groups became charged, and Pikachu clapped his hands. "Tsuburaba," he called with forced cheer. "Truth or Dare?"

The boy with the headband was quick to say, "Dare."

Kaminari grinned and dared him to dance for sixty seconds.

Boys from both sides laughed as the teen moved to the center of the floor and began to dance. He was shit at it, but he was laughing with them. The praying mantis was quick to call out the next player.

"Todoroki, truth or dare?"

Wisely, Todoroki answered, "Dare." He had way too many truths to keep hidden.

"I dare you to sneak up to the second floor and steal something from the teachers."

After an awed moment of silence, Todoroki crossed to the stairs on silent feet.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. He'd known these losers would come up with shitty ass dares, but this was getting really fucking boring. "Asshole. Truth or dare?"

"Todoroki isn't back yet," the brown-haired 1-B extra protested.

"So?" Katsuki growled impatiently. "We're just going to wait here like idiots until he gets back? We'll know if he won or lost in a bit. In the meantime, let's fucking play."

"Dare, of course. _I'm_ not a coward," Monoma drawled pointedly, holding Katsuki's gaze in challenge.

Katsuki bared his teeth in a grin. "I dare you to write my name on the floor with your tongue."

There was dead silence and then Pikachu and Tape-boy burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, that's priceless!" Sero cackled.

Kaminari was laughing so hard he was crying.

"Well, asshole, are you gonna do it?" Katsuki demanded.

The blond got up from his chair and got stiffly to his knees. Bending forward, he put his tongue to the hardwood floor, spelling 'Bakugo'. He shot Katsuki a venomous glare as soon as he was done and got back into his seat.

"Kaminari," the boy with pitch black skin said. "Truth or dare?"

Pikachu was still red in the face from laughing so hard. "Dare!"

"I dare you to give Bakugo a zap," the teen drawled.

Katsuki saw Kaminari's smile fall and his eyes go wide. "Don't you dare fucking pass," he growled.

Smiling nervously, Pikachu reached over and grabbed Katsuki's wrist. The electricity was hot and sharp. Katsuki's whole body jerked, his muscles spasming sharply. It only lasted a second, but his wrist was red and swollen and his short, coarse hair stood more on end than normal.

"Fuuuuck," he groaned.

"Sorry, man!" Pikachu said quickly.

"I'm fucking fine," he snapped and shook out his arms.

"You," Kirishima pointed at the boy with black skin, clearly trying for revenge. He flashed his pointed teeth in a smile. "Truth or dare?"

"My name's Kurojiro, and dare if you think you can manage a good one," the boy said calmly.

"Take you socks off with your teeth," Kirishima decreed.

"Do you have a foot fetish?" The teen got on the floor and grinned his mouth a sharp slash that appeared out of perfect black. "Wicked. I like it." He laughed and proceeded to take off his socks with his mouth.

It was as the boys were laughing as Kurojiro stood triumphant with a sock hanging from his lips that Todoroki returned with Pixie-Bob's blue hair ribbon.

"Holy shit," headband boy breathed with wide eyes. "You really fucking did it?"

"Woah, Todoroki, you snuck into Pixie-Bob's room?" Sero gushed awed. "That is _epic_!"

"Way to be a man!" Kirishima crowed and slapped Todoroki's back so hard the teen had to take a step to catch his balance.

Glaring at him, Todoroki returned to his seat on the couch.

"You. Arms," headband boy called.

"Shoji," the masked teen corrected.

"I dare you to make two mouths and have them make out!"

"Oh damn," Sero gasped awed.

"Pass," Shoji said easily.

"Point for us," Monoma drawled, grinning.

"You," Todoroki pointed to the praying mantis boy with two blades sticking out to his mouth. "Truth or dare?"

"Kamakiri," the teen drawled, crossing his arms with a look of utter confidence. "Dare."

Todoroki gave him a level look, expression completely blank. "I dare you to let me freeze your body for sixty seconds and then jump into the hot spring."

"Ohhhh!" Sero cried, slapping Todoroki's shoulder.

Kirishima grinned. "That's gonna burn, man."

"That's fucking harsh," headband boy said, but his tone was impressed not jugemental.

"Pass," Kamakiri spat, glaring heatedly.

Katsuki smirked. "One-one."

"Sero, truth or dare?" the brown-haired boy called with a smile.

"Dare," Tape-boy answered nervously.

"I dare you to put tape on Bakugo's eyebrow and rip it off!"

Sero stared with wide-eyed horror at Katsuki while Kaminari and Kirishima howled with laughter.

"Bring it on, loser," Katsuki growled and got up from the couch, marching over to where Tape-boy was sitting.

"No way! Not-ah!" Sero waved his arms widely about. "Pass!"

"You lost us another point, dickhead!" Katsuki yelled and kicked him in the shin.

"You'll wake up and see it in the morning and you'll kill me!" Sero protested, eyes watering from the kick. He pulled his leg to his chest and held the spot protectively.

"Two-one," Monoma announced smugly.

"Awase!" Sero yelled and pointed at the boy with the stupid headband. It was clear he wanted revenge. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Awase said with a smug grin.

"You got this, Sero!" Kaminari called, laughing.

"Make it good, man," Kirishima encouraged, bumping the teen's shoulder. "Tie us up!"

"Of all the girls in both of our classes," Sero said in glee. "Who would you want to make out with most?"

"Yaoyorozu," Awase said promptly, completely unashamed. "She's hot as hell and really cool. You guys are so fucking lucky to have her in your class."

Of course this led to loud exclamations and laughter.

"Okay, okay," Monoma drawled, flapping his hands. Then, grinning like a shark, he asked, "Kirishima, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Kirishima cried out boldly and jumped to his feet. "Bring it on!"

"I dare you to make out with one of Shoji's mouths."

"Oh, man, that's so gay!" headband boy cried and thew one of the pillows on the couch at his friend.

"Gross!" Kamakiri made a disgusted face. "Monoma, come on."

Katsuki shot them both nova hot glares of rage, but before he could cuss them out, Kirishima yelled brazenly, "I'll totally kiss one of his mouths! Shoji, you cool with that?"

There were shocked cries and catcalls, and Octopus-boy's cheeks turned red above the line of the mask that covered the lower half of his face. A mouth formed at the end of one of his tentacles and Kirishima landed a big, closed-mouthed kiss on the fleshy lips.

"Oh my god!" the brown-haired boy from 1-B fell over laughing.

"I can't believe you did that!" headband boy said, looking awed.

"He's a friend! It's not that big a deal." Kirishima shrugged and sat down, a faint blush on his cheeks for all his bluster.

"Tsuburaba!" Pikachu called, grinning. "Truth or dare?"

"The dares are getting crazy," the brown-haired boy said with a shake of his head. "I'll go with truth."

Kaminari pouted. "I had a good one, too!"

"Ask him something embarrassing!" Sero encouraged.

"Hmmmmm…" Kaminari sat straight up and cried, "Tell the story of when you knew you first wanted to be a hero!"

"Really?" Katsuki rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, bored as fuck. "Tell us a story? So fucking lame."

"I was in preschool. I was playing on a playground with my friends. There was this little girl, smaller than me, and she climbed up to the top of the jungle gym. When she got to the top, she started crying. She was too scared to get down. All my friends started laughing, and I got really mad all of a sudden. I climbed right up there and helped her get down. She gave me this big hug and thanked me, and I knew I wanted to be a hero."

"That's so manly," Kirishima said, impressed.

"Such a sap," Awase teased and slapped Tsuburaba's shoulder.

"Bakugo's turn again." Monoma grinned. "Bakugo. Truth or dare?"

"You just asked Kirishima truth or dare!" Kaminari protested.

"We didn't make rules about how many times you can be the one to challenge the other team, did we?" the asshole asked sweetly. "It's two to one and class B is in the lead, so I'd understand if you want to quit now to save face."

"Dare, asshole," Katsuki growled.

Serene, as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, Monoma calmly ordered, "I dare you to stand with your hands against the wall for sixty seconds."

Even the 1-B boys were giving the blond weird looks.

"But that's so easy!" Kaminari said, confused.

Katsuki felt rage burn white-hot in his core. Monoma knew. Somehow that motherfucker knew about his mother. Heart pumping hard, Katsuki almost walked away, but Red, Pikachu, and Tape-boy were crowing like idiots about how easy it was. He couldn't fucking back down now!

"Enough, Monoma," Todoroki snapped.

"Dude, what's the problem?" headband boy protested. "Your boy had Monoma licking the fucking floor!"

Face twisted in a snarl, Katsuki marched over to the wall. His tender palms popped, but he shut that shit down real fast before his hands touched the wood. His body remembered the consequence of leaving marks on the wall.

"What's your problem?" Todoroki demanded from behind him.

"It's an easy dare," the asshole protested nice and easy.

"Chill out, Todoroki," Tape-boy said, voice tense. "He's right. It is an easy one."

"Yeah, at least he didn't have to kiss Monoma's toes or something," Pikachu agreed.

"Hey, what are you doing?" that was Red, tone uneasy.

And then there came the crack of a belt snapping in the air.

It didn't strike him. It came nowhere near him, but Katsuki fucking lost it. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" he roared and practically leapt the distance between him and the blond.

Katsuki punched the smug look right off his fucking face and then they were on the ground, Katsuki straddling the asshole's waist. He drew his fist back to punch him again when Knife-face tackled Katsuki from the side. Everyone was yelling.

Katsuki twisted and flipped their positions, yanking the praying mantis's arm up behind his back in a painful hold. Then Red was on Katsuki, wrapping him in a bone crushing hug, holding him in place and pinning his arms to his side. Monoma came up on his knees snarling, nose bleeding all over the place, and punched Katsuki in the face. Katsuki had turned his head before the impact so caught the punch mostly on his cheek instead of his nose or eye.

Todoroki tackled the asshole and socked him right in the mouth.

"ENOUGH!" Vlad King bellowed.

Everyone froze except Katsuki who was still trying to yank out of Kirishima's hold.

"What's going on here?"

"That asshole's been asking for it since we got on the fucking bus!" Katsuki spat. "I'll kill him!"

"Bakugo!" Aizawa barked, then he turned his eyes to the calmest of them. "Shoji, explain!"

A mouth formed really quick on the end of a tentacle to explain. "We were playing Truth or Dare. Monoma took it too far."

"What did he do that would justify putting hands on him?" Vlad King demanded furiously.

"He asked if Bakugo killed that serial killer on purpose!" Kaminari pipped up, talking fast with nerves. "And then he dared him to put his hands on the wall. It didn't seem like a big deal, but then he cracked his belt and Bakugo went nuts!"

"Bakugo, Monoma, with me," Aizawa ordered, eyes glittering with rage.

"Everyone else to bed! NOW!" Vlad King barked.

Kirishima slowly let him go. Katsuki was so furious he was panting, but he stayed still. The rest of the boys scrambled down the hallway to the dorm. Aizawa marched outside. Katsuki glared bloody murder at the blond asshole before turning and stomping out of the room after his teacher.

Aizawa stopped a good twenty feet from the cabin, arms crossed, waiting. Katsuki came to a stop in front of him, still steaming mad. Vlad and Monoma walked up a minute later. Vlad opened his mouth to say something, but Aizawa slashed his hand through the air, his eyes glowing red and his hair lifting as he activated his quirk.

"I don't know how you found out about the abuse Bakugo survived at home," Aizawa said, voice low and threatening. "But no amount of childish rivalry is enough to justify a _hero candidate_ wielding such a devastating weapon against a peer. To _knowingly_ pressure a student into reenacting the abuse he's suffered as a child is _reprehensible_."

"Child abuse?" Vlad King gasped and looked at Katsuki with horror.

"The hell you looking at?" Katsuki snarled. Aizawa's hand landed on his shoulder and Katsuki yanked away, glaring hotly. The hell was Aizawa doing spewing his business every-fucking-where?!

Aizawa continued, voice sharp with anger. "A hero, Neito Monoma, overcomes adversity with their own strength, not by tearing their rivals down so it _appears_ they are stronger. If I had the power, you'd be expelled right this minute, but we'll have to wait for Principal Nezu's decision on the matter."

"Expelled?" Monoma sputtered. "It was a harmless prank! I didn't even hurt him! And he's the one who's constantly tearing people down! He's constantly spewing hateful comments and picking fights!"

"And that right there is why you should be expelled," Aizawa hissed furiously. "Your utter refusal to acknowledge your failings. You've antagonized Bakugo since the bus, don't think I didn't see it! You went into that game tonight with the intention of starting trouble, and now that it's here, you want to backpedal and not take any responsibility!"

"He's right, Monoma," Vlad rumbled. "I've warned you at length where following these cruel impulses will take you. You're not showing the qualities of a hero when you make the choice to break someone down."

"But, sensei!" Monoma cried, outraged. "He _killed_ someone! He's always putting everyone down! I can't stand seeing how he walks around like he owns the place just because he has a strong quirk! He's no hero!"

"If you really wanted to prove him wrong, then you would show him what you think a hero is, not resort to this _bullying,_" Aizawa snapped coldly. "You escaped punishment against my recommendation when you assaulted Midoriya in the bathroom. Vlad King spoke on your behalf and Principal Nezu was lenient because your mother had just died. Tonight, you went too far."

"But!" Monoma looked pale in the dark, eyes wide and filling with tears.

"You are suspended from training." Aizawa's words came down like a hammer, unrelenting. "You will not leave the cabin under any circumstance. You will move out of the common room and stay on the second floor where we can keep and eye on you. You will not communicate with your classmates. If you fail on any of these points, you will only increase your chance of expulsion once we return to school. Do you understand me, Neito Monoma?"

"Y-yes, sir," the boy whispered.

Aizawa's eyes flashed to Katsuki. "If you approach Monoma after this night, you will join him in his suspension. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Katsuki snarled, hands curled into painful fists at his side.

Aizawa turned back to the asshole. "I want to know how you found out about Bakugo's circumstances and I want to know now."

Monoma locked his jaw defiantly.

"The principal will also be informed of your refusal to obey a direct order," Aizawa warned, but still Monoma didn't say anything.

"Vlad, escort him to his common room so he can pack his things and then take him upstairs," Aizawa ordered.

Vlad sighed and guided Monoma by the shoulder back into the cabin.

"The fuck you doing saying all that shit?!" Katsuki demanded, wheeling on Aizawa.

Aizawa stood his ground. "Monoma already knew, and it was pretty obvious what happened. Vlad King would have figured it out once he was given time to think about it. I had to address it now to ensure Monoma received the consequences he deserved."

Katsuki realized he was breathing hard and forced himself to take a deep breath. "Fuck," he growled and took another deep breath. "Fuck," he said again, more calmly. Aizawa stood with him, saying nothing as he shut his shit down. Eventually he was breathing normally again. "This has been a really long ass day," he said, suddenly exhausted. To Katsuki's utter shock, Aizawa pulled him into a hug!

"Don't worry about Monoma. I'll handle it. Get some sleep, Katsuki," his teacher said softly, releasing him. Dark eyes met Katsuki's wide ones. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Yeah, thanks," Katsuki muttered awkwardly and watched as his teacher made his way back inside. All he could think was, _What the fuck?_ He very purposefully didn't think about the way he hadn't pulled away from that hug.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n**: It was an exhausting day for the boys, and I'm feeling just as exhausted with them! lol

I promise not every day at camp will be narrated in such detail. I just wanted to do the first day this way so readers have a good understanding of what their life at the camp is like before I started to skip ahead.

_* shakes out sore hands *_ Let me know what you think! A lot happened, so … Yeah! Looking forward to hearing from you!


	52. Chapter 52

**Summer Camp Montage**

_Day One Night:_

Kirishima was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. His heart was still pounding. He couldn't believe the shit that had gone down.

"I just… don't know what happened, man," Kaminari said quietly from beside him. He looked pale and upset. "What was that all about?"

Kirishima sighed. Kaminari meant well, but sometimes he was just so oblivious. The sad part was Kaminari knew he was missing something. Something everyone else had caught on to if the look in Shoji and Sero's eyes and the very uncharacteristic rage in Todoroki's was anything to go by, and he desperately wanted to understand.

"Look." Kirishima spat toothpaste out of his mouth and turned to his friend. They were the only ones in the bathroom at the moment, but he couldn't count on that being true for long. "Don't go running your mouth about this, but it looked like…" He took a deep breath, his hand clenching painfully around the edge of the sink. "Bakugo had been hit with a belt in that position before. That's why he freaked. It probably happened when he was little, okay?"

He stared intently into Kaminari's golden eyes, praying the blond didn't actually make him say it out loud. That Bakugo, their loud-mouthed, profanity-spewing, rage-monster, had been abused as a kid. That he'd been hurt, maybe even many times, probably by his own family.

"Oh," the blond said softly. He looked devastated by the explanation. "Oh."

"Yeah." Kirishima grabbed his toiletry bag rougher than he had to and left Kaminari alone in the bathroom. He finally knew the secret behind why Bakugo was living with Aizawa, and it broke his fucking heart.

…

_Day Two Morning:_

Izuku's alarm went off at four, but it took him several tries to actually reach out his arm and turn it off. Tears burned his eyes, his body stiff, muscles locked into knots of agony. Biting back groans, he managed to somehow get on his knees. A strong hand bumped into his shoulder, followed it up, and squeezed tightly at the back of his neck. Izuku whimpered, tears burning down his cheeks.

"Shhh," Kacchan hushed him, voice rough and scratchy with sleep. "I've got you."

With Kacchan's help, he managed to get on his feet, grab his yoga clothes, and get to the bathroom. Izuku blinked in the harsh light and moved toward the sink only to freeze as he caught sight of Kacchan's reflection in the mirror. Turning like a creaky old man, he nonetheless managed to grab Kacchan's arm and looked carefully at his face.

"What happened?" he asked curiously. Kacchan's cheek was bruised and swollen. The eye was a bit puffy as well, but it didn't look like it'd become a shiner.

Kacchan gave him a grumpy glare, still not fully awake. "Fuck. Not now, Deku." And he stomped into the bathroom.

Sleepily, Izuku followed his lead and got ready for their morning workout.

"We're going to the lake," Kacchan stated as they stepped outside. "After yoga, I'm gonna swim while you mediate."

"Okay," Izuku agreed easily, still feeling like his joints were clotted with rust. It didn't matter to him where they practiced.

Izuku started his alarm and they moved together through the positions. They didn't find the perfect rhythm this time. Izuku was too stiff and sore to move fluidly, and he could sense some kind of tension running through Kacchan that kept them just out of synch.

When the last chime sounded, Izuku opened his eyes and stared across at his boyfriend. He felt much better, still sore but no longer stiff and rusted. He gave Kacchan his full attention. "Tell me," he asked softly.

"It's no big deal," Kacchan snapped, getting to his feet.

Izuku was starting to get worried. He hadn't thought much of the bruise. Kacchan liked getting into fights and training hard, but this reaction was telling him something completely different had happened, so he stayed sitting cross-legged, giving Kacchan the higher ground.

"Then tell me," he encouraged.

"We were playing fucking Truth or Dare," Kacchan spat, eyes narrowed. "And that Monoma bitch dared me to put my hands on the fucking wall for a minute. He'd already been messing with me, making Pikachu shock me and grilling me about killing that fucking psycho. I knew it was fucking coming, but I still lost my shit when he cracked his belt. Came nowhere near me, but I fucking snapped and leapt on him. Turned into a fist fight." A sharp grin slashed across Kacchan's pale face, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You should see the asshole's face. Got decked twice, once by me and once by IcyHot."

Izuku kept his expression attentive, but inside he felt cold. Monoma had done _WHAT?!_

"He's suspended now or some shit," Kacchan informed him. "Got taken out of their room and moved upstairs with the teachers. He's not allowed to talk to any of us or participate in the training." Rolling his powerful shoulders, he cracked his neck. "I'm done wasting time on this shit." Then he dove into the lake and began swimming hard for the other shore.

Izuku sat there stunned. "You're never a waste of time," he whispered after him.

Needless to say, his mediation didn't go very well that morning. All he could think about was punching Monoma's smug face.

…

Todoroki hadn't slept well. Even with physical and quirk exhaustion. He kept seeing Bakugo standing with his back to the room, hands pressed to the wall at shoulder height. He'd noticed the unconscious lowering of his friend's head and the way his shoulders had hunched up, all to protect his vulnerable neck as much as he could without outright defending himself. When the snap of the belt cracked across his ears and Bakugo had actually flinched…

Todoroki shook his head, forcing his exhausted mind to focus. He crept out of the dark room on silent feet and quickly - as quickly as his sore body would allow him, anyway - got ready for the day. Expression blank, he padded down the hall and turned into the cafeteria. Just as he'd suspected, Monoma had been put to work. He was with Tiger in the kitchen.

Todoroki strode over, expression perfectly serene, hiding the clash of cold rage and burning fury. "Good morning. Can I get a glass of juice, please?" he asked politely, timing his request for when Tiger was flipping the bacon.

"Monoma, put the juice out," the hero called distractedly.

Monoma obediently turned and went to the refrigerator. He grabbed a huge pitcher, needing both hands to carry it, and brought it to the counter where Todoroki was standing.

"I wonder…" he said in a whisper so only the other boy would hear him. "What were you protecting last night? What were you saving?" When Monoma simply glared at him, cold rage made Todoroki's words sharp as blade of ice. "That's what I thought. You're _no_ hero."

Monoma staggered back, eyes wide as Todoroki turned and stalked away.

…

_Day Two After Lunch:_

Izuku found Hitoshi lying in the grass with an arm over his eyes just like the day before. A furtive look back at the the rest area showed Tiger still there straightening things. "Hitoshi." His legs practically collapsed under him as he sat next to his friend. "I kind of want you to do something against the rules, but it's for a good cause!" he whispered, quickly. "If you don't want to risk it, I'm not going to be mad or anything. I could just really use your help."

Hitoshi moved his arm to look up at him. "Breathe," he said dryly.

Izuku took a quick breath, but he knew he didn't have a lot of time. "During a game of Truth or Dare, Monoma dared Kacchan to do something that's related to his past. Something that should be secret. I need to know how he knew that kind of information. It's important."

Hitoshi gave him a level look. "Is that why Monoma's being punished?"

"Yeah." Izuku nodded and nervously picked at the grass. "I know it's weighing on Kacchan's mind, even if he doesn't say so." Green eyes earnest, he assured his friend, "I'll totally understand if you don't think it's worth the risk."

"But you're going to still try and get it out of him even if I say no," Hitoshi guessed correctly.

Izuku nodded without hesitation. "Yes."

Hitoshi sighed and put his arm back over his eyes. "I'll do it."

Izuku flung himself over his friend's chest to hug the teen. "Thank you, Hitoshi."

…

_Day Two Late Afternoon:_

Hitoshi waited for Tiger to take Izuku into the woods to work on his quirk. That left him and Shishida alone to finish the workout they'd been assigned. It was the perfect time to sneak off and have a 'chat' with Monoma. The only problem was Ragdoll. Her quirk told her where everyone was, but he had to gamble that she wouldn't pay attention to anyone back at the cabin.

Falling to his knees with a groan, he grimaced and gasped, looking up at Shishida with watery eyes. "Cramp…. I'm going… back to… cabin…" he sputtered out.

The boy hardly reacted. With arms shaking like crazy, he was desperately trying to finish the assigned push-ups.

Hitoshi staggered into the woods. As soon as he was out of sight, his gait smoothed out some, but only a little. The cramp may have been faked, but he still hurt like hell. Only the memory of imploring green eyes made him push threw the pain.

He'd seen Monoma that morning. He'd been working in the kitchen with Tiger, helping prepare breakfast, so that meant the blond was being assigned chores. In a few hours, they'd be outside cooking their own dinners, so he guessed the boy would be doing some more food prep. Sure enough, Hitoshi found Monoma in the cafeteria. He looked worn down, his eyes red-rimmed, his nose fat and bruised. His lips were swollen, too, and the bottom one was scabbed from being split open.

"Heard what you did to Bakugo," Hitoshi said casually, coming to lean on the counter to help take the weight off his burning legs. His expression remained perfectly composed, showing none of his physical discomfort.

"I'm not allowed to talk to you," Monoma responded without looking over, his voice monotone.

"Just wanted to compliment you on your work," Hitoshi said innocently. "Bakugo needed to be taken down a few pegs."

Monoma ignored him and continued rinsing what seemed like a small mountain of potatoes.

"Come on," Hitoshi said softly, tone persuasive. "You can tell me. How'd you know how to break him?"

"Leave me al— "

Hitoshi sighed, wishing it hadn't come to this. "Why are you being punished?"

"Bully. Bakugo hands against wall. Crack belt. Abused," Monoma answered, words fragmented, the brainwashing affecting his language centers.

Expression hardening, Hitoshi asked, "How did you know about the abuse?"

"Brother. Police file." came the robotic response.

"Good boy," Hitoshi purred, pleasure glinting in his eyes as his quirk clamped down even harder on Monoma's mind. "Now, you're going to forget I brainwashed you."

The blond blinked rapidly, eyes watering.

Hitoshi smiled and held up his hands innocently. "Fine. I'll leave you alone. Sorry for bothering you."

Monoma watched him go, but before he'd gone too far the blond asked, "You really think he deserved to be taken down a bit?"

Hitoshi turned back around to face the boy. "He deserves to have his ego deflated, yes, but… He didn't deserve what you did." He turned and walked out.

"I only allowed that because I needed that information."

Hitoshi spun, heart in his throat, and found Aizawa standing against the wall next to the cafeteria. Immediately his expression went blank.

"Your classmates gave verbal consent for you to use your quirk on them while supervised in order for you to practice," Aizawa continued, eyes hard and unblinking. "Technically, that agreement hasn't been broken as I was supervising, but this is a slippery slope, Shinso. Your quirk comes with more responsibility attached than others. The line between hero and villain is a lot thinner for you."

"I'm aware," Hitoshi answered calmly.

Aizawa nodded. "Then get back to training."

…

Aizawa watched the lanky teen go, wondering if he'd done the right thing. On one hand, Shinso had been respectful and efficient when he'd used his quirk to interrogate Monoma. He may have violated the boy's free will, but that was the nature of his quirk. There was no avoiding that moral transgression. On the other hand, he'd damaged the teen's short-term memory and had used his quirk without authorization.

Aizawa shook himself and made his way up to the second floor where they kept the satellite phone. He would just have to keep a close eye on the boy, make sure he didn't begin to go down a dark path.

"_Hello, listener! You're live with Present Mic!"_

"I need you to do some research for me," Aizawa said, cutting to the chase. "Neito Monoma. Apparently he has a brother connected to the police. He came into some confidential information, and I want to know how."

"_On it, now give me some love!"_

"You're the best," Aizawa obediently recited, voice completely monotone.

"_Awwwwwwww!"_ Hizashi practically squealed and then gave a sing-songed, _"I know!"_, before hanging up.

…

_Day Three Morning:_

Katsuki stood as the last chime of Izuku's phone sounded. He swung his arms, checking his shoulder joints. They felt good, nice and warmed up.

"I asked Hitoshi to find out how Monoma knew."

Katsuki's calm mood shattered and he glared at the nerd. "The hell?"

Izuku got to his feet, facing him. "I think his brother is a police officer and Monoma somehow got your file. Aizawa knows. He's looking into it."

"I don't need your fucking help!" Katsuki snapped, furious.

"I just wanted you to know," Izuku said softly, watching him. "I promise to let it go now. As long as he doesn't do anything else."

Katsuki snarled and spun on his heel, heading toward the water. "I'm going fucking swimming."

"Me, too."

Katsuki spun back around to face him. "The hell you are! You're going to fucking meditate!"

Izuku looked up at him through his dark green bangs. "I really miss you, Kacchan," he said with soft honesty. "But if you want to swim alone, I understand."

Katsuki held his scowl for a minute, but he couldn't resist that fucking look on Izuku's face. He huffed and turned back to the water. "Fine, but if you drown, I'm not going to fucking save your ass."

Izuku actually laughed at that. "Don't worry, Kacchan. I'll make sure to stay in front of you so you can keep an eye on me."

Katsuki immediately felt a surge of competitiveness take over. It was hot and pulsing, washing everything else from his mind "First one to the other side wins," he growled and dove in.

Izuku was right at his heels. Katsuki pushed himself, stretching as far as he could and pulling at the water hard. They swam as fast as they could for just over twenty minutes. Katsuki's muscles burned, his lugs ached, the cool water heavy on his overheated skin. They were almost to the other side, and he was still in the lead. Triumph sizzled under his skin, and then…

Izuku shot past him and beat him to the shore.

Katsuki came snarling out of the water. He ran through the shallows and tackled Izuku, pinning him in the mud where he belonged. "YOU FUCKING CHEATER!" he roared

Flushed and happy, Izuku grinned up at him. "We never said no quirks."

"You're such a little shit," he growled, straddling the idiot's waist.

In answer, Izuku flung his muddy arms around Katsuki's shoulders and kissed him, thrusting his tongue into Katsuki's mouth.

The mud squelched around their hips, the cool water lapping at their legs. Katsuki groaned, the heat of his anger flaring into lust as Izuku's needy hands tugged at his hair. Growling, Katsuki sucked, _hard_, on Izuku's tongue. A surge of green-static and Izuku rolled them in an easy, fluid movement so that Katsuki was lying flat on his back under him.

"The hell?" he demanded, breathless.

Green eyes practically glowed down at him. "Let me take care of you."

Katsuki felt his face burn as Izuku slipped his hand under his waistband and grabbed him with a muddy fist. It should have been gross as hell, but the cool squish of the mud felt disturbingly amazing on his burning hot cock. Katsuki decided maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he let Izuku have his way with him.

Izuku hummed and spread his knees, getting a more stable foundation to work. Of course, that meant Katsuki's thighs were spread, too. Exposed and turned on, Katsuki clung to Izuku's shoulders, wide-eyed and burning with adrenaline.

"Fuck," he gasped as Izuku's hand worked on his cock, each pump down ending in an obscene squelch that lit his blood on fucking fire.

Izuku was staring down at him, mouth parted, cheeks flushed as he watched Katsuki come apart, and, shit, if that didn't do things to him, too. "So fucking dirty," he moaned. He grabbed Izuku's wrist, making him go harder, faster. He felt his balls draw up. "Fuck, yeah…_ahh!_ Just like that, Izu, _fuuuuuck!_"

Katsuki let Izu take his mouth in a burning kiss, he'd let him do anything as long as Izuku's fist didn't stop. He was grunting, breaths hitching, and Izuku swallowed every noise, taking them into his own body. Eyes rolling in his head, Katsuki arched and exploded. Cum shot across his chest, again and again, each pulse sending him higher. It was like being consumed, swallowed, exploded, and his body gave over to spasms as wave after wave crashed over him.

Katsuki shuddered as it became too much and lazily knocked Izuku's hand away from his softening dick. He lay boneless and panting, arms and legs splayed as Izuku stared down at him, flushed and happy, adoration shining in his eyes.

"Was it good, Kacchan?" he asked softly, innocently.

Katsuki shot him a weak glare, still breathless. "The hell do you think, nerd?"

Izuku bent forward to place a sweet kiss on the corner of his lips. "I love you, Kacchan."

"Love you, too, nerd," he rasped and reached for Izuku's waistband.

"No." Izuku blocked his hand with a smile. "I'm good. You can get me back later. We need to get back. Breakfast will start soon."

Katsuki sat up, feeling a hundred pounds lighter. "No fucking quirk this time," he protested.

Izuku shook his head sheepishly. "I might actually drown if I don't use it."

Katsuki stared at him for a minute. Izuku was covered in mud. It was smeared across one cheek and was clumped in his hair. Katsuki couldn't see any skin or clothes from shoulder down. Just brown mud. He burst out laughing.

"Good thing we have to swim back," he cackled. "Look at you."

"Look at _you_," Izuku countered, but he was laughing, too.

…

_Day Three Lunch:_

"Midoriya, can I talk to you?"

Izuku groaned and lifted his heavy head from his trudge over to the rest area for lunch. Kendo stood in front of him. Sweat dampened her hair and wet her temples. She was pale, her arms and hands shaking from training.

"If you're about to make excuses for what Monoma did…" he began, eyes gone hard.

"No." Kendo shook her head hard. "I wanted to apologize. I'm not sure exactly what happened. The boys are being really tight-lipped about it, but they admitted Monoma started it. I wanted to apologize. I'm…"

"Stop." Izuku started walking, moving past her. "I'm not the one you should apologize to."

"But…"

He turned and saw conflict in her dark blue eyes. Izuku felt something inside him snap. "You're scared of him," he accused furiously. "This right here is part of the problem! It's what let Monoma think he could go as far as he did. Kacchan has never hurt anyone at the school outside of what is allowed in training! He's here working his ass off to be the best fucking hero he can be."

"But…" Kendo backpedaled.

Izuku stalked forward, holding her eyes and getting right in her face. "So he cusses. So the fuck can I! So does Awase in your class. It doesn't mean shit! As for putting people down, he calls people loser and stuff, to challenge himself! He wants you to come at him with everything you have to prove him wrong. And then he'll know if he's strong enough to keep the title he's claimed. The title of the Best!"

"Still…" she tried to say, voice weak and tentative, eyes wide.

Izuku's eyes flashed. "Yeah, okay, it's rude and maybe even misguided, but grow up, Kendo! If you or anyone else doesn't have what it takes to rise above those names, then what are you here for? The life of a hero's going to be hard! The media's going to call us all worse in the course of our careers! So stop making him the villain of your stories! Stop blaming him for you falling short! It has nothing to do with him or what's he's said or the bar he's set! Fix yourself and then fix your class, and then _maybe_ we can talk."

Izuku stood there panting, eyes narrowed into furious slits. A slow clapping started and he whipped his head around to see Hitoshi standing a few feet behind him. Then Ashido and Kaminari joined him in clapping, and Izuku realized they were standing within shouting range of the picnic tables. Which is when he realized he'd been shouting.

Kirishima stood up and began 'woooo'ing him, fist pumping the air. Then Sero and Shoji joined in the clapping, too. Kendo fled, face pale, tears in her eyes, but Izuku didn't feel a lick of regret. Cheeks red with embarrassment, Izuku dragged his feet over to the tables, waving at the others to stop.

Kirishima hit him on the back so hard it sent him flying forward. He collapsed half on the table with a groan of pain. "Sorry, man!" the redhead cried and helped him sit up properly. "But that was so amazing, prez!"

"You didn't have to do that." Kacchan's voice was low and even, surprisingly neutral. Everyone grew quiet as they watched Kacchan stare him down from the end of the table.

"Yes, I did," Izuku said firmly, not backing down.

Red eyes seemed to pierce into him. "It's not a big fucking deal. You know I don't care what people think about me."

"I know," Izuku agreed, still not looking away. "I still had to do it."

After a tense moment, Kacchan shrugged as if he didn't care, but the tops of his cheeks had flushed pink. "Whatever, nerd."

Izuku grinned, feeling on top of the world. Uraraka flashed him a thumbs up and a wink.

…

"I really love that kitten," Pixie-Bob muttered.

Aizawa shot her a wry smile. "He's too young for you," he drawled and got a sharp elbow to the ribs in retaliation.

…

_Day three evening:_

Aizawa stood next to Vlad King as the kids finished the potato beef stew they'd made. Slowly, spoons stopped moving as their tired eyes lifted to them. Aizawa catalogued the varying degrees of exhaustion, noting which kids to push harder, as Vlad talked.

"When it comes to building strength, it's really important to push your limits, to go just a little bit beyond them, but it is also important to rest so that your strength can build on itself. Overworking yourself can have the opposite effect and tear you down."

"Tomorrow we're going to take it easy and go on a rescue mission after lunch!" Pixie-Bob exploded from the back, jumping into the air with her paw raised high.

Vlad King gave her a narrowed look for interrupting. "Tomorrow after lunch, you will be broken into groups led by one of us. We'll take you to a certain terrain where you'll have to rescue a civilian doll from your teacher-leader who will be playing a villain."

"Don't do anything strenuous tomorrow morning. No exercise at all and absolutely no quirk work," Aizawa ordered, knowing a few of his kids had to have it laid out explicitly and clearly in order for them to rest. "Trust me. You're going to need your strength."

Satisfied that the kids understood their instructions, Aizawa made his way into the cabin. He spotted Monoma eating by himself in the cafeteria. Aizawa hoped the isolation would give the boy time to reflect, but he doubted he had the maturity to be productive with time he'd been given.

Climbing the stairs, Aizawa went to his room and picked up the satellite phone.

"_Heeeey, listener! Present Mic here taking song requests until one a.m.!"_

"I already put in my song request," he said, rolling his eyes. "Were you able to dig anything up?"

There was a thoughtful hum._ "As a mater of fact, I did. A classic ballad with all the right tragic notes."_

"I'm listening."

"_Juro Monoma, six year police officer in good standing. Projected to make detective in another four years. Apparently he was assigned the job of consolidating the notes on the Park Killer case. This was around when their mother died from a long-standing illness. He admitted he brought the files home with him a few times because he was afraid he wouldn't meet his deadline. He'd been swamped with hospital visits and funeral arrangements. Little Monoma must have gotten a hold of the info then." _

"Bakugo's interview was in the files?"

"_A transcribed copy. No video or audio," _Present Mic answered. _"Nothing nefarious, Shota. Just a poor guy making an innocent mistake and his bratty little brother taking advantage of it."_

A part of Aizawa wished it had been something bigger. Now there was no target for his frustration and it left him restless. "Still, the League of Villains is on the rise and they have their sights on this generation. I don't want this kind of information to be so easy to obtain. Get the process started to have all information pertaining to these kids treated as classified, so something like this doesn't happen again."

"_I'm on it."_

"Thank you, Hizashi," Aizawa said sincerely. He had no idea what he'd do without his friend.

"_I'll put it on your tab,"_ Present Mic said with a laugh.

Aizawa scowled. "How about we take some points off your tab instead?"

"_Where's the fun in that?" _Present Mic practically purred.

Aizawa snorted and hung up the phone.

…

_Day Four Morning: _

As instructed, Izuku had turned his alarm off and allowed himself to sleep in, but body aches woke him shortly after seven. Sweating from the painful ache, Izuku gasped and groaned as he crawled stiffly to his feet. Limping, he dragged his body into the bathroom. Tears streaked his cheeks as he washed up. The bathroom door opened and Kacchan and Kirishima came in. Kirishima yawned and gave him a smile while Kacchan brought him his yoga clothes.

"Oh my god, thank you," Izuku said sincerely. He'd forgotten them and hadn't wanted to wake anyone by stumbling back through the room to grab his stuff.

Kacchan shrugged and went into a stall to change.

"Kirishima, are you coming out to do yoga with us?" he asked, noticing the teen was wearing clothes similar to him and Kacchan.

"Yeah! Sounds manly!" he said with a grin.

Izuku smiled at him and made a mental adjustment. All Might had been pretty serious about keeping his special routine secret. He shared a look with Kacchan and the blond gave him a nod. They'd come up with a new routine, which was for the best as All Might's yoga was challenging and they were supposed to take it easy.

"Will you take lead?" Izuku asked. He tended to overthink things. Kacchan, on the other hand, moved instinctively and didn't worry about anything else.

Kacchan nodded, swinging his ams as he warmed up.

Izuku smiled, heart expanding with affection. He couldn't help sliding the back of his hand against the blond's hip. Kacchan flashed him a cocky grin and stood in the center of the yard in front of the cabin.

"He's going to start slow and move his way up to more difficult positions," Izuku explained to Kirishima as Kacchan moved through warm-up stretches: a toe touch, half moon both sides, cat-cow, cobra. "Never do anything that feels painful. Only go as far as your body is comfortable, and if a pose is too challenging, you can do poses we've already done or take a break. Usually we do this for an hour."

Kirishima gave him a wide-eyed look. "I never would have guessed Bakugo would be into yoga."

Izuku smiled fondly at his boyfriend. "We both really like it. Helps us center and calm, and it can be a challenge for our bodies, too. Yoga requires a lot of balance, flexibility, and strength."

Used to being on a one-minute timer, the flow had become a part of their natural rhythm now. Izuku couldn't help but admire the fluidity of Kacchan's movements. When Kacchan went into camel on his knees, which were placed shoulder length apart, back curved gracefully backward, arms and head hanging backward, limp, Izuku felt warmth in his belly as he mimicked the move.

Bending backward gave him a good view of the cabin, and he watched as more of their classmates from both classes came out to join them. He gave them a smile and wave. Uraraka smiled back and Ashido waved wildly, clearly hyper from the moment she woke.

As Izuku's body began to warm up, Kacchan began to move into more intermediate positions. They were about thirty minutes in, and a lot of the boys who had joined them began to drop out. Sato and Kaminari fell out of Crane, and Kirishima said, "Oh hell no", and didn't even try Scorpion.

Kacchan flowed like water, arms and face glistening in the light with a sheen of sweat. Izuku could tell he was in the zone, eyes half-lidded, focused more on his body and less on their audience. Side crane right, hold. Side crane left, hold.

Ashido fell out with Uraraka, saying, "Damn, he's bendy. It's not fair!"

"I'm kinda surprised," he heard Uraraka answer quietly. "He's so… peaceful like this."

"And hot," Ahsido chirped.

Izuku heard a slap and bit his lip to keep from laughing, knowing Uraraka had slapped Ashido's arm. Looking to either side, Izuku saw only Tsu, Hagakure, Ojiro, Tokage, and Kurojiro were left moving with them through the advanced poses. The others had fetched breakfast and were eating on the porch as they watched.

Firefly… into Compass left… into Compass right… into Archer left… into Archer right… into King Piegon left… into King Pigeon right… into Lord of Dancers left… into Lord of Dancers right…

When Kacchan moved into Sage Koundinya I, he knew they were finishing up. Izuku sank into the stretch and burn, keeping his breathing slow and deep. Sage Koundinya I left… into Sage Koundinya I right… into Sage Koundinya II left… into Sage Koundinya II right. With a loud exhale, Kacchan folded into Lotus. Kirishim and a few others began clapping from the porch.

"That was amazing, man!" Kirishima called as Kacchan made his way toward the cabin.

"Whatever." Kacchan rolled his eyes.

Izuku smiled at the redhead. "We've been practicing for almost two years. If you put your mind to it, I'm sure you could learn to do it, too."

"Don't you two have any bones?" Ashido demanded as she and Uraraka fell in with them. "I didn't know boys could bend like that!"

"Even the girls couldn't keep up," Sero said, awed.

"Except for Tsu! She's like rubber!" Ashido gushed.

"And Hagakure, but that makes sense as she was a cheerleader up through middle school," Uraraka added.

"Are you idiots going to bother me all breakfast?" Kacchan growled.

"Yep!" Kirishima said with a grin. "Oh, hey! Todoroki's finally up. Todoroki! Man, you missed it. Bakugo and Midoriya were doing this crazy yoga in the yard."

"Tea," Todoroki grunted, hair a mess and clearly not fully awake.

Kirishima laughed. "I would never have guessed you would be so sluggish in the morning."

"Tea," Todoroki repeated and walked past them straight to the drink table.

Kacchan rolled his eyes.

"Where's Hitoshi?" Izuku asked curiously once the two-toned boy joined them.

"Hot spring," Todoroki answered around a yawn.

"That sounds good," Izuku said, but his attention was captured by Kota as the little boy walked into the cafeteria rubbing his eyes sleepily. Even just having woken up, he looked angry, a frown pulling his lips down. He didn't make eye contact with anyone and went straight for the muffins. He grabbed two and a bottle of water before heading out again.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," Izuku told his friends distractedly and hurried after the little boy.

Kota left the cabin completely and made his way into the woods on a thin trail.

"Kota! Hey, uh, can I talk to you?" Izuku called.

The boy turned and gave him an ugly scowl before slipping off the path and disappearing into the woods. Izuku sighed. He stood for a long minute, just staring into the trees, wondering how he could reach out to the boy before turning back and joining his friends.

…

_Day Four Afternoon:_

Katsuki was so ready for this. He rolled his shoulders and they felt good. Izuku was on one side of him, Todoroki on the other. The rest of the two classes were spread out around him. They'd rested and relaxed all morning. Playing card games, listening to music, sitting in the hot springs. Katsuki still felt tired but good. His hands were tender, but not too bad. He was ready to fuck shit up.

"Alright, listen up!" Aizawa called, his tone as serious as they'd ever heard. "We're breaking you guys into six groups. We're going to hike for two hours, and then you're going to be given a rescue mission. You will have a few minutes to prepare a strategy while your group leader gets into position. Take this _seriously_. We will not be holding back. If you get stupid and we hurt you, that's on you." His eyes flashed red and his hair hovered about his face for a minute. "Any team who does not save their civilian will face extra training with me and Vlad King tonight. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" came a near uniform call from both classes.

Pixie-Bob bounced up, her white cat-paw gloves closer to her face. "Midoriya! Bakugo! Kirishima! Todoroki! Shinso! Uraraka! Iida!" She gave a wicked grin. "You kittens are with me!"

Izuku shot Katsuki a smile, happy to be placed together.

"Sweet! We're together!" Kirishima flung an arm around Katsuki's shoulder as they began to march, and he shrugged it off easily.

"Save your breath," Katsuki advised him. "I have a feeling this hike isn't going to be a fucking stroll through the woods."

And he was right. Pixie-Bob practically pranced in front of them, waving her paws in the air. They had to speed walk to keep up, and she didn't stick to the paths. She traipsed through rough underbrush as if it were a paved fucking road. She'd also picked the direction of the mountain so it was all uphill.

Katsuki evaluated his team as they moved. Kirishima was good at defense and boosting morale. He was also good at taking direction, Todoroki was great at long range attacks, Izuku was a good all-rounder, but Cheeks, Braindead, and Glasses might be a problem. Then again, those three were on good terms with Izuku, so maybe the nerd could keep them in line.

As the incline grew steeper and steeper and their pace didn't slow, Katsuki expected either Cheeks and/or Braindead to drop out, but they didn't. By the time Pixie-Bob stopped, they were seriously out of breath, drenched in sweat, and had collapsed to their knees, but they were still with the group.

"Okay, kitties!" Pixie-Bob clapped her paws making a soft _whomp_ sound. "We're here!"

They were in a ravine. The mountain was split here and rose up in two walls, a narrow channel between them, and down that channel there was enough space for one person to walk on either side of a knee-deep stream.

"The water from the stream is clean and safe to drink!" she exclaimed with a bright smile. "I'm going to go through to the other side. I'm a villain and I have a hostage. You have to rescue the hostage, and if you can manage it, capture me." She jumped in place. Her eyes grew bright, her smile hungry. "I won't be holding back, so… Good luck!" She handed Iida seven two-way headsets and bounded off.

Really? That's all they fucking got? Headsets? "Shit," Katsuki groused and crossed his arms. He was staring at the two cliff walls. They were practically smooth. They were going to be hard to climb, and the mountain stretched in either direction, so they couldn't go around. "Well, this is a tactical shit-hole."

"I could climb it," Izuku offered.

Katsuki scowled. "It'll put a serious drain on your energy."

"We could go in through the water," Cheeks suggested. She was already at the water's edge gulping down a few mouthfuls. "It looks pretty deep."

"I could use ice," Todoroki offered. "Like shelves, but they won't last long in this heat."

"Glasses," Katsuki barked. "Run and see if there's a way around this bitch. When you get out of range of the headsets, stop and turn back. Cheeks, get on his channel and do check's with him every few seconds so he knows when he's out of range."

Glasses made a face. "I do not recall electing you leader of this group."

"Iida, we have to work together," Izuku said firmly. "Kacchan is top of the class right next to Yaoyorozu. He's qualified to run the mission."

Katsuki bared his teeth at the idiot, but the prep-school boy finally backed down.

"Very well," Glasses capitulated. "As it seems the rest of you are okay with his leadership." He took a headset for himself and passed the rest over to Uraraka. Then he was shooting off to the right of the ravine, following the wall of the mountain.

"IcyHot," Katsuki said, turning to his friend. "Climb up and see what you can see. Do checks with Braindead over there. Come back if you get out of range."

Todoroki nodded and took two headsets from Cheeks. He put them on a different channel than the other pair and handed one to Braindead. The purple-haired freak sighed, but he accepted the device. Todoroki stomped his foot and a sheet of ice speared out of the mountain side. He climbed up and did it again and again, making his way up the mountain.

"What about me, boss?" Kirishima asked with a shark's grin.

"You're going to take a headset and walk along the river. Stay out of sight of the mouth. Check for traps and surveillance devices. Deku, you're in the water. You're hair is pretty good camouflage. See what you can see, but don't be fucking caught, you hear me, nerd?"

Izuku nodded once, firmly, and he and Kirishima went up the ravine slowly. Katsuki took a headset and set it to Kirishima's channel. He watched the teens make their way closer to the other side, saying, "Check", every few seconds and hearing Kirishima echo back the word. It was about one hundred yards before the ravine opened to the other side.

A few feet from where the sunlight hit the cliff face, Kirishima plastered himself against the wall and crouched down, Izuku going on without him. _"Looks like a glade? Surrounded by cliff faces. Like the inside of a volcano or something,"_ Kirishima's voice said quietly in his ear. _"I can see a waterfall falling on the other side. It's the source of the water in the stream. About a quarter of a mile away? There's a dilapidated cabin or shed or something to the right. Can see the corner of the structure, which is why I stopped. No traps or surveillance that I can see. Besides the waterfall, I can't hear anything. No voices. Don't know if I would. Something's weird about the acoustics in here." _

"Engine's found a cave," Cheeks called. "Do you want him to check it out?"

"Not without backup. How far over?" Katsuki demanded.

"A mile?" she answered, flopping her hand in a maybe gesture. "He's at the edge of the headset range. It's staticky."

"Tell him to come back to where he can hear clearly, but to stay where he can see the opening of the cave."

"IcyHot is at the top," Braindead reported monotone. "He's looking down into a bowl. Waterfall on the opposite wall of this entrance. Stream cutting through the middle. On the right of the stream is a large structure. There's holes in the roof, but he's too high up to see anything. No movement. The left side of the bowl is clear. Looks like a field of flowers. Yellow and white. Behind the structure looks like the opening of a small tunnel. He guesses it would be too small to stand in, but wide enough to crawl through. It is perfectly round so he suspects it's not natural made."

"Tell him to hold."

"_Deku is signaling,"_ Kirishima said in his ear. _"He sees movement inside the structure. Someone pacing, I think. He's doing a walking motion on his palm with his fingers back and forth. Wait. He's coming back… Oh, shit."_

"What?" Katsuki barked.

"_Said it was a kid in there. A kid flung the door open and tried to run, but Pixie-Bob grabbed the kid and pulled them back inside. Deku said he saw her kick the kid hard in the stomach before shutting the door again."_

Katsuki relayed this out loud to Cheeks and Braindead for them to pass the info along. He took a deep breath. "Okay. Here's what we're going to do." Eyes determined, voice hard as steal, he laid out his commands.

…

They waited until the sun dropped low enough to cast the bottom of the bowl into shadow. Kirishima covered his bright hair with and got into the stream. He followed Izuku into the valley until they were directly opposite the building. Meanwhile, Iida ran down the tunnel and stopped just inside the mouth on the inside while Uraraka went down the ravine until she was just inside the lip with Hitoshi. Gravity-less, Katsuki used small, soft pops to direct himself high into the air until he was over the structure. Small pops had him dropping lower. He put himself over one of the holes in the roof. Then Katsuki gave the command and a lot of things happened at once.

Todoroki breathed out, focused, and froze the waterfall. Another breath and he made a slide of ice that dropped down to the bottom of the bowl to the side of the house. He surfed down in at remarkable speed while Uraraka released her quirk. Katsuki landed hard and solid inside the structure just as Izuku, green static running up and down his body sprinted to the front door and kicked it in.

"KNOCK KNOCK MOTHER FUCKERS!" Katsuki roared in rage, gaining all the attention from the villains.

There were about a dozen human-shaped golems, fast as FUCK with punches that smashed right through the walls! Izuku came face to face with Pixie-Bob who rushed to the kid, but Izuku was faster. He scooped the kid up into his arms just as a spike shot out of the earth, aimed at his back, ready to impale him. An ice wall shot up around Izuku, the earth shattering against it.

Izuku sprinted out of the house toward Uraraka and Hitoshi, but before he could get there the earth began to rumble and dozens of golems rose up out of the ground. Kirishima took the boy into his protective and shielding arms while Izuku went on the offensive, clearing a path to the ravine. With an enormous rumble, a dragon lifted it's head and roared, filling almost the entire ravine and blocking them in.

Katsuki had let loose, the hostage no longer a factor. Huge explosions rocked the valley, making rocks and dirt rain down the earthen walls surrounding them. He and Todoroki fought to subdue the villain. It was the fastest way to stop the golems.

Iida reported the tunnel was still clear, but Izuku didn't like the idea of going inside an earth tunnel when they faced a villain with an earth manipulation quirk. Izuku, Hitoshi, and Uraraka fought the golems, Hitoshi and Uraraka immobilizing them so Izuku could demolish them with kicks.

The structure came tumbling down. It was smoking. Half of it was on fire. Katsuki blasted out of the rubble, Todoroki, his left side ablaze, walked out of the rubble. Pixie-Bob rose up on a wave of earth. The ground began to rumble ominously. More rocks and stones rained down the sides. Iida raced over to the mouth of the ravine, abandoning the tunnel. Hitoshi floated into the air, his gravity removed, and Izuku grabbed him by the waist, spun around, and threw him toward the villain.

"THAT THE BEST YOU GOT, OLD HAG?" Hitoshi screamed, but it came out in Katsuki's voice. An almost perfect mimicry.

"Old — " Pixie-Bob's furious shout cut off abruptly.

Hitoshi flew past her and Uraraka deactivated her quirk. He fell, but Todoroki used his ice to create a tilted landing platform and he slid down safely.

"Deactivate your quirk." Hitoshi ordered in his own voice.

The golems disappeared, but the rumbling in the earth grew instead of stopping. The sides of the bowl began to crumble. Pixie-Bob's earth wave dissolved and she began to fall. Katsuki caught her out of midair and choked her out while Iida took the kid-doll and hooked Uraraka around the waist before sprinting down the crumbling ravine to safety.

Izuku and Kirishima ran to Hitoshi, Todoroki, and Katsuki. Kirishima leapt onto Katsuki's back, Hitoshi leapt onto Todoroki's back, and Izuku accepted Pixie-Bob's limp body. An enormous glacier of ice speared upward, past the vastly crumbling lip of the bowl of earth.

The roar was incredible. The waterfall cracked apart and a tsunami of water began to flood in. The whole mountain was coming down. Katsuki exploded upward with Kirishima, rocketing upward. Rocks and debris hit him, but he managed to get up over the lip. Todoroki was using his ice to propel him up the glacier he'd created, and Izuku made big, rabbit-like leaps with green-static propelling him upward.

…

_Day Four Night: _

Katsuki's group was the last to return back to camp. Dinner had already been prepared and everyone was eating at the tables. Katsuki lead the way, coming around the corner of the cabin, covered in dirt and scratches from their hike in the dark, but his head was held high with victory. Uraraka followed at his heels. She had the dirt-filled and disturbingly life-like doll hanging off her back. Izuku came next with Pixie-Bob draped over his shoulder, tied and gagged.

"What do we have here?" Aizawa drawled, coming to meet them.

Katsuki puffed out his chest and flashed a sharp grin. "The fucking villain has been captured, sir. The brat rescued."

Vlad King burst out laughing, the sound deep and booming, as he walked over. "All the groups managed to rescue the civilian, but you're the only group to actually manage to capture their 'villain'."

"Oh, Pixie!" Mandalay said, trying for sympathy but a laugh leaking through her voice. "You okay, sweetie?"

Pixie-Bob wiggled on Izuku's shoulder. She was clearly grinning.

As everyone laughed and exclaimed and demanded to hear the story of the rescue, Katsuki felt a hand grip his shoulder. He tilted his head and looked up at Aizawa expectantly.

"Good job, Katsuki," Aizawa said softly for his ears only.

Something warm bloomed in his chest and he grinned up at his teacher. "What did you expect? I'm the fucking best," he boasted and strutted his way forward to join the others.

His good mood burst, however, when he caught sight of Pikachu. The blond was sitting at a table with the rest of 1-A. He had a goofy smile on his face and his movements were languid and slow. His spoon often missed his bowel, and if it didn't, it missed his mouth. Ears was laughing, teasing the blond, giving him two thumbs up and making a dumb face. Pikachu just smiled dumbly back, but there was a paleness to his face, a lack of understanding behind his eyes. The boy was confused, lost.

"Shit, leave him the fuck alone," Katsuki growled, slamming his bowl down and looming over Kaminari protectively. "You make him fucking fry his fucking brain, and then you make fun of the decrease in his cognitive functioning afterward? That's fucking low."

Ears reared back as if slapped. "The hell, Bakugo? I'm just playing with him. He knows I don't mean it."

"Does he?" Katsuki snarled, leaning forward, glaring murderously into her eyes. "Right now, does he fucking understand?"

"It's not cool," Kirishima dared to agree. "I don't like it, either."

Octopus-boy, who was sitting at the edges, spoke up. "I don't, either. Kaminari has made it clear he doesn't like to be teased about this. You are the only one who does it."

"What?" Ears looked around, her expression confused, angry and betrayed. "What is this? You guys were laughing, too!"

Tape-boy rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't say anything.

Pinky mirrored the boy's guilty expression.

"I was not laughing," Birdbrain declared. "But I do not laugh at much."

"Momo?" Ears looked to Ponytail who was flushed and uncomfortable.

"I… don't think we should tease him about something he's asked us not to tease him about. I… don't think he can protest right now, even if he wanted to."

Ears flushed red. "You guys are all tools!" She stormed from the table and slammed her way inside the cabin.

The rest of the group gave each other awkward looks and dispersed, clearing the table and starting their chores.

Scowling, Katsuki sat on one side of the fried blond and his team came and sat around them. Izuku, Cheeks, Braindead, Glasses - they formed a wall across from Kaminari while Kirihsima sat on the the blond's other side, blocking him mostly from view. They started chatting about stupid shit, nothing of importance, but the familiar cadence of conversation was soothing.

Katsuki had never felt such a close connection to other people besides Izuku before, and it made him feel weird. Pushing the feeling away, he focused on his task. He took Kaminari's spoon and tossed it aside before gently grabbing the boy's hands and wrapping them around the bowl directly. Then he lifted the bowl to the boy's lips.

"Don't fucking worry about spoons and shit. Just eat," he said gruffly.

The confusion in Pikachu's eyes diminished. The tension in his shoulders relaxed. He still had the loopy smile, but he was actually managing to get the food inside him. Katsuki turned to his own bowl and felt the blond shift, leaning against him lightly. Katsuki stared into those dazed gold eyes and decided it wasn't a big fucking deal and let him.

…

_Day Five Early Morning:_

Izuku slipped into the woods. Everyone was asleep, and he was alone. His eyes were wide open, trying to pierce the darkness and catch the barest hint of movement. His ears strained to catch any sounds. The trees rustled in a breeze and Izuku froze, heart in his throat.

"Kota!" he whispered loudly. "Kota, where are you?" He'd seen the boy go this way. Saw the glow of his pale skin disappearing between the trees.

A root wrapped around his ankle and he went down. Twigs and underbrush scratched at his arms, legs, and face. An owl hooted right above his head, making Izuku jump. "Kota!" he called a little louder. He yanked at his ankle, eyes searching the darkness as his breathing sped up. "Kota!"

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" A scream of terror, high-pitched and devastating, tore through the night.

"KOTA!" Izuku screamed back and yanked his foot brutally out of the tangle, leaving skin behind.

The bushes rattled and Izuku whipped his head around. Kota pushed through, his mouth was open, his pale hands reaching desperately for Izuku. Something black was oozing out of Kota's mouth! Gasping, Izuku ran forward and caught the little boy in his arms.

"KOTA!" he screamed, horrified. The boy was so small, so light. Izuku's hands came away hot and tacky. The smell of blood filled the air. "Kota! Oh my god! Kota! What happened?!"

The boy made a pained gurgling sound, his breath rattling wetly. Izuku frantically tried to hold the little boy together with his hands, but one arm fell off. The blood kept pouring out. "NO! KOTA!" Izuku screamed. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE!"

As Izuku screamed and cried, a line of blood bloomed on that small, pale throat. Kota whimpered, his expression twisting in desperate, choking sobs. Then his head rolled right off his shoulders. Hot, tacky blood splashed across Izuku's face.

Izuku scrambled back, dropping all the pieces, as he frantically wiped at his face. He couldn't breathe! HE COULDN'T BREATHE! KOTA! NO! KOTA!

A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked up to see a woman. Izuku tried to talk, to tell her, but she shook her head and crouched down. Hot, piercing pain punched through Izuku's chest. It stole what little breath he had. Animal grunts of agony escaped his lips, his teeth bared and clenched in agony. He looked down to see a knife sticking out from his breastbone. The pain was hot and angry, his stomach rolling as it tore through him.

"You couldn't even save one little boy," she said evenly. Cupping his face, she lifted his head until he was looking into her dead eyes. "_My_ little boy." She stroked his cheek, leaving a smear of blood. "You deserve this."

"Noooooo," Izuku wheezed. "Noooooo, please… _please_…"

"I've got you. You're okay. Come back, Izu. I'm right here."

The voice was warm and scratchy, familiar. Gasping, biting back gut-wrenching sobs, Izuku clutched at Kacchan. It was dark. Like in the woods. He could still feel the blood, all that blood, feel Kota falling to pieces, see the look of pain and terror on his tiny, pale face, feel the knife punching through his body.

"Please… _please_…" Izuku gasped, shaking hard, tears drenching his face. "Please…"

Kacchan wrapped his arms and legs around him, pulled him against his body. He squeezed. His thighs clamped down around Izuku's, his arms tight around his shoulders. "I'm here. You're okay. You're safe, Izu. You're safe," he promised, face pressed right up against Izuku's wet cheek as he talked.

Teeth chattering, Izuku clung to the blond. Desperate for some kind of foothold in reality. "So much… Blood… Kota… _Please_…"

"I've got him," Kacchan promised fiercely. "He's okay. You saved him. He's safe. He's _safe_, Izu. It was just a dream."

"Kota…" Izuku sobbed. "Don't let him… d-die… please…. Kacchan, don't… don't let him…"

Kacchan held him tighter. "He's safe with us. We've got him. He's safe."

But Izuku could still feel the blood on him.

…

Kirishima sat up, eyes dry and prickly as he listened the to the harsh, terrified breathing of Midoriya in the dark. He could just make out the silhouette of Bakugo wrapping his body tight around the smaller teen, could hear the murmur and cadence of Bakugo's raspy voice interwoven between those near silent sobs. Kirishima suddenly remembered the USJ. Of having Midoriya's shaking frame pinned between them.

"Bakugo?" he whispered, voice husky from sleep. "Can I help?"

"No, I got this." It was said softer than Bakugo usually spoke, but there was no uncertainty to it. It was firm. "Go back to sleep. Just a fucking nightmare. Shit happens sometimes."

Kirishima nodded and laid back down, but he couldn't sleep while Midoriya was gasping and crying like that. Even in the dark, he'd seen Midoriya shaking like he was coming apart, had seen the way the moonlight glistened off his tear-soaked cheeks.

Kirishima's hand curled into helpless fists and he turned onto his side, facing his friends, wishing he could do more to help them.

…

Hitoshi meanwhile was staring at the ceiling, perfectly still, his expression perfectly blank. He felt floaty. There but not there. In the cabin and in a sterile room. Midoriya's fearful crying overlapped with the sounds of a young child's sobbing drifting through his vent.

He could have gotten up. He could have covered the vent, muffled the sound. Or he could have tried to speak through the vent, offering comforting words as Bakugo was doing now, hushed and almost inaudible. But he hadn't. He'd laid there. Still as a corpse… and floated…

…

Todoroki curled in on himself and wondered what Midoriya had seen in his nightmare. Pushing his face into the futon, he tried desperately not to think about what he saw in his own.

…

Iida was propped up on his elbow, frowning into the dark. It bothered him greatly that Midoriya would suffer nightmares so extreme, but he felt relieved Bakugo knew how to handle it. Before Hosu, Iida hadn't been prone to nightmares, and he was still trying to figure out how to effectively deal with having them himself, so he had no advice or skills to offer his distressed classmate.

As the heavy feeling of inadequacy settled in his gut, he decided he would do research on the subject. If he found any good information, he would share it with Midoriya. Hopefully he could find something that would assist them both.

…

Shoji lay with two of his arms crossed over his face. He felt… guilty. That he'd misjudged his classmate so badly. He'd never really felt comfortable with Bakugo. He was loud and offensive and abrasive, but after the Sports Festival, after watching Bakugo threaten and terrify Mineta, Shoji had kept even more distance between him and the explosive blond. However, spending so much time in close quarters was revealing things he never would have suspected.

Bakugo's domestic skills, his surprisingly neat and organized living space, and his nurturing instinct, his grace as he flowed through yoga positions, and, of course, Shoji couldn't help but think about that horrible game of Truth and Dare. It made him look at Bakugo's abrasive disposition and constant anger in a new light, and it made him feel guilty.

For not trying to understand Bakugo better, for not _listening_ when Midoriya spoke for him. It made Shoji think about himself and what kind of hero he was trying to be. And while these were not easy thoughts, they were definitely thoughts he should be having.

…

Kaminari lay on his stomach and buried his face into his pillow. The material was soft but textured against his skin. He noticed the difference in texture where his tears made it softer and wetter. He was hungry and wished Midoriya would stop crying. It hurt to listen to. But Bakugo was there.

Kaminari remembered strong hands around his, the smooth feeling of the bowl in his hands. He'd actually been able to lift it, and he remembered the feeling of warmth and food when it got to his mouth. He wondered what they'd have for dinner tomorrow.

He hated making others upset, which was why his face froze in a smile when he was out of it. His mother used to cry like Midoriya was doing. Always afraid for him, but Bakugo would take care of it. He had helped Kaminari eat. Bakugo's shoulder was hard, solid.

Kaminari was tired and hungry, but he couldn't sleep. Midoriya was crying. The pillow felt good against his face, and if he rubbed it enough, he could almost forget he was crying, too.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** Hey! Can't wait to hear what you think of this one! It was so fun to just do sections and snippets of interesting moments at the camp. We're already on day five! :D Moving right along!


	53. Chapter 53

**A/n: **We should reach the attack by next chapter! XD

Can't wait for your thoughts on this one. I was a bit disappointed because it is a bit slower paced (especially Izuku's sections) than the Montage of the previous chapter, which went so well. I tried to tap into that flow again with only partial success, I think.

…

**Summer Camp Obstacles**

_Day Five Morning:_

"You okay, Deku?" Uraraka asked as she sat next to him in the cafeteria.

"I'm fine," Izuku answered with a forced smile. Kacchan had turned off his alarm so he'd slept until breakfast. Izuku understood why he did it, but he _hurt_. He hadn't trained yesterday with Tiger, but the soreness and stiffness from those brutal workouts persisted, so without the yoga to loosen him up, he was stiffer than ever. His smile turned more into a grimace. "Just sore."

"You look like roadkill," Ashido pointed out cheerfully, her pink hair bouncing around her head.

Uraraka frowned. "You all look tired, actually."

Izuku looked around to see the many exhausted faces sitting around him. Even Kacchan was sitting with his cheek braced on his palm, lethargically spooning eggs into his mouth. Izuku hunched down miserably and glared at his toast, picking it apart instead of eating it.

"We're fine," Iida exclaimed firmly, trying to draw attention away from Izuku. "We just had an unrestful night."

Izuku flinched at that.

"It's not your fault," Shoji said kindly, catching his eye. "It happens."

"What does?" Uraraka insisted, worriedly.

"_Un mauvais rêve_," Aoyama told her, chin resting on his folded arms. Every time he spoke, his head jiggled. "So we are less than sparkly this morning, _oui?_"

"What?" Ashido asked, blinking.

"Bad dream," Ojiro translated, but he looked guilty for doing so. His tail twitched behind him nervously.

"Deku?" Uraraka leaned forward to catch his eye, her expression warm and compassionate. "What was it about?"

"I'm going to go stretch," Izuku said abruptly and got stiffly to his feet.

He was too sore to eat, anyway. His stomach was churning nauseously. He didn't know how to deal with the fact that the boys in his class had witnessed his breakdown. He tried to push it all away; he was good at compartmentalization, after all. He just needed to put it out of his mind and _focus_, but it was hard when the nightmare was still so vivid in his mind.

Izuku was so distracted that he didn't see Kota until he almost ran the little boy over. "Woah." Izuku reached out and gripped the boy's shoulders before they could collide. "Hey, uh, sorry."

Kota glared up at him before yanking away from his grip.

"Wait." Izuku trotted after him as the boy grabbed two muffins and a water bottle. "Can we, uh, talk? Please? I just want to get to know you better."

Kota spun on his heel to scowl up at him. "Why? Cause I'm Mandalay's cousin? Leave me alone."

"No!" Izuku denied. "I… heard about your parents."

Kota back-stepped, eyes wide.

Izuku waved his hands desperately. Why was he always messing this up? "I'm sorry! I know it was rude to ask about you, but…" Izuku gave him his most earnest, imploring look. "I just feel like we have things in common. I just want to talk. Please?"

The little boy crossed his arms tightly. "What could we have in common? I hate heroes and you want to be one!"

"Actually, that's what I want to talk about," Izuku insisted. "I want to understand why you hate heroes. I think it would help me."

"Help you stop wanting to be one?" Kota snorted. "Leave me alone." Then the boy turned and ran through the lobby and out the front door.

Izuku instantly sprinted after him. Kota looked over his shoulder and saw that Izuku following him. His eyes went wide and he veered off into the woods, knowing his smaller frame would give him an advantage there, but Izuku wasn't deterred. He pushed through the underbrush, completely ignoring the scratches and scrapes he earned, desperate to not lose sight of the little boy. It didn't work. No matter how hard he tried. Not five minutes into the chase, Izuku lost him.

Izuku wanted to just sit down and give up, but he _couldn't_. He took a deep breath and began to look for signs. He hadn't been taught to track, but he'd trained his eyes so that he was able to notice really small details. Slowly, he found Kota's trail and followed it to a path that went up the mountain. Izuku had twigs and leaves in his hair. Dirt smudged his cheek. His hands and ankles were bleeding from scratches, but it was worth it. He'd found Kota.

Halfway to the peak, the path opened up onto a ledge that overlooked the forest. Izuku could just make out the cabin in the distance. A large explosion suddenly echoed like thunder, and Izuku couldn't help but smile, knowing it was Kacchan. Kota was sitting on the ledge, his small form hunched miserably.

"Hi, uh, Kota," he said awkwardly, keeping his distance.

The little boy whipped his head around and stared at him in shock for a minute before his whole expression twisted into a scowl. He jumped to his feet and stomped over to him. "Geez. What's your problem? I thought I lost you!"

"You did," Izuku agreed, slightly out of breath. "I got tripped up in a bush, but I was able to follow your tracks."

"This is my secret hideout! Get out!" Kota threw a muffin at him.

Izuku caught it and looked at the boy apologetically. "I'm sorry. I just… I just want to talk."

"You said that!" Kota crossed his arms furiously. "But I don't want to talk to you! Don't you have stupid training? Go away!"

Izuku straightened, his tone growing firm. "Talking to you is more important than training."

Kota actually paused at that. "You'll get in trouble. Tiger _hates_ tardiness and slackers. He's going to _crush_ you."

Izuku felt a ray of hope. Kota knew who he trained with. Was the boy watching them? He gave a big smile. "I know. I still think it's more important to talk to you."

Kota threw up his hands. "You're crazy! What's so important about talking to me? I'm just a kid!"

Izuku lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck, but his muscles screamed at him so he dropped his arm with a wince. "I just… really want to know why you hate heroes."

Kota glared at him. "So you can tell me I'm wrong?"

Izuku shook his head fast. "No!" He walked forward and handed him the muffin. "I promise I won't." When Kota snatched it from his hand, he smiled. "Maybe I want to know if you're right."

Kota eyed him and then visibly sighed. "You really are weird."

Izuku nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I know."

Kota went to the ledge of the overlook and sat down, his feet dangling a good ten feet above the tops of the trees below them. Izuku sat next to him and waited patiently. Kota ate one muffin, but set the other one aside. He stared out over the woods. Another explosion rang out.

"Getting all into trying to improve your quirk. It's gross."

Izuku couldn't see Kota's expression. The brim of his hat hid his face from view, but he didn't need to see it. He could hear the pain in his voice. Kota was hurting.

Kota kicked his leg fitfully. "Why do you guys want to show off your powers that badly?"

Izuku thought about his answer. "I just want to be strong," he finally said.

"Strong?" Kota gave a bitter laugh. Izuku's heart ached, hearing it come from such a young boy. "Everyone's crazy." The sound of tears made the little boy's voice tremble. "Calling each other stupid names like 'hero' and 'villain' and killing each other. Talking about quirks and stuff. It's because they're all showing off that it ended up like that with my parents. So _stupid_."

Izuku's fists clenched. So it wasn't just heroes. Kota hated quirks. What could he say to that? Grimacing, he twisted his hands in his lap. "Well, um, I can see that. Quirks can, uh, yeah, be destructive and stuff." Izuku took a deep breath, trying to get his racing thoughts to come together. "My, um, friend is quirkless. People are really mean to him because of it. Like, without a quirk he isn't important or worthwhile. He…" Izuku swallowed thickly and coughed to clear his throat. "It really, really hurt him for a long time. He'd try so hard to pull things to him or breathe fire, but… Nothing worked. Nothing happened, and he felt, uh, you know, broken. So, yeah, I really do understand. I, um, I think the whole obsession with quirks is stupid, too."

Kota tilted his head. He was listening.

Izuku felt his heart beat hard. He didn't know what the right thing to say, but he knew there was a wrong thing. He didn't want to mess this up! "But… I don't think quirks are the problem, really. I mean, even when people didn't have quirks, there were still people who did really mean, bad things. And there were still people who were like your parents. Who wanted to stop that, who wanted to protect people's smiles." Izuku reached out with a shaking hand and lightly touched the boy's shoulder. "I think, uh, if you reject that, it'll just make it more painful for you. Because it will be like rejecting a part of your mom and dad. A really good part that has nothing to do with quirks."

"Shut up!" Kota yanked away and shot to his feet. "You don't know anything!" he yelled, glaring down at Izuku. There were tears in his eyes and it cut Izuku's heart to see them. "It wouldn't be like this if people weren't always trying to show off! Like you and your dumb friends down there! It's dumb and I hate it! I hate heroes and I hate you! Now leave me alone!"

Izuku instinctively caught the boy's arm as he turned to run. "I'm sorry! I know I don't have the right words, but, Kota, you're hurting. You don't have to be alone."

Kota kicked him in the shin. Izuku reflexively released his hold, flinching back, and Kota ran into the dark cave. He didn't once look back. He was gone.

…

_Day Five Afternoon:_

Katsuki's palms were beginning to blister, so he knew he had to take a break. He made his way over to where Todoroki was sitting in the tub of water. The teen's red and white hair was plastered to his skull and clinging to his sweaty cheeks. As he watched, Todoroki slapped the side of the metal barrel and a circular sheet of ice ten feet wide shot out from where he was sitting. Panting and shivering, Todoroki slammed his other hand against the side and a wave of fire rushed outward, instantly melting the ice. Todoroki began sweating as steam rose from the once cold water.

Katsuki lifted his red hand as explanation, and Todoroki nodded. Leaving his friend to his practice, Katsuki made his way toward Tiger's area. He rolled his head, cracking his neck. He was really for a good workout. He was just passing the tents when he saw Tiger lay something in the shade. Katsuki frowned and veered that way. He scowled as he caught sight of what Tiger had.

"I was in elementary school when I had to do a report on horses," Katsuki said with a glare, crossing his arms.

Tiger spun around, eyes narrowed. "You should be training."

Katsuki ignored him. "Don't remember much, but I do remember those stupid fuckers would die. The human on their back would keep goading them on, making them run and run, and then their heart would just fucking give out and they'd simply fall, dead." Katsuki stared up into Tiger's horrified face. "That fucking nerd is just like them. He's got no stop function in his brain when he pushes too far."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Tiger demanded, voice a low growl.

"He had a bad nightmare last night about a little kid he saw die right in front of him. That fucking kid-doll we rescued probably triggered it." Katsuki shrugged. "He didn't eat a fucking thing at breakfast and ran off to talk to Mandalay's brat. He's a fucking bleeding heart and is seriously worked up over that depressed kid. Don't know what punishment you had him doing because he was fucking late, but afterward he was exhaustion-sick and couldn't eat lunch. I tried to get as much fluid into him as possible, but it wasn't enough for this shit."

"Why didn't he say something about feeling ill?" Tiger demanded angrily. "He could really hurt himself exercising so hard while dehydrated and exhausted."

"He's like those fucking horses," Katsuki said again. He stared at the man. "I thought pro-heroes would be able to see he was pushing himself too damn hard and stop him before he keeled over, but I guess not, huh?"

Tiger gaped at him. "I thought he'd tell me if it was getting to be too much."

Katsuki didn't say how stupid he thought that was. Deku wasn't the only idiot who would push themselves to collapse if allowed. A lot of hero candidates were that stupid. Instead, he asked, "What's with the fucking skirt?"

Tiger gaped at him. "Excuse me?"

"The skirt," Katsuki said again, impatiently. "I've been wanting to ask you about it. Wearing it hurt your ratings and popularity, didn't it? I'd get it if you were solo, but you're in a team. You hurt their chances, too, so why do it? Everyone calls you 'he', so why not wear fucking pants? I mean, if you're that into being a girl, you'd make people call you 'she', wouldn't you?"

Tiger's face became hard. "Because I'm not a 'she'."

"Then why the fucking skirt?" Katsuki asked again, annoyed. He crossed his arms, completely unafraid of the hero's anger.

Suddenly, Tiger laughed. "You're really something else, kid." He walked forward and put a hand on Katsuki's shoulder. "Thank you for telling me about your friend's self-destructive behavior. I will keep a closer eye on him, and I'm sorry for not catching the signs sooner. As for the skirt, it's both complicated and simple.

"Truth is, I was born female, but that's not who I was on the inside. Always was a boy. Never could understand why my body was different. Got a lot of heat for it all my life. It was hard. Real hard. In fact, my teammates right now are the first people to ever accept me for who I am. They even supported me when I decided to get a change overseas. When I came back, a boy in a boy's body, everyone treated me like I was fine. All the looks and cruel words and unthinking rejections just faded away. I thought I'd be happy, but I couldn't forget what it was like. And I couldn't help thinking how much it would have helped to have even one hero who was a little like me when I was younger, to give me hope." Tiger shrugged. "So I put on a skirt. I don't love them. I prefer pants. Like I said I never felt like a girl growing up, but I'd been forced to wear them all my life, so it wasn't that big of a deal, and… And sometimes I get letters or a kid will come up to me, and I _know_. I know I helped them. I made them feel less alone. So that's why the skirt."

Katsuki frowned thoughtfully. "Makes sense, I guess."

"I'm pretty sensitive to distaste in people's eyes, no matter how well hidden," Tiger said as he bent down, putting his face closer to Katsuki's. "But not you. And not a few other people in your class, either." Dark eyes looked into him. "If you want to tell them about you and Midoriya, I think you'll find more acceptance than you'd think."

Katsuki knocked the hero's hand off his shoulder and glared hotly. "I don't fucking care what people think. I'm not hiding shit! But I don't have to go out of my way to tell them shit, either. I don't owe anyone anything. It's no one's fucking business what I do. How the hell do you know about that shit, anyway?"

Tiger just smiled down at him. "Ragdoll. She knows where you guys are at all times. She sensed you at the other side of the lake."

"Whatever." Katsuki turned and walked away. "Just make sure the fucker doesn't run until his heart bursts, okay, old man? I'm gonna go work out."

…

_Day Five Night:_

Izuku groaned as he opened his eyes. At first, he couldn't remember where he was, but then Aizawa-sensei was handing him a water bottle. Izuku at up quickly. Too quickly. The room spun, and if it weren't for Aizawa's hand on his shoulder, he would have fallen straight off the cot. Groaning, he held his pounding head and squinted his eyes against the light in the room.

"You're dehydrated," his teacher said. His voice was perfectly monotone and Izuku winced, knowing he was in trouble. "Drink the whole bottle."

Izuku meekly accepted the drink and slowly got it down. He did start feeling better once it was empty. Aizawa took it and handed him another one. Izuku winced at his teacher's blank expression and slowly got that bottle down, too.

"You understand that this is the same issue we had on the first day of school. When I stopped you from using your quirk."

Izuku swallowed thickly. "Yes, sensei."

Aizawa stared at him. "You pushed so hard you collapsed. Had a villain attacked, you would have been a liability and possibly gotten others hurt while they tried to protect you."

Izuku cringed. "I'm sorry, sensei. I just…" His hands clenched and unclenched in nervous spasms. "I didn't want to complain about a punishment I had earned."

Aizawa did not look impressed. "You've been unconscious for close to four hours. Your class has already prepared dinner. I will bring you a serving and you will eat and drink everything I bring you. Is that clear?"

Izuku hung his head. "Yes, sensei."

"You will also be making a call to Ivy, and you will explain in detail why you have been ordered to call her."

Izuku looked up, eyes wide, "But…"

Aizawa's eyes flashed red and his hair lifted. "You will do exactly as I say without argument or you will be suspended from training along with Monoma! Is. That. Clear?"

Izuku flinched and dropped his head. "Yes, sensei. I'm sorry, sensei."

Aizawa stood and moved toward the door. He hesitated on the threshold. "Kota came and asked if you were going to die, so whatever you said to him must have made an impression."

Izuku's eyes widened and, slowly, he began to smile.

Aizawa sighed tiredly.

…

_Day Six Evening:_

Katsuki sat at the picnic table with the entire class eating spaghetti with meat sauce. Izuku was hissing every time he had to lift his fork to his mouth, but he was conscious unlike last night. He hadn't had another nightmare and he'd been calm during yoga that morning, so talking to Ivy must have helped.

"I blew a chunk out of the mountain today," he announced smugly. It had been the largest explosion he'd ever made.

"We know," Cheeks said with a roll of her eyes. "It could be felt for miles around."

"It felt like an earthquake," Hagakure agreed with an excited cheer.

"I've been wondering," Ashido said. She draped herself over Cheeks in order to see him. "How do your shoulders handle that kind of force? I mean, we were, like, way far away from you and you knocked us on our butts. How do you stay standing?"

"Kacchan's ligaments and tendons are stronger and more flexible than normal, especially in his shoulders," Izuku piped up, spewing data. "That's why they are bigger and more rounded than other people's. He's built them up over the years of managing the recoil of his blasts, but I suspect it's also a physical modification that came with his quirk."

Katsuki preened as the extras around him gave him admiring glances.

"I can hear vibrations even farther away," Ears spoke up, but she wasn't looking at any of them.

"I didn't throw up once today!" Cheeks exclaimed proudly, thrusting her spoon in the air like it were Excalibur or some shit.

"And I've got no bruises," Kirishima bragged, showing his arms. "And trust me, Ojiro's hitting me harder than ever, but my Hardening is starting to hold up better."

"Carried two trees over for firewood," Izuku offered.

Everyone stared at him like he was crazy.

"Damn, man," Kirishima said with wide, impressed eyes. "You're going to be, like, so manly after this."

"I wonder if he can get so muscly he won't be able to move?" Tape-boy asked with a grin.

"I have also improved my speed and the duration of my Recpio Burst," Glasses proclaimed proudly. "As painful as this training is, I cannot deny we are getting results."

"That doesn't mean you should push yourself too hard," Cheeks suddenly exclaimed, eyes sharp on Izuku.

Katsuki snorted as the nerd blushed.

"I know," Izuku assured her earnestly. "It won't happen again. I promise!"

Cheeks nodded, but her narrowed eyes promised she would be watching him.

"What about you?" Katsuki turned to Pikachu. "You seeing any improvement?"

The blond blinked, surprised at being addressed. "Not, uh, really?" he asked, grinning sheepishly. "I mean, I still have, you know, spells when I use too much juice, but I think I've been able to handle a little more charge than before? Nothing major, though."

Frog-girl frowned. "If it's not working _ribbit_ you should talk to Aizawa-sensei. Try something different."

"I'm sorry!" Everyone stared at Ears, but she was looking at Pikachu. Her face was red and she looked angry. "I'm sorry for teasing you about, you know, when you short out or whatever."

Pikachu blinked, an easy smile spreading across his face. "It's okay. I'm pretty self-conscious about it, but I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"I didn't," she insisted.

"Okay," he said again, and it was clear he really meant it.

She nodded and went back to her spaghetti.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "What about you, IcyHot?"

Todoroki looked up. "Same as Kaminari. I think I'm able to switch a little faster between ice and fire, but no major progress."

Katsuki scowled.

"We can't all progress at the same rate," Glasses announced, chopping the air. "It's perfectly normal to have some improve quicker than others."

"I bet it's because of their quirk development," Izuku agreed.

"What do you mean?" Pikachu asked, tilting his head.

"Well, I was a late bloomer, so my quirk is underdeveloped."

"You call that underdeveloped?" Kirishima gaped at the green-haired teen. "Dude!"

Izuku steamrolled right over him and the snickering of the others. "Kacchan uses his quirk all the time, but he's never been able to stretch it like this, has he? I mean, there's so few spaces where he can really let go, so in that sense, he was underdeveloped, too. However, we know Todoroki had extensive training in the use of his quirk. His control is undeniable. So his quirk is pretty well developed, so his progress would look slower than others, but the reality is his quirk control and development is just that far ahead of us and we're just playing catchup to where he already is."

"You think that's true of me?" Pikachu asked, eyes wide. "Because I haven't worked with my quirk all that much and I'm not making much progress, either."

"You can't let loose because your body can't handle it," Katsuki told him, pointing his fork aggressively at the blond. "But if you work that shit out, I bet you'd see a huge jump in what your quirk is capable of."

Kaminari stared at him intently. "Yeah. Okay. I'll do that." He turned to Tape-boy on his right. "How do I do that, Sero?"

Tape-boy shrugged. "Hell if I know."

"You get support gear, dumbass!" Katsuki snapped, annoyed.

Kaminari nodded sharply. "Yeah! Good idea." He turned back to Tape-boy again. "How do I do that, Sero?"

Again, the teen shrugged and repeated, "Hell if I know."

Everyone burst out laughing as Katsuki roared furiously, "YOU ASK THE SUPPORT DEPARTMENT, YOU IDIOTS!"

…

_Day Seven Night: _

Izuku woke with a confused squint as the echoes of a soft rumble vibrated in his ears. "Kacchan?" he asked, slurring with sleep. It was pitch-dark. He couldn't see a thing, not even the vague outlines of the room. Reaching out, his hand came in contact with sleep-warm skin. Kacchan. Another rumble, a little louder this time, and Izuku's mind finally caught up to his senses. It was thunder he heard in the distance, not explosions.

He was about to close his eyes when there was a spark in the darkness of the room. Izuku pulled himself painfully into a sitting position. His body felt like it had been worked over with a baseball bat! He groped for his phone. Found it. Turned on the flashlight.

Kaminari was sitting up, hugging his knees to his chest. He was rocking back and forth. Even as Izuku watched, a zap of electricity snaked across his shoulder. A few seconds later, Izuku heard thunder rumble across the mountain. It was definitely coming closer.

"Kaminari?" he whispered. "You okay?"

Kaminari didn't answer. He just kept rocking.

Izuku bit his lip as rain suddenly began pelting down on the roof. A few drops blew in through the screen of the open window, hitting Kacchan. The blond rolled over, now facing Izuku, and grumbled irritably. Izuku took it as a sign and shook his boyfriend awake.

"What?" Kacchan snapped, growling.

"Something's wrong with Kaminari. I think it has to do with the lightning in the storm," Izuku explained quietly.

Kacchan groaned and sat up, looking in the direction of Izuku's flashlight. Without saying a word, he got to his feet and padded across to the rocking blond. He crouched down. "Hey. Pikachu? You good?"

"What's going on?" Kirishima asked sleepily.

"Can't you guys shut up?" Sero demanded, putting the pillow over his head. Voice now muffled, he complained, "I'm sleepin here."

"Something's wrong with Kaminari," Izuku told the room.

"Should we get Aizawa?" Ojiro asked, sitting up and looking worriedly across at their classmate.

Kacchan put his hand on Kaminari's shoulder, and Kaminari flailed his arms with a choked cry, shaking his head hard from side to side.

"Okay, I get it, no touching," Kacchan growled. "Can you speak?"

Kaminari turned his head away from the light and Kacchan. He bit his fingers and kept rocking.

"Get Aizawa," Iida ordered, watching all this with concerned eyes.

Izuku was about to get up, but Todoroki was already out the door. Every boy in the room was now up. A stronger zap leapt off Kaminari, crackling. Thunder rumbled louder.

"Maybe we need an insulated blanket?" Ojiro asked.

"And trap the fucking electricity in there with him?" Kacchan snarled furiously.

Ojiro ducked his head, ashamed.

"We need a lightning rod," Tokoyami suggested. "To draw the electricity away from him and us."

"Where the hell are we going to get a lightning rod?" Kirishima demanded, clearly anxious.

"Yaoyorozu?" Shoji asked.

"Who's going to go over there and wake her?" Sero demanded.

"It is highly inappropriate for a boy to enter a girl's room!" Iida protested, chopping the air.

"This is an emergency," Izuku told him firmly. "I'll get her."

Before Izuku could get out the door, however, Kaminari's body arched painfully tight, hands flying to his hair. Electricity sparked off his skin at the same time as a flash of lightning lit up the window from the outside.

"Shit!" Kacchan hissed, falling on his butt as the electricity shocked him. His ash blond hair stood up in tuffs around his head. "Hurry up, Deku!"

Izuku ran and collided with Aizawa in the hallway. Aizawa grabbed Izuku's arm to prevent him from running off, and Izuku noticed Todoroki standing behind him. Izuku turned his wide eyes back to his teacher.

"Kaminari's being affected by the storm! He can't seem to stop his quirk! I'm going to ask Yaoyorozu to make a lightning rod."

Aizawa's hair hung around his face in tangled black locks. He rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand and growled, "Don't bother. Kaminari is coming with me. I'll make sure his quirk stays in check."

Izuku nodded and allowed himself to be stopped, but he was still worried. "But you have to blink sometime, sir," he pointed out.

Aizawa didn't answer the implied question and stepped into the dorm room. His eyes were already glowing red and he stared intently at Kaminari. Instantly the boy went limp, practically falling forward into Kacchan's lap. Izuku wrung his hands nervously as Aizawa crouched by the two and put a gentle hand on Kaminari's head.

"Can you walk?" he asked. "You're going to be rooming with me tonight."

Kaminari nodded, a bit more than was normal, his face rubbing against Kacchan's stomach over and over. Aizawa gently pulled him away from Kacchan and got the teen on his feet. Kaminari was grinning, but he looked completely out of it. Izuku came to stand by Kacchan as the two left.

"Has that ever happened before?" Kirishima asked the room.

"Never been a lightning storm during school," Izuku answered. "Rain, yes, but no lightning." The window flashed and a boom of thunder shook the building. Izuku waited for the thunder to fade away before continuing. "And we're so high up. Closer to the storm than we would be back at UA."

Kacchan stomped over to his bedding and flopped down. "Whatever, nerds, just go the fuck to sleep already." He covered his face with the pillow and went limp.

"You can sleep with this mess?" Sero demanded just as there was another lightning flash and a huge boom. Not only that, but the rain on the roof created a loud hum that made them have to yell to be heard.

Todoroki shrugged and laid down. "I can."

"As can I," Tokoyami announced, rolling onto his side away from the light.

Flash, BOOOM!

Izuku jumped and laughed nervously. "It's really on top of us, huh?"

"Think training will be canceled tomorrow?" Sero asked sleepily.

"They'll think of something to torture us with," Sato answered with a huff. It was the first time the big teen had spoken. Izuku hadn't even been sure he was awake.

FLASH! BAH-BOOOOOOOOM!

Izuku, Sero, and Aoyama screamed.

"Alright, fuck that shit." Kacchan got up and started kicking the others out of their beds.

"What?" Sato exclaimed, flustered.

"To what purpose are you forcing us to move?" Iida demanded.

"We're making a fucking blanket fort so these idiots don't scream all goddamn night and we can get some fucking sleep," Kacchan growled back.

"We're going to need Yaoyorozu," Izuku said brightly, grinning.

FLASH! BAAAAAH- BOOOOOOOOOOM!

"You just want to see the girls in their nighties," Sero joked weakly.

Izuku gave him a warning look and hurried out of the room. The halls were dark, lit only by the occasional flash of lightning and Izuku cell-phone. "Hello? Uraraka? Yaoyorozu? Are you awake?" he called from their door.

A shadow shifted inside. "Deku? You okay?" Uraraka appeared at the door wearing a white t-shirt with a pink bear on it and matching pink pants.

"We want to build a blanket fort in our room," he answered her in a whisper. "We could use help."

FLASH! BAAAAAH- BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Izuku squeaked.

Uraraka turned to he inside of the room. "The boys are building a fort. You want to help?"

"We're in!" Ashido cried excitedly. "Guys! Come on! Wake up! We're doin a fort!"

Izuku returned to the boy's room with all twelve girls, the six from 1-A and the six from 1-B. That plus the remaining thirteen boys from 1-A made twenty five teens squished together in a room that was meant to hold no more than fifteen.

There was a lot of laughing and whacking each other with pillows, but they managed to create a room-sized tent out of their blankets with the poles and rope Yaoyorozu created. They piled inside together. Limbs sprawled every which way. Izuku ended up with his head pillowed on Kacchan's stomach, Uraraka's and Hitoshi's legs flung over his own, and Kirishima using his arm as a pillow. The thunder and lightning had died down, but the rain was still coming down hard.

"If you could go anywhere, where would you go?" Uraraka asked sleepily.

"Africa," Izuku answered.

"I thought you'd say America. Cause All Might went there for a while," she said with a laugh, poking him with a teasing grin.

"America has a lot to offer," Iida agreed. "That is the destination I would choose."

"I've always wanted to go on a safari and see all those amazing animals," Izuku defended his choice, smiling. "I really love elephants. They have such kind, intelligent eyes."

Sero snickered. "You're such a sap, Midoriya."

"It's why he's the class cinnamon roll," Ashido agreed. "Where would you go, Sero?"

"New York," he answered easily.

"Ooooh, me too!" Ashido squealed.

"I'd go to Hollywood!" Kirishima countered.

"I would love to see the City of Angels," Aoyama agreed. "It sounds like a city that sparkles!"

"I did not realize we were specifying location," Iida protested, making everyone laugh.

"I'd go to Turkey!" Hagakure announced.

"Tibet," Ojiro said.

"I always wanted to go to Hawaii," Tsu gave a soft croak. "I love the beach."

"So it's not just fresh water you're good at swimming in?" Kendo wanted to know.

"Nope. I have the traits of a frog, but I'm still human. Salt water doesn't bother me."

"I'd like to go to Egypt," Tokoyami told them. "I want to explore a cursed pyramid."

"I'd like to go to Russia. All that snow," Todoroki said dreamily with a hum.

"Fuck that," Kacchan grumbled. "I'd freeze my balls off."

"Where would you go then?" Uraraka asked curiously.

"To Africa with Deku," he said simply. "Maybe the grand canyon in America."

"I've seen it," Pony told them. "I went on a vacation with my family. It touched my heart with it's bigness. I recommend it."

"Lucky bastard," Kacchan grumbled, but there was no heat in his voice.

Ashido and Uraraka giggled.

"This was a really good idea," Yaoyorozu said softly after a few minutes of everyone quieting down. "Thank you, Bakugo."

"Tch. Whatever," Kacchan answered grumpily.

Izuku smiled as he rubbed his cheek gently against Kacchan's stomach, breathing in the blond's scent that was trapped in the soft fabric.

…

_Day Eight Morning:_

Katsuki looked up as Aizawa strolled into the cafeteria. Everyone grew quiet. The rain was still coming down in sheets, but fortunately there was little to no lightning. Kaminari followed their teacher. He looked pale and withdrawn, but he gave everyone a goofy smile before taking a seat at the end of 1-A's table.

"It's important that you understand the limits of your quirks and abilities in all types of environments," Aizawa announced to the room. "Your quirk training will be put on hold so that we can take advantage of the weather. The other pro-heroes are currently constructing an elaborate obstacle course. You will be broken into teams in order to run through it." His dark eyes flashed for a moment. "Be warned this is not a game. The obstacles will be dangerous. I expect you to create your teams with this in mind."

Katsuki grinned wolfishly. Now this sounded awesome!

"The winners of the rescue exercise will become team captains and will take turns picking members. Bakugo, Iida, Midoriya, Shinso, Uraraka, Todoroki - please come forward."

Fuck. Katsuki really liked that team and now it was broken. Scowling, he stalked forward, mind racing as he went down the lists of quirks he knew about, considered the weather, and made some predictions on what kind of obstacles his teachers would create. He'd have to choose wisely if he was going to win.

They did a few quick rounds of rock-paper-scissors to decide the order of who got to choose teammates first. Kirishima won. Izuku lost. Katsuki got fifth. In the end, Katsuki secured four members: Arms, Pikachu, and two 1-B boys. The plain, brown-haired kid who could solidify air with his breath and the asshole who had pitch-black skin.

"Uh, I'm surprised you picked us," the brown-haired extra said awkwardly. "We're, um, sorry about, you know, Truth or Dare. We had no idea he…"

"I don't fucking care about that shit," Katsuki snapped, cutting him off. "The only thing that matters is fucking winning this, and your quirks are fucking useful. That's why I picked you."

That and he actually knew what their quirks were. Izuku could probably rattle off a ten minute speech about the quirk of each kid in 1-B, but Katsuki only knew four off the top of his head. The other two he knew about, the red-head president and horse girl, were already chosen by the time they were down to the 1-B kids. So he was left with the only two he knew about. Those two assholes who were at the Truth or Dare shit show.

Katsuki grabbed Airhead by the shirt and pulled him into a huddle with Arms and Pikachu. Black joined them of his own accord, hands in his pockets. "Now listen up," he said seriously, glaring at each of them. "I have no idea what shit those assholes are going to throw at us, but I expect to beat every other team out here. Especially Deku's! So fucking focus and pay attention. You got that?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Kaminari said with a shout. He was grinning ear to ear.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "How you feeling? Are you up for combat?"

Kaminari nodded with a grin. He was bouncing on his toes, one hand rubbing the bottom hem of his gym top between his fingers compulsively, but his tone was serious when he answered. "My ADHD is pretty bad right now, but I can handle it."

Katsuki made eye contact with Arms, and the octopus-boy gave a subtle nod. He'd help keep an eye on the twitchy teen. Satisfied, Katsuki let a wide grin slip across his face. "Alright. Let's fucking win this shit!"

…

_Obstacle Course:_

Izuku ended up with only one other student from 1-A, and that was Tsu. He'd also chosen Honenuki who could turn any surface into a soft substance like quicksand and move through it at will, Kodai who could make things she touched much larger or much smaller than its original size, and Shishida who became animal-like with increased aggression, physical abilities, and senses.

They entered the forest carefully with Honenuki moving through the mud, scouting ahead. They had only been hiking for ten minutes when, without warning, Izuku, Tsu, Kodai, and Shishida were snapped into the air, water flying as they were yanked upward. Izuku's skin took on a glow, but no matter how hard he struggled, he was stuck. Shishida was bellowing in rage, but he couldn't get free, either. Stilling, Izuku took in what had grabbed them. It was a red net. He swallowed hard. Blood. It was hardened blood. This was Vlad King's trap.

"Well, that didn't take long." The pro-hero stepped out from the shadows of the trees and stood under them, smirking with his massive arms crossed over his chest. "I'd stay and lecture you, but I've got other little fish to catch. See you." With a wave, he turned and walked away.

"Any ideas?" Izuku yelled over the sound of the rain at his team.

"Wait for Honenuki. If he doesn't get captured," Kodai answered logically, completely undisturbed.

Izuku sighed.

It took another ten minutes for Honenuki to figure out something had happened. He laughed as he stared up at them hanging from the trees.

"Get us down, idiot!" Shishida roared.

"I have to touch the net to activate my quirk," the sandy-haired teen said with a grin. He had no lips so his teeth were always exposed, which made his smile all the more intimidating.

Without warning, Tsu snapped her tongue out and wrapped it around the teen's waist. A yank and twist and Honenuki went flying with a startled scream. He crashed into Izuku's net. Izuku quickly reached through to grab hold and keep him steady as they swung like a pendulum from the impact.

"Holy shit! Warn a guy!" Honenuki screamed at Tsu.

She blinked at him. "_Ribbit_."

Izuku instantly fell through the now softened net and landed on his feet. Tsu's tongue was still wrapped around Honenuki's waist and he want flying up to Kodai's net next.

"What did you find ahead?" Izuku asked once they were all back on the ground.

"A path with two walls boxing it in," Honenuki replied. "I'm pretty sure they want us to go that way."

"Take lead." Izuku turned to the others. "Tsu, Shishida, stay on the alert for more nets, okay?"

…

The rain pelted down and mud squelched under their feet, making their footing precarious. Two earthen walls about twenty feet high rose on either side about fifty feet apart. In between them, huge golems rose out of the mud.

"Elephant tiger!" Black shouted over the rain. "Thirty feet."

Katsuki grit his teeth and blasted forward. It took two blasts where normally it only took one, the mud and rain dampening his explosions. An enormous shape appeared out of the gloom and a massive trunk swung at his torso. Katsuki titled his palms and blasted forward at an angle, spiraling around the long, thick limb. He reached forward with his left hand and ignited a big blast right at the golem's head.

Booooom!

The beat staggered.

Pikachu was launched upward from the beast's shadow under it's belly. He lifted his palms and five hundred thousand volts streaked upward with a loud crackle that reminded Katsuki of frying bacon. The beast jittered and crumbled, covering a laughing Kaminari in mud from head to toe. The water mixed in with the dirt conducted Kaminari's electricity, making him twice as effective at half the volts.

"Bear shark?" Black called, almost a question. "Fifty feet dead ahead."

Katsuki took off at a run. "THIS ALL YOU GOT?" he roared, blasting forward, leading the charge.

…

Izuku took a deep breath and uselessly wiped water out of his eyes. Centered, he kicked out, One For All filling his body. The twenty foot tree snapped with a sharp crack. Izuku's feet slipped in the mud, but he managed to catch the tree before it hit the ground. He'd found out the hard way that catching it was much easier than having to lift it straight up off the ground.

Gritting his teeth, he edged over to the side of the cliff they'd run into at the end of the golem infested path. He slammed one end on the ground and leaned it against the cliff face. "Al… right, Kodai… Your… turn…" he panted.

Kodai brushed her wet, black hair from her face and walked up to the tree. She touched it and it began to grow, digging a furrow into the mud as it was pushed backward and reached higher up the cliff face. Honenuki cheered.

When the tree top came even with the cliff edge, Izuku cried, "There! Stop!", and Kodai obediently took her hand from the tree. "The bark is slippery," Izuku warned over the pounding of the rain. "Take it nice and easy. Honenuki, stay at the bottom and soften the ground in case anyone falls. Once we're all up, you can travel through the cliff face after making it soft, right?"

"Yeah! No problem!" The teen gave him two thumbs up.

Izuku had asked if Honenuki could move people through the softened materials with him, but he was still struggling with that. He could make people drop into a soft surface, but he couldn't move them horizontally through it. At least, not yet.

Shishida was already halfway up the tree, climbing swiftly like a monkey. Tsu wasn't far behind him, her sticky hands and feet gave her firm purchase even in the rain. Izuku could have climbed with them, but he hung back with Kodai, shadowing her. Hopefully he could catch her if she fell. His muscles screamed at him as he climbed, and he tapped into One For All just to take the edge off.

"You ever think about a hero's responsibility?"

Izuku pulled himself up to the next row of branches. "What?"

"A hero's responsibility," Kodai repeated, her blue eyes gazing down at him. She'd stopped climbing, needing to rest to catch her breath. Izuku pulled even with her. "We're going to be putting ourselves in a position where other people's lives will depend on us. That's a big responsibility."

Izuku nodded, frowning. "It is," he agreed.

"Well, do you think anyone can shoulder this responsibility? Or only people with the ability to actually save someone?"

Izuku wasn't sure what she was asking or why, but her expression was really serious. "I think the responsibility is there whether someone upholds it or not. I think it's all about choice. Choosing to acknowledge that responsibility or not."

Kodai stared into the rain. "Choice."

Suddenly a rumble started. Izuku could feel the vibrations in the tree trunk. At first he thought it was thunder, but it was growing louder and more violent. Head snapping upward, he stared in horror through the rain as a darkness came rushing toward them. A landslide! Izuku pulled hard on One For All, grabbed Kodai around the waist, and leapt straight into the air.

"TSU!" he screamed. He flung the girl upward.

Just as he began to fall, he saw a large, pink tongue spiral around Kodai's outstretched arm. Relief flooded him, knowing she was safe. Then he was falling. Midair, the mudslide hit him like a truck. He went tumbling. Bashing into the tree and then the cliff face before being slammed into a soft, quicksand-type surface. The weight of the landslide dropped on top of him like a ton of boulders and he sank deep into the dark. He flailed, One For All lighting him up from the inside out, but there was nothing to grab hold of. He was drowning!

Suddenly, a hand closed around his wrist and began pulling him up. Izuku broke the surface of the forest floor, gasping for air and spitting dirt. "Thank you," he gasped, smiling at Honenuki. "You saved me."

The teen blushed. "It's not a big deal. It's why I was down here, remember?" he muttered and helped pull Izuku the rest of the way out of the ground.

…

"What do you think is down there?"

Pikachu was crouched at the mouth of a hole in the center of a clearing they'd found at the top of a cliff. Katsuki and the others came to stand around it as well. Turned out, it wasn't a hole. It was a tunnel.

Katsuki scrubbed his hands on his pants, trying to clean the mud off them. Fat lot of good it did him. His pants were just as filthy. "Black," he ordered. "Scout ahead, but be fucking careful. Don't get caught in a fucking trap."

"My name is Kuroiro," the teen told him dryly.

"Don't worry about it. He never calls people by their names," Pikachu offered. He'd found a stone and threw it down the tunnel. It stuck in the mud with a plop. "It's, like, his thing."

"Just fucking go. You're wasting time," Katsuki snapped, still breathing hard from blasting himself and Pikachu up the cliff. Arms had somehow scaled the fucking thing. Airhead made air stairs, and Black just vanished and appeared on top like it was fucking nothing. Really fucking stupid obstacle if you asked Katsuki.

As Black literally melted into the shadows of the tunnel, Katsuki reached forward and rubbed his hands hard down octopus-boy's back to get them clean. Arms didn't seem to mind. "Alright. Pikachu up front. Make us some light. Airhead you're after him. Then Arms. The me. Arms, I want you on the lookout for anything Black missed because we're going to sprint down this fucking tunnel."

"It's pitch black in there!" Airhead protested.

"Black will warn us of any obstacles," Katsuki said, annoyed. He glared hotly, daring the extra to challenge him. "Do you fucking trust your classmate or not?"

The teen looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

Katsuki backhanded Kaminari on the shoulder. "Set the pace, Pikachu."

Kaminari gave a wild howl and took off at a sprint. He held his hands about six inches apart and let electricity zap warmly between his palms. It wasn't much of a light and it flickered, but it was better than running blind.

Airhead and Arms took off after him and Katsuki took up the rear. As he ran, he let his hands crackle and pop, drying and clearing his palms of the last of the mud. It also had the added benefit of making the extras run faster. Katsuki grinned wickedly and made his pops a little louder.

Not five minutes later, Black halted their charge down the tunnel. "About twenty feet ahead, the tunnel narrows. You'll have to crawl," the teen announced calmly. "It goes on like that for half a mile. The middle is extra tight."

"Can you carry us past?" Airhead squeaked.

Katsuki eyed him in the crackling glow of Kaminari's hands. He looked pale and was shaking, sweat glistening on his face. Fuck.

"I could, but I've been using my quirk pretty much constantly since we started, and I've been carrying people through the shadows a lot on top of it," Black answered solemnly. "If I carry you guys through, I'll be almost out of juice until I can rest for awhile."

"Take this shithead with you and wait for us at the end," Katsuki decided. He would have preferred to save Black's quirk, but he wasn't about to deal with the extra having a panic attack in a tiny tunnel. "Rest up as much as you can."

"I think I prefer airhead to shithead," the teen said nervously. Then with a yelp he dropped into the shadow beneath his feet.

With a startling white grin, Black sank backward into the darkness and was gone.

Fucking tight didn't fucking cover it. They'd crawled for what felt like hours until Katsuki's knees were black and blue. Then the tunnel suddenly pinched in even further until they had to get on their stomachs and army crawl. Then it pinched in AGAIN and they had to literally wiggle forward, earth pressing in around them like a fucking tube of toothpaste and they were the fucking paste. The walls dragged against their backs, sides, stomachs, and Pikachu fucking froze.

"I can't I can't I can't…" Kaminari was losing it, his voice rising with hysteria. He was hyperventilating, frozen at the front, which brought Arms and Katsuki to a stand-still as well. The fucking tunnel wrapped tight around them to where they could barely lift their head enough to look straight.

"Keep going," Arms hissed, panic edging his voice. "Don't stop, Kaminari!"

"I can't breathe! I can't! Go back! Let me ooooout," he wailed.

"Shit," Katsuki spat, then he took a deep fucking breath and began to sing.

The song was strategic. Katsuki knew Kaminari had a thing for music. He'd heard the idiot listening to this song before, and it was one Katsuki knew well enough to know the words. Better yet, it had a fucking metronomic beat.

"This _night_ is cold in the _king_dom. I can _feel_ you fade _a_way_. _From the_ kit_chen to the bathroom _sink _and. Your _steps _keep me_ a_wake_._"

There was the sound of a choked and gasping laugh. "Ba-Baku-go? Wh-What are you do-doing?"

"You know the fucking words," Katsuki growled into the dirt. It took all he had not to scream at the idiot to MOVE! "Come on, Pikachu. Sing with me… _Don't_ cut me down. _Throw_ me out. Leave me here to _waste. _I once was a _man_ with dignity and _grace_. Now I'm slipping through the _cracks_ of your cold _embrace_. So please, _please_."

Kaminari's voice joined his, warbling at first and then steading, and thank fucking FUCK, the blond began to wiggle forward.

"Could you find a way to let me down slowly? A little sympathy, I hope you can show me. If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely. If you're leaving baby let me down slowly. Let me down, _down_. Let me down, _down_. Let me down."

And then they were through the tightest spot, the tunnel opening a fraction. Katsuki breathed a sigh of relief. He dropped out of the song, but Kaminari was on a roll. His tenor voice lifted as they army crawled forward.

"Cold _skin_, drag my feet on the _tile_. As I'm _walk_ing down the _cor_ridor. And I _know_ we haven't talked in a _while_, so I'm _look_ing for an open _door_… _Don't_ cut me down. _Throw_ me out. Leave me here to _waste_. I once was a _man_ with dignity and _grace_. Now I'm slipping through the _cracks_ of your cold _embrace_. So please, _please_." He trailed off, as if only now realizing Katsuki wasn't singing with him. "B-Bakugo?"

The plaintive call of his name made him snort. What the hell? Why not. Rising up on his hands and knees, Katsuki sang the chorus, "Could you find a way to let me down slowly? A little sympathy, I hope you can show me. If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely. If you're leaving baby let me down slowly. Let me down, _down_. Let me down, _down_."

Kaminari's voice rang out, clear and strong. "And I can't stop myself from falling… _Down_. And I can't stop myself from falling… _Down._"

Katsuki laughed as Arms took the next chorus, his voice deeper than Kaminari's and Katsuki's. "Could you find a way to let me down slowly? A little sympathy, I hope you can show me. If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely. If you're leaving baby let me down slowly. Let me down, _down_. Let me down, _down_. Let me down."

Kanimari finished the song just as the tunnel opened up enough for them to actually fucking stand. "If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely. If you're leaving baby let me down slowly."

"What was that?" Airhead asked. He looked very confused, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips almost despite himself.

"Shut up." Katsuki shoved his head as he walked past. "We've lost enough time. Let's go."

…

Izuku and his team were officially filthy. They were head to toes mud after Honenuki softened only the first inch of the tunnel floor, everyone got on their stomach, and Izuku gave them a hard One For All push. They practically flew down the tunnel, riding the softened mud like a Slip N'Slide.

Together they marched out of the tunnel, dripping mud, and stepped into the forest again with the rain still coming down in sheets. Izuku looked ahead and saw a huge hill. Something dark was on top of it. They marched forward, only to come to a stop as soon as the figure became clear. It was Aizawa sitting on top of the mound, and behind him was a red flag staked into the ground.

"Capture the flag," Aizawa called to them. A flash of teeth that Izuku could see clearly for once as his teacher's hair had been pulled back into a wet, high bun. It was officially terrifying. "If you can."

Izuku gulped, but he set his feet. "Okay. So Aizawa can erase quirks and he knows we're coming. We're definitely at the disadvantage. Any ideas?"

"I have a few large items that I carry around shrunk," Kodai told him. "If Aizawa erases my quirk, they'll return to their real size and become dangerous projectiles."

"He can't erase my quirk," Tsu informed them. "My quirk is biological. A part of my physiology."

"Okay." Izuku gave them all a determined stare. "I have a plan."

It was simple. He and Tsu would play defense and distraction all in one. Aizawa would be more likely to watch them, as he knew them, but the 1-B students were unfamiliar and had the highest chance of slipping past. So Izuku ran in with a yell, blurring forward with superhuman speed, only for One For All to be yanked from his grasp. Izuku stumbled and slipped in the mud, but that saved him as Aizawa's scarves snapped closed around the space he'd been standing in.

Tsu frog-leaped high into the air and her tongue lashed out at Aizawa's goggles. Izuku used the moment Aizawa was focused on Tsu to sprint up the hill. He jumped into a back flip to avoid more strands of the capture weapon. His foot slipping out from under him on the landing and he went down.

Something silver glinted in the dull light that managed to bleed through the heavy clouds. Aizawa turned. Suddenly a scalpel expanded a thousand times its size and became a huge deadly sharp blade as big as building's two-by-four. Aizawa ducked, but this made him break his visual of Izuku. Izuku practically flew up the mound. Tsu's tongue lashed out and purposefully tangled itself in Aizawa's scarf. One For All was yanked from his grasp, but a loud crack sounded and suddenly a shadow loomed above them.

Kodai's enormous scalpel had chopped down a tree and it was falling toward Aizawa. Izuku veered, quirkless, and tackled the man to the side, which allowed the capture scarf to snap tightly closed around him. The tree fell with a SMACK into the mud, shaking the ground, and Honenuki gave a cheer as he sank the flag into the quicksand of his quirk.

…

Katsuki had a torn red flag draped over his shoulder as stepped onto the front lawn of the cabin with his bedraggled team following behind him. A noise to the side drew his attention down a side path, and he saw Izuku, covered in mud, coming toward him. A flash of red. Katsuki saw that the toothy 1-B boy was carrying a flag as well.

Katsuki planted himself at the beginning of their path and gave them a shit-eating grin. "I win, Deku," he said lowly, eyes flashing.

Izuku smiled. "Who'd you fight for the flag?"

"Tiger. You?" Katsuki's smile shrank as he noticed Izuku didn't have his arm around Froggy out of friendliness. He was limping.

"Aizawa."

Katsuki scowled at that. "Lucky."

"We would have beaten you back if Midoriya hadn't sprained his ankle," Froggy said calmly.

"Yeah!" Teeth chimed in aggressively. "Coming back was slow going because of Midoriya! I bet we had our flag way before you did!"

Katsuki lifted an unimpressed eyebrow. "Doesn't matter, shithead. A win's a win, and I got here first. You guys are losers for getting hurt in the first place."

Teeth glared at him, but before he could retort, Izuku shifted from Tsu to Katsuki. Katsuki reflexively supported his boyfriend, taking half his weight. "Anyone else back?" Izuku asked smiling. "Maybe you weren't the first one here?"

Katsuki let the nerd redirect the conversation, but a glare told Izuku that he knew what he was doing. "I fucking doubt it."

"The trials were challenging," the emotionless, black-haired chick from 1-B stated as she walked past him.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Katsuki bragged with a grin and half carried Izuku into the cabin. As he'd suspected, no one else was there. "See?" he taunted, grinning down at Izuku. "I win."

Izuku laughed. "You'll have to claim your prize later."

Ragdoll chose that moment to come bounding out of the cafeteria. "Bakugo, take him upstairs! Mandalay is getting the portable x-ray ready."

"It's not broken," Izuku assured her.

Katsuki snorted.

Ragdoll's attention was already on something else. Her golden eyes took in the group of muddy, dripping teens in front of her. "The rest of you into the baths! Then we'll have lunch!" She clapped excitedly and ran back into the cafeteria.

Katsuki hauled an increasingly heavy Izuku up to the second floor. The clinic was a tiny fucking room with a cot and a bunch of medical supplies stored haphazardly around the room. Mandalay looked up from a machine that was no bigger than a suitcase as they entered.

"Onto the cot," the woman ordered.

Izuku hopped his way over and plopped down. Literally. Mud plopped right off him. Fortunately, Mandalay only laughed at this.

"I'm okay. It's not broken," he told her with a smile.

Mandalay gently grabbed his ankle and brought the machine closer. "I'm still going to check it."

The door opened behind him, and Katsuki turned to see the little brat standing there. He was glaring at Izuku. "Told you showing off with your quirk is stupid," the boy snapped. Katsuki was almost impressed with his level of attitude.

"Kota!" Izuku said with pure happiness, eyes sparkling and smile shinning. How the brat was immune to that shit, Katsuki had no idea. Maybe it was his quirk. "How are you?"

"Better than you," the brat returned nastily. "Did you break it kicking down a tree?"

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Actually, my teacher can erase quirks, so I didn't have my quirk when I fell. I, uh, I actually did a back flip and slipped in the mud when I landed."

Katsuki burst out laughing and soon the little brat was snickering with him.

"It's not broken!" Mandalay announced. Her warm brown eyes looked up at Katsuki. "Do you know how to wrap a sprain?"

Katsuki glared. "Of course, I do."

Mandalay went to the boxes of supplies in the corner and came back with medical wrap. "Here. After you guys shower, wrap it for him."

Izuku blushed, not that you could see it under all the mud on his face. Katsuki could tell only because he knew the nerd so well. "I can do it myself."

"Shut up, Deku." Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said and hauled the teen to his feet. "You're fucking filthy," he growled lowly, right into Izuku's ear.

"Kacchan!" he sputtered, his face burning red to the tips of his ears. He went on the defensive. "Look at you! You're a mess, too!"

"Not as bad as you," Katsuki countered. He flashed the kid a grin. "You agree, right, brat?"

The boy scowled and stomped from the room without answering.

Katsuki glared after him. "Come on, Izuku. Hurry up. Those losers will use all the hot water." Izuku allowed himself to be move down the hall toward the stairs. Katsuki leaned in and put his mouth right by Izuku's ear. "And don't fucking think this'll stop me from taking my prize."

Izuku looked up at him through his lashes and soggy bangs, his expression sweet. "I wouldn't dream of denying you, Kacchan."

Katsuki felt his stomach flutter and his cheeks warm.

Izuku laughed.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: ** So the song Katsuki and Kaminari sang is called _Let Me Down Slowly _by Alec Benjamin.

Hope you guys don't mind me doing a song. It just made so much sense for the scene! ;p

**A/n2:** So I didn't really mean for the Summer Camp to take so many chapters, but we're finally up to Day Eight! This chapter just grew on me and I decided to end it there instead of pushing onward.

Let me know what you think!


	54. Chapter 54

**A/n: **Soooooo…. The BIG CHAPTER! In a lot of ways! _*shows of buff arms*_ I mean, I've been writing nonstop for DAYS! - editing and editing and EDITING - before I could post it, so I had to get buff, right? _*flexes*_ Hmmm, not quite Katsuki/Izuku-buff, but at least as good as Uraraka! XD

All jokes aside, intense stuff in this one. From one thing to the next. Oh, yeah!

**WARNING:** A smutty scene starts us off, so if you don't like, skip to the second section.

Also, I just wanna warn you that this chapter got so ENORMOUS because there were a lot more speeches than I anticipated. So be prepared for that. Hopefully it's not annoying and you're not going BLAH BLAH BLAH in your head when you read it. _*cringes*_ I hate when that happens.

ALSO! I was going to cut the chapter in half…. _*breaks out in a cold sweat*_…. but I got really afraid for my life. I'm pretty sure at least one of you guys would have killed me for a cliffhanger.

So. _*flexes buff arms again*_ Without further ado…

Shit's about to go _DOWN!_

…

**Things Get Real**

_Day Nine Morning:_

Katsuki woke to Izuku's alarm and was instantly alert. It was pitch-black outside, still a few hours from dawn, but that's exactly what he needed. He hadn't been able to claim his prize yesterday because of all the extras hanging about, but they were the only ones up this early. They could finally be fucking alone.

Katsuki grabbed his aching dick and squeezed painfully tight as he watched Izuku's silhouette move through the dark room. Katsuki waited until his breathing steadied and his dick calmed the fuck down before stalking silently after his boyfriend.

He ambushed Izuku in the bathroom. Izu had already brushed his teeth, so when Katsuki yanked him into a deep kiss, his mouth was flooded with the sharp taste of mint. Izuku made a little yip sound, and Katsuki pressed him even harder against the sink.

"K-Kacchan…" Izuku stuttered, face red.

Katsuki gave him a slow smile. "I'm taking my prize." He pressed up against Izuku again. His mouth just barely touching Izuku's lips as he taunted, "I thought you wouldn't deny me, Izu."

Izuku shivered, his pupils expanding. "But… what about the others? We could get caught."

Katsuki snorted and pulled Izuku out of the bathroom by his wrist."No one's up, Deku. It's four in the fucking morning."

His blood was pumping and his cock was rock hard. He didn't give a flying fuck about anyone else. He wanted his fucking prize, and Izuku was going to give it to him. And as much as Izuku complained, he wasn't resisting. He let Katsuki pull him into the locker room and strip him.

Katsuki hummed his approval as he chased Izuku's blush down his boyfriend's throat and collarbones with his tongue. Then he pulled Izu into the hot spring. "If someone walks in, I'll fucking pretend to be giving you a fucking massage. How's that?" he asked, breathless.

He turned Izuku around so the teen had his back to Katsuki's chest and pushed him forward so he was kneeling on the seat. Heart thundering, practically fucking aching for this shit, Katsuki put his mouth right by Izuku's ear. "Hold on tight, Izu."

"_Kacchan!_" Izuku yelped as Katsuki slid his dick between Izuku's thighs. He scrambled to grab the edge of the pool.

"Close your legs, nerd," Katsuki ordered, heart pounding in his throat.

Trembling, eyes blown wide in shock, Izuku obeyed and closed his thighs tight around Katsuki's cock.

Katsuki hissed, his hips flexing in pleasure. The water was slick and hot, rising halfway up their chests. Izuku's thighs were deliciously hard. Plastering his chest to Izuku's back, Katsuki looked over the shorter teen's shoulder and could just see the tip of his cock head pressing out between the crack in Izuku's muscled thighs. He could also see Izuku's dick stiff against the teen's six-pack abs.

"Fuck, yeah. Look at that," Katsuki gasped, excited. "Shit. I should fucking take a picture."

"_Kacchan!_" Izuku squeaked, shocked.

"So fucking hot, Deku. Keep crying my name." Katsuki growled and bit softly along the slope of Izuku's shoulder.

Izuku fucking gasped and flung his head back to rest on Katsuki's shoulder, exposing his throat and flushed face, dewy with sweat from the heat of the water.

Katsuki pulled his hips back and thrust forward. It wasn't the same as the lube Izuku bought, not as slippery, but it was good enough to drag his dick in and out, pleasure singing along his nerves. The water made him move slower than he wanted. He wanted to slam forward. Instead he had to roll his hips more than thrust them, but, fuck, the frustration added a surprisingly delicious edge to the tension.

"Wanna slam into you. Wanna pink your ass with my hips. Wanna make you work to hold yourself upright," Katsuki growled into Izuku's ear.

His breathing sped up as he felt Izuku twitch, felt him pushing back against his hips, felt him extend his head even further in submission. Fuck, he loved how fucking easy Izuku was.

"Bet I could make you cum like this. Without even touching your cock. Fuck, look at it. Bouncing. Turning all pink in the water. Fucking love your cock all flushed like that. So fucking pretty. Makes me think of your fucking mouth after you suck me off. Swollen and wet and such a fucking pretty pink. Fuck, Izu," Katsuki growled and ran his teeth up Izuku's throat before nipping at his jaw. "I'm fucking close."

"_K-Kacchan…_" Izuku gasped. "_Kacchan_…"

"Fuuuuck," Katsuki moaned, eyes rolling.

He was so close his balls fucking ached with it, but he couldn't get there. There wasn't enough friction. His thighs flexed and he heaved Izuku up over the lip of the pool, his ass lifted out of the water but thighs still submerged. Izuku gave a cry, before shoving his fingers in his mouth to muffle any noise he made. His cheek was pressed flat to the floor, his hair splayed around his head and sticking to his forehead. He was fucking _gorgeous!_

Katsuki held him in place with a hand in the center of his back. His hips snapped forward _hard_into the heat of the water and tightness of Izuku's thighs. _SLAP!_Izuku gasped, his ass lifting higher as Katsuki rocked his body forward. _Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!_

"Fuck yeah. Fuck, Izuku. Look so pretty. Feel so fucking good." Katsuki was right there, right on the fucking edge. His hips beat at Izuku's ass. Already the skin was turning pink. "Pink as your fucking cock," he babbled. _SLAP!__SLAP!__SLAP!_"Let's make em blush. Blush fucking _red_. Oh fuck yeah Izu fuck you're so good to me so fucking perfect."

And Izuku agave a low, wrecked cry. His body undulated under Katsuki's as the fucking nerd blew his load in less than five minutes. Without Katsuki touching his dick once. Grinning wildly, triumph and victory practically howling in his chest, Katsuki completely lost it.

"So… Fucking… Easy! KNEES!" he barked as Izuku's body went limp and loose.

Whining, shuddering, Izuku pressed his knees together, closing his thighs tight around Katsuki's throbbing cock once more. Tears drenched his face. A sob slipped free. Helplessly, Izuku canted his hips up, trying to get his dick off the stone floor, oversensitive and raw. "_K-Kacch-chan_…" he sobbed, clawing at the ground.

Katsuki fucking growled, completely out of control and so fucking turned on it HURT! He pressed Izuku down harder and slammed his hips against Izuku's limp body. _SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP! _Izuku gave a choked cry, sobbing as he lay splayed out on the stone floor. Katsuki growled, panting hard, sweat dripping off his face and down his chest.

"Fucking feel it, Izu? Fucking feel me?" _SlapSlapSlapSlapSlap!_

"Yes!" Izuku sobbed helplessly, eyes wide and soft and fucking GONE. "_Katsuki!_"

At the broken cry of his given name, Katsuki's back arched sharply. The orgasm hit him hard! Stole his breath, shorted out his vision, rang in his ears like fucking bells. He jerked and spasmed as lightning surging beneath his skin, burning him alive, until he fucking melted, vibrating down to his bones.

He slid off Izuku's shaking body into the warm embrace of the spring. "Fuck, so good," he groaned, grinning stupidly, eyes lidded, body languid. Sparks and heat curled and stretched through his nerves as he slowly came down.

Izuku, still crying softly, began to slide back into the pool, but Katsuki surged forward and put a hand on his heated ass. "Not yet," he said softly. He ran his thumb over the tender, red skin. Fuck, he could feel the heat against his palms.

"_Kacchan_," Izuku whimpered, but he stayed still, limp and pliant, trembling, and fuck Katsuki loved him like this.

Katsuki stroked the heated skin tenderly. "I really do wanna take a picture."

"Kacchan, noooo," Izuku whined, wiggling. He looked over his shoulder, face flushed from orgasm and tear-streaked. He was a beautiful fucking mess.

"I know, I know," Katsuki panted breathlessly, palming Izu's red ass. "I won't," he promised. "Just want to."

Izuku pressed back against his palms. "_Kacchan…_" he mewled, and fuck if that sound didn't make Katsuki's dick throb.

Katsuki bent forward to lick a path up Izuku's red ass cheek, enjoying the heat against his tongue. "Maybe next time," he said with a teasing nip and finally let Izuku go.

Izuku sank into the water with a breathy gasp, tears still falling from dazed emerald eyes. "Ka-chan," he called, needy, breath hitching.

Katsuki grinned, flashing his teeth, and pulled Izuku sideways into his lap, wrapping him in his strong arms. "Keep saying my name, Deku," he purred and kissed him, thrusting his tongue into Izuku's willing mouth. When they broke apart, Izuku whispered a soft, breathless little, "_Katsuki." _

Izuku said his name like a prayer, like the way he said, '_I love you_', and a sudden sting of tears burned Katsuki's eyes. He answered with his own brand of '_I love you_', his lips drawing Izuku's into a slow, sweet kiss as he cradled Izuku to his chest.

…

_Day Nine Evening:_

"Fuck. It almost makes me wish I'd been assigned to Tiger," Awase said as he eyed Shishida. "You and Midoriya are ripped. And even Shinso's getting a six-pack!"

They were in the locker room after another brutal day of training. Ragdoll had scanned them with her eyes and ordered them to relax in the hot spring until dinner. Izuku pulled his towel higher around his waist, but it was undeniable that his body had become all hard lines and rounded muscle. He didn't look like a bodybuilder like Sato or Shoji, but there wasn't an ounce of fat left on him. Well, except for his face. He still had a round baby face.

"Trust me," he groaned as he sank into the hot water. "You don't wish you were assigned to Tiger."

"How many times have you passed out now?" Hitoshi asked quietly as he sat next to him.

"Lost count," Izuku admitted. "You?"

"Four," Hitoshi admitted, his purple hair hanging heavy around his head, damp with sweat.

Kacchan snorted. He purposefully jostled Izuku as he sat next to him, making Izuku groan in pain. "The trick will be keeping the muscle once we leave," he said with a grin. "We'll have to hit the gym fucking hard once we're home."

"Your arms are badass, Bakugo. Especially your shoulders," Kirishima complimented from the showers. "Let's arm wrestle later!"

"Anytime you feel like losing, bring it on, Red," Kacchan called back.

Izuku chuckled and closed his eyes, letting the conversation of the boys drift around him.

Sero: "Looking pretty buff there, yourself, Iida. Look at those legs!" A laugh. "All that running's paying off."

Iida: "Our bodies are instruments. It is our responsibility to hone and train them as much as we are able."

Tetsutetsu: "We're going to ace that exam!"

Kirishima: "We'll get an A+ for manliness!"

Tokoyami, tone dry: "I do not believe manliness is a qualification."

A gasp of horror that was totally Kirishima: "It's the most important qualification there is to being a hero!"

Todoroki: "I think the girls would disagree."

Kirishima: "Girls can be manly, too!"

Awase: "I like the ones who aren't. Like Yaoyorozu. Mmm, those boobs."

Izuku cracked his eyes open again, nervous with the direction the conversation had turned. By this point, most of the boy were in the hot spring. There were twenty-eight of them in all, so they had to sit practically shoulder-to-shoulder to fit, and that was with Kaminari and Honenuki floating in the center.

"Those are our colleagues!" Iida exclaimed, and Izuku wanted to hug him.

"Come on," Awase groaned. "I'm not being disrespectful. They're fucking badass, but that doesn't mean I can't admire their bodies in the presence of my friends, right?"

"I notice you never bring up the girls in your class," Iida retorted. "I would ask that you afford our female classmates the same respect."

Awase rolled his eyes. "You're never gonna get a girlfriend with that attitude."

"It's not a good idea to date another hero," Hitoshi offered, and Izuku shot him a questioning look. Hitoshi still held himself back from the others a lot, so choosing to enter this conversation out of all of them was surprising. "A hero's work is never done, so you wouldn't have a lot of time to spend together."

Tsuburaba grinned. "Which is why most heroes don't do serious relationships and just hook up casually with other heroes."

"Which is also why you should be paying attention to the hot babes in your class," Awase agreed and high-fived Tsuburaba.

"If you have this much energy to be fucking stupid, go run around or something," Kacchan growled. "I'm trying to relax here."

"Come on. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it," Awase jeered. "Who'd you want to mess around with if you could?"

Izuku's eyes went wide as ruby red eyes slid over to him. Izuku's heart stuttered in his chest as Kacchan gave a slow, wicked smile. Just five feet away was the spot Kacchan had totally destroyed him that morning.

Izuku stood up so fast he created a small wave, and everyone cried out complaints. "Sorry! I'm feeling dizzy! I'm getting out," he squeaked.

"Your face is red," Iida informed him. "You are overheated. Take a cool shower."

"Y-Yeah," Izuku stammered and forced his sore limbs to climb out of the hot water. "I'll do that."

"Man, if I had a dollar for every time your class president fainted, I could buy a new phone!" someone said behind him and several laughs rang out.

Izuku sat on the low stool placed in the shower stall and bit his lip as he turned on the water. Movement out of the corner of his eye had him turning to see Kacchan leaning against the partition. The stalls didn't have doors, so Kacchan was able to walk in easily. Izuku's eyes went wide in panic. Anyone could walk by! The other boys were less than twenty feet away, sitting in the hot spring!

"Shhh," Kacchan said so softly it almost blended in with the hiss of the falling water. "I'm not gonna do anything." He reached forward and slid his hand along Izuku's jaw to the back of his neck, applying a gentle pressure. "This really bothers you, huh?"

Izuku couldn't deny it. His heart was still racing and he felt jumpy as hell. His eyes filled with tears.

"I'm not gonna do anything you don't want, Izu," Kacchan promised, staring into Izuku's eyes seriously. "I don't care about those fucks. You want this secret, I'll keep it secret." He stepped closer. "But I'm not ashamed of this. You're fucking sexy as hell, and you make me feel fucking fantastic. I'd make out with you in front of all those extras and be proud to do it." A sharp, fearless grin. "Show them how it's fucking done right."

Tears rolled down Izuku's cheeks. He pulled Kacchan in and pressed his face against the blond's hard stomach. "I'm not ashamed. I just… I don't want anyone to treat us differently, and I don't want you to get any more heat, you know?" He felt Kacchan tense in his arms, and Izuku looked up quickly, eyes wet and imploring. "I know you don't care what anyone thinks. I know that, but I do care, Kacchan. They're just starting to see how incredible you really are. I don't want to ruin that. I'm sorry. I'm just… I'm not ready, Kacchan. But it's not because I'm ashamed or I don't love you! I love you so, so much. There's never a moment when I'm not grateful to have you as my boyfriend! You're the most amazing, the most incredible…"

"Shut up, Deku," Kacchan growled, a fond smile softening his expression. "You're fucking rambling again. I'm not mad at you, nerd." He crouched down so they were eye level and held Izuku's face in his hands. "I told you. I won't do anything you don't want. I don't care one way or another if people know. I really don't. I just wanted you to know I'll fucking own this shit proudly once you're ready for it to come out."

Izuku closed his eyes, his chest painfully tight. "I don't deserve you."

"No one fucking deserves me. I'm the best," Kacchan said seriously. He tapped Izuku's cheek to make him open his eyes. "Don't worry about this shit, Izu. Seriously. Okay?"

Izuku gave him a smile and agreed, "Okay," but the guilt would weigh on him.

…

_Day Ten Midmorning:_

Katsuki was pissed at himself. He lifted his hands from the boiling water and let off a huge explosion that rocked the ground. BAAAH - BOOOOOM! A huge fireball the size of a small house punched into the air.

He hadn't meant to pressure the nerd or anything, but apparently he had. Izuku had been withdrawn and quiet since Katsuki had confronted him in the shower. Even during yoga that morning, Izuku had looked at him with these sad, green eyes. Keeping their shit secret really wasn't a big fucking deal, but it bothered Katsuki because it obviously bothered Izuku! And Katsuki didn't get it! He lifted his hands in the air, snarled, and triggered his explosive sweat. BAAAH - BOOOOOM!

Maybe that's what bothered him the most. The fact he didn't understand. Izuku insisted he didn't want people to know because he was worried about Katsuki, but Katsuki had told Deku over and over that _he didn't care!_So what was the fucking problem? What was Katsuki missing? BAAAH - BOOOOOM!

Was this about hero ratings and popularity? Because people knowing Katsuki was with Izuku wasn't going to stop him from being Number One. _Nothing_was going to stop him. He was going to tear through the hero rankings like wet fucking paper! So he didn't understand Izuku's hang up about this relationship bullshit. BAAAH - BOOOOOM!

Or was this because he'd lost his fucking mind yesterday? He'd hurt Izuku, made him break down into sobs, and fuck if Katsuki hadn't gotten off on it. And what the hell was that?! What the FUCK was WRONG with him?! Maybe Izuku was fucking disturbed now or some shit? Maybe he couldn't trust Katsuki anymore? Maybe Katsuki couldn't trust himself? BAAAH - BOOOOOM!

Katsuki stood panting, drenched in sweat from the summer sun, and stared at his bleeding palms. "Fuck. Shit. Motherfucker. Goddamnit!" Stomping over to where Todoroki was freezing and melting himself in turns, he called out angrily, "Half n'Half, I need some ice for my fucking hands!"

Todoroki's eyes widened and he climbed out of his barrel to come and see the damage. He made a face when he saw the bleeding blisters and made a brick-sized block of ice. Katsuki yanked his tank top off, wrapped the ice with it, and then held the block in both hands. He sat heavily on his ass, legs spread and knees bent, and glared at the ground.

"You want to talk about it?" Todoroki asked, sitting next to him.

Katsuki scowled. "Fuck. I don't know."

"Talk to me," Todoroki said softly, catching his eyes and holding his gaze evenly.

Katsuki glared. "Do you think the rest of the class should know about me and Izuku?"

Todoroki blinked and titled his head thoughtfully. "I think it's up to you."

"I don't care!" Katsuki exploded. "They can know or not know! I. Don't. Care! But Izuku is just so fucking weird about it. He wants to keep it secret, but I can tell he's fucking upset that it is. He gets so fucking petrified when everyone talks about relationships and girls, and I don't. Fucking. Get it!" he spat, teeth gritted and growling in frustration.

Todoroki looked up into the cloudless sky. "If I told my dad I was gay, he would have beat the shit out me, and that would have just been the warm up."

Katsuki stared at him with wide eyes. "The hell, Shoto?"

Todoroki lowered his head and looked at him solemnly. One eye was grey under a shock of pure white hair, the other a bright teal blue under vivid red bangs. "It's just an example of how some people will react. My dad definitely wouldn't have accepted you as an intern if he knew you were with a boy, which means you might not get offers to work as a sidekick at an agency after graduation. And without family money, you won't be able to start up your own agency because there's a chance banks won't loan to you. Coming out could potentially end your career before it even starts."

"That's fucking bullshit," Katsuki said flatly. "None of that stuff, even if it did happen - And I'm not saying it would because it's a fucking paranoid delusion - would stop me and Izuku from becoming heroes."

Todoroki ignored his denial. "It's even possible the boys in class wouldn't feel comfortable changing with you or Midoriya in the same room or sleeping in the same room. The school might not be able to accommodate separate quarters, so you might be asked not to attend things like this summer camp."

Katsuki couldn't believe what he was hearing. "The hell are you talking about? They can be as uncomfortable as they fucking want! They can't kick me out of camp or anything else!"

Todoroki looked away and stared out over the mountain-scape. "It might not happen that way," he agreed. "I'm just saying it could. I'm sure that's what Midoriya's worried about."

Katsuki stared at his friend, completely surprised. He knew people didn't like same-sex pairings, but they didn't like a bunch of shit and it didn't matter. It was frowned upon for those with physical mutations like Tokoyami with his bird head to be with non-mutant types, but it happened. Or an older person with a younger. Or a doctor with a patient. Or any number of stupid taboos, and yet shit happened and people fell in love. It didn't fucking ruin their lives!

Katsuki had seen his and Izuku's relationship as just one of those fucking taboos. That it would piss people off, but who the fuck cared what they thought? He sure as fuck didn't, but apparently he'd been wrong. If it could give the fucking extras in class the power to keep them from fucking class trips, or give a bank the power to deny them fucking loans and shit, then it wasn't just a fucking taboo.

"I have to talk to Aizawa," he muttered, upset and angry.

Todoroki stood and grabbed Katsuki by the arm, hauling him to his feet. "Just so you know…" He met Katsuki's eyes seriously. "I've got your back no matter what you decide to do."

Katsuki frowned. "Yeah. Thanks," he muttered and stomped off.

…

"Eraser." Ragdoll's voice came over his ear piece. "The explody one went too far. Hurt his hands."

Aizawa immediately headed for the tents where they stored the food and first-aid kits. He opened a kit on the table and sat, waiting. He didn't have to wait long. Katsuki came stomping up, sweaty and disheveled, his hands held away from his body. He was scowling, clearly pissed off. Aizawa sighed and gestured for Katsuki to sit next to him.

"Ragdoll told me you hurt your hands," he explained and reached for Katsuki's wrists, turning the teen's palms up to see them clearly. They were blistered and bleeding, but with the proper care, they should be healed in a day or two. "What happened?"

"If people found out about Izuku and me," Katsuki demanded, watching Aizawa's expressions intently. "Would it completely prevent us from having a hero career?"

Aizawa blinked, completely blindsided, but Katsuki was serious. The teen was staring at him, intensely focused. Aizawa thought about the question for a minute, and he wished with all his heart he had a better one to give. Sighing, he got out the antiseptic and a cotton ball and began cleaning Katsuki's hands as he spoke.

"There will be people who will say being gay makes you a bad role model for their children and that will turn them against you. A good percentage of a hero's rating is based on their popularity with the general populace, so, yes, Katsuki, it will be an obstacle to you becoming the Number One Hero."

Katsuki stared at him unblinking. "But it's not impossible to be gay and the Number One Hero?"

Aizawa sighed again. As much as he respected Katsuki's single-minded determination, it also exhausted him at times. He set aside the cotton and reached for the gauze bandages. "Not impossible, but extremely improbable. The highest a gay hero has gotten in the hero ranks was seventy-two, and that was twenty years ago. Cherry Bomb was extremely charismatic and personable. People absolutely adored him, but he never broke the top fifty. To give you some perspective, the Pussycats are ranked four hundred and eleventh."

"Because of Tiger?" Katsuki demanded, eyes narrowing into slits.

"Because of Tiger," Aizawa confirmed sadly.

Suddenly it seemed all the energy washed out of the teen sitting before him. "I don't understand," Katsuki said quietly. Red eyes peered up into his own, a lost look in them that made Aizawa's heart ache to see. "What does it matter?"

Aizawa reached forward to put a steady hand on Katsuki's slumped shoulders. "People are stupid," he said bluntly. "There's still a fear that homosexuality is contagious. That children's sexuality can be influenced, and people don't want to risk their kids getting turned gay by a popular gay hero."

Katsuki opened his mouth, a glare of outrage on his face, but Aizawa held up his hands in a peace gesture.

"I know that's not how it works, but that's what people fear. Population rates dropped when quirks started to appear. The economy all over the world ground to a halt. It was really bad, Katsuki. Women had a hard time birthing babies with quirks and a lot of them died. Between that, and the execution policies for those with quirks, and the appearance of superhuman villains going on rampages, human extinction was a real possibility. Then the Hero Public Safety Commission was founded, and order was slowly reestablished. With that came birthing incentives and intense propaganda against same-sex couples. We're still suffering the fallout of that as a society even though we've long since recovered from the World Depression."

"That was fucking eight generations ago!" Katsuki protested furiously.

"I'm sorry," he said, knowing it wasn't enough. That it would never be enough.

Katsuki scowled, arms crossed as he glared out at the world. Suddenly he snapped his eyes around to Aizawa once more. "Cherry Bomb. He was fucking amazing."

"Yes," Aizawa agreed, lifting an eyebrow.

"More amazing than me?" Katsuki demanded seriously.

Aizawa stared at his ward in silence for a long moment before his lips twitched into a smile. He reached forward to ruffle the teen's ash blond hair, and for the first time, he could admit to himself that somewhere along the line he'd come to love this kid. "No. Not as amazing as you."

A grin split Katsuki's face. "That's what I fucking thought!" Cocky, the teen asked, "More amazing than Izuku?"

Aizawa sighed. All Might had shattered the ceiling when it came to popularity. No hero in the history of heroes had ever held the Number One spot for so many years or so one-sidedly. Endeavor had fluctuated between second and third before settling into second place for the last five years, but he'd never even come close to All Might's first place position. Midoriya was All Might's successor, and as much as Aizawa hated flashy heroes, he knew Midoriya had all the makings of becoming just as enormous as the previous Symbol of Peace. That is, if he didn't break under the pressure along the way.

Rolling his eyes with a grimace, Aizawa painfully said, "No. Not as amazing as Midoriya."

The admission was worth it to see the grin that lit up Katsuki's face, but then Katsuki's smile faded and he tilted his head. "If the extras did find out," the teen pressed, eyes calculating. "Could we be prevented from attending events like this camp because they're fucking uncomfortable or some shit?"

Aizawa held his eyes and promised, "Over my dead body."

Katsuki's grin returned as bright and sharp as ever, and then with a rare verbal gesture of respect, he said sincerely, "Thanks, sensei."

Aizawa nodded awkwardly, his cheeks feeling warm.

Katsuki stood, rolling his shoulders. "I'm gonna go train with Tiger."

"Don't use your hands!" Aizawa called after him and got an annoyed wave in return.

Aizawa slumped tiredly and wondered what Katsuki would decide to do. Whatever he decided, whether to keep his relationship secret or not, Aizawa would have his back. Come hell or high water, he would make sure his kid got a fair chance at his dream, no matter what strings he had to pull behind the scenes.

…

_Day Eleven Evening:_

Izuku sat with Kota on the mountain ledge. He'd brought the boy a bowl of stir-fry, not having seen him at dinner. He was also avoiding Kacchan. Had been for the last two days. He couldn't help it! Kacchan had given him so much. Love and care and patience and support and strength. In return, Izuku had given him so little. He felt like a disgusting worm for insisting they had to keep their relationship secret. He was just so afraid! Afraid it would ruin Kacchan's life!

Kacchan wanted to be Number One! He _deserved_to be Number One! Look at what he was doing with their classes! It had only been eleven days and Kacchan was pulling them together without even realizing it or trying. Kacchan was so _amazing!_Izuku didn't want to be the reason people turned on him or looked at him with disgust.

But at the same time, Izuku knew the discrimination was wrong. Wrong at a deep fundamental level that set Izuku's soul ablaze with rage. People had the right to love who they wanted! Izuku wanted to show the world that it was okay to be gay, but he loved Kacchan so much! Even though other kids and people out there needed a hero to stand up for them, Izuku couldn't risk Kacchan.

So that made him a bad hero _and_a bad boyfriend, and Izuku was left hating himself. He was pathetic and weak and a horrible person, and he couldn't face Kacchan! A small fist hit him in the shoulder. Izuku blinked rapidly and looked over to see Kota scowling at him.

"I'm sorry!" he said reflexively.

"For what? For crying?" Kota snorted. "I guess even wanna-be heroes cry."

Izuku touched his face and was surprised to feel his cheeks were wet. "Sorry," he said again.

"I used to cry," the little boy offered, hugging his knees to his chest. "About my parents. Didn't change anything, though."

"No, it doesn't," Izuku agreed sadly.

"Why are you crying?" Kota asked quietly.

"I guess because I feel bad." Izuku sighed. "I want to help people more than anything, but sometimes I feel like all I do is hurt them." Kota said nothing to that and Izuku blushed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all that."

"You say sorry too much." Kota rolled his eyes. "I think… You know…" The little boy scowled cutely. "You don't hurt everyone!" he declared and ran into the cave.

Izuku stared after him, a smile softening his expression. He gathered their dishes and made his way down the mountain path only to freeze when he caught sight of Kacchan's blond hair glowing in the moonlight. Feeling defeated, he started forward again. There was no point in avoiding this if Kacchan was intent on hunting him down.

"Done running, Deku?" Kacchan growled, annoyance sharp in his voice.

Izuku winced. "I guess so." He stared at the white bandages wrapped around Kacchan's hands. He knew it was his fault Kacchan had made a mistake and got hurt, which made him suddenly angry because he hadn't meant to hurt him! He only ever wanted to protect him!

"Good." Kacchan pushed off the wall and limped forward. He'd spent all day with Tiger doing sprints up the mountain and other exercises that didn't require the use of his hands, and he was definitely still feeling it. "Because we're going to clear the fucking air."

"Fine, Kacchan!" he snapped. "What do you want to hear? That I'm a failure? That I can't do anything right? That I'm a sucky boyfriend? I'm sorry, okay?!"

"I wanted you to tell me how hard it was!" Kacchan yelled back with a scorching glare. "I wanted you to tell me that it wasn't fucking fair to put the burden of deciding everything all on you! I wanted you to tell me I didn't fucking understand how bad it was going to get if people knew we were together! I wanted you to talk to me, Izuku!"

Eyes wide, Izuku stared at the blond. That had totally not been what he'd expected Kacchan to say.

Kacchan spun around, putting distance between them as he yelled, "Fuck!" Then he spun around and marched back over. "I'm still not ashamed of us, but now's not the fucking time to mess around with the consequences of coming out." He grabbed Izuku by his shirt, putting their faces even closer together. "This is my fucking decision and my fucking career. You don't get to decide this shit all on your own, and I'm telling you right now that I don't give a flying fuck what it does to my hero rankings! Because we're not keeping this shit secret forever, Deku. It may slow me down, but it's not going to fucking stop me from being Number One, you hear me?" he demanded and shook him.

"Kacchan," Izuku gasped, pulling away. "Your hands. You shouldn't."

"And you're going to tell me right fucking now if your pissed or scared or whatever because of what happened in the hot spring!" Kacchan growled, his whole body tense. "I fucking hurt you and got off on it. Fucking tell me to my face I'm fucked up already!"

Izuku dropped the dishes and flung his arms around Kacchan's neck, catching his angry mouth in a desperate kiss. Kacchan growled and sputtered, but Izuku chased his lips until Kacchan was kissing him back, his arms coming up to wrap around him.

"You're amazing, Kacchan," he said in complete and utter awe.

"The fuck, Deku?" Kacchan glared, but he wasn't pulling away.

"I just… I love you so much!" Izuku burst into tears as everything he'd been feeling exploded out of him. "I couldn't stand the thought of ruining your hero career! You're so amazing, Kacchan! So, so amazing, and I didn't want to get in the way of that, but I hate the prejudice against gay relationships! I _hate_it! Even if I wasn't with you, I'd hate it! I felt so bad because I could potentially help so many people, but I couldn't risk you! You're the one thing I can't ever sacrifice, and I just felt so helpless, and you just come swooping in and yell at me and fix everything like you always do." Izuku laughed tearfully. "I just… You're just… So amazing! I don't know how anyone can be as amazing as you, Kacchan!"

"Alright. I get it. I'm fucking amazing," Kacchan grumbled. Even in the dark Izuku could see he was blushing. "But you haven't said shit about what happened in the hot spring."

"Kacchan, in the hot spring…" Izuku bent forward, putting his forehead against Kacchan's sternum. He could feel the steady beat of Kacchan's heart and it soothed his nerves. "I… I always feel anxious. I feel like I have to help people, that a lot of stuff depends on me. There's nothing else I want more than to be a hero and stand at your side, but sometimes… Sometimes, I feel trapped by this huge responsibility. I feel smothered. In the hot spring… I felt free in a way I never feel…"

Izuku stood and looked into Kacchan's eyes. His cheeks were on fire, but he needed Kacchan to understand. "I felt like… I could just… I could let go… I felt like you had me in this really intense way… Like you had complete control over me and the world, and it was so overwhelming but really amazing at the same time… Like nothing could ever go wrong or be wrong because you're everything in that moment, and all I have to do is let go, and it felt so good to be able to let go, Kacchan."

Kacchan was frowning at him, his eyebrows beetled down

"It's like I can't do anything wrong," Izuku babbled, desperate for his love to understand. "There's no pressure. It's just you and me. And it hurts, I guess. I mean, I have bruises on my hips and everything, but… But it's so much more real, and it only makes it feel even better." He smiled nervously. "I don't want it like that all the time or anything, but sometimes… Sometimes it's really, really good, and I really, really loved what we did in the hot spring. It was really, really amazing, which is why I got so upset because I thought you wanted to tell everyone, and I was being a bad boyfriend by keeping it secret, but I was scared about your career, and I just…"

"Okay, enough." Kacchan grabbed his flailing hands. "I get that you liked it." His hands tightened around Izuku's and Izuku stilled, knowing whatever Kacchan was going to say next was important. "I'm… I'm not sure I liked what came out of me in the hot spring. It felt really good to… to make you cry like that. I don't ever want to hurt you. Or like hurting you."

Izuku pulled his hands away and wrapped Kacchan in a tight hug. "I'm sorry. We don't have to do anything you don't like, Kacchan, but you didn't hurt me. Not like what you're implying. I was just overwhelmed. I was letting go. It felt good to cry. To be made to cry like that. I felt so much lighter afterwards. And maybe that's what you liked."

Kacchan pulled away and shook his head. "I'll think about it."

Izuku caught his wrist, being careful not to grab his injured hand. "I know what it feels like to be raped," he said firmly. Kacchan's head whipped around to stare at him, eyes wide. "I know what it feels like to be beaten and tortured." He stared into Kacchan's eyes fiercely. "What happened in the hot spring was so far from that as to not be on the same fucking planet. You _didn't_hurt me. You would _never_hurt me. Don't for a second think you have something evil inside you because you don't. If I told you to stop or I didn't like it, you would have flung yourself out of the hot spring as if I were on fucking fire and you know it."

"Damn, Deku," Kacchan breathed, impressed.

Izuku hugged him again. "We don't have to do anything like again if you don't want, but you're not allowed to think you did something wrong because you enjoyed it. I enjoyed it, too, and it wasn't bad!"

"Alright, alright," Kacchan grumbled. "Enough, geez."

Izuku smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Kacchan."

Kacchan pushed him away, growling. "Love you, too," he muttered, clearly embarrassed. "Now get your fucking dishes before a hungry bear comes or some shit."

Izuku grinned at him, feeling suddenly playful. "Are you scared of bears, Kacchan?" he teased.

The blond immediately scowled. "I'd fucking kill any bear that comes at me, Deku."

Izuku laughed. "It's okay to be scared. I'll protect you."

"I WOULD FUCKING KILL A FUCKING BEAR!" Kacchan screamed, which only made Izuku laugh harder.

…

Katsuki was sore as fuck and still a little angry that Izuku had been ignoring him, but mostly he just felt relieved they weren't fighting and Izuku wasn't scared of him or some shit. Hearing Izuku laugh, even if it was at him, made the tension strung through his core finally unravel. But then the nerd's laugh cut off abruptly and Izuku went still. Katsuki reflexively mirrored him, whole body tensing, which fucking hurt like hell!

"What?" he hissed, and if Izuku was messing with him, Katsuki really would punch him in the face.

"I thought I heard a scream."

Katsuki relaxed with a pained groan. "It's just the fucking extras," he said irritably and rolled his shoulders. "They're doing some stupid fucking test of courage or some shit. Pixie-Bob suggested it since we have a rest day tomorrow and can sleep in." But then Katsuki heard it, too, just barely. High-pitched and above them?

Izuku's eyes widened. "Kota!"

"Shit!" Katsuki spat as Izuku disappeared in a streak of green energy. He charged up the path after the idiot, his legs screaming in protest.

…

Izuku sprinted around the curve of the mountain and saw Kota hanging by his arm from a cloaked man's hand. The little boy's face was twisted with terror and pain, his tiny arm clearly broken.

Izuku leapt into the air and came down hard with his elbow on the man's wrist. The massive hand spasmed open, and Izuku caught Kota as the boy dropped, all before the man had a chance to react. Kota was shaking, face pale and eyes wide, clearly in shock. He practically clung to Izuku's leg with his good arm.

"I've got you," he promised. "I won't let him hurt you again."

The villain stared at his hand. He opened and closed it a few times and laughed. "You're fast," he rumbled, amused. "I'll give you that."

As the villain walked slowly forward, Izuku gently pushed Kota toward the cave. He knew there had to be a secret exit inside. Izuku just had to keep the villain busy long enough to let the him escape. "Go, Kota."

"Hey!" the man said with a low, creepy laugh. "I recognize you! You're on my To Kill list!"

The villain flung off his cloak. He had a weird metal piece around one eye and was grinning manically. Izuku shuddered. He'd seen that look on a hundred faces in his visions. The look of a killer who was going to enjoy their kill.

"I'll make sure to torment you thoroughly, so… SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!"

Izuku barely had time to widen his eyes as suddenly the villain was in his face. One For All was still running through him in Full Cowling, and that was the only thing that saved his life as a massive fist slammed into his gut and flung him twenty feet into the side of the mountain. Kota screamed, and Izuku dragged his head up to see if the villain was hurting him, but the boy was just scared.

The villain came toward him, laughing he was so happy. "I almost forgot. Do you know where I can find Explosion and Brainwash? The little brat was just about to tell me. I still have a job to do, after all."

But before Izuku could even answer, the villain was flying at him almost faster than the eye could see. Izuku leapt to the right, even further from Kota. There was a huge crack as the side of the mountain crumbled and broke under the villain's massive fist.

"Are you supposed to kill them, too?" Izuku demanded furiously.

"No. Those two I'm supposed to bring back," and the villain rushed forward with a massive kick.

Izuku ran forward and slid right under the man's leg. He came back up on his feet, hands raised to defend himself.

"Since you're not talking, does that mean you don't know?" the villain asked with a grin as he slowly walked toward him. "You don't, right?" he asked eagerly, eyes wide and manic. "So I can kill you, right?" A bunch of muscle fibers exploded out of his skin, tripling the size of his body. Not good. Really not good. "Let's play, _Strongest Man_. SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!"

He rushed Izuku again, even faster than before. Izuku hadn't expected it and was clipped in the side with a kick. He hit the mountain hard enough to bounce. The wind got knocked from his lungs, but he didn't even pause before rolling sideways.

The stone cracked underneath the massive boot that stomped down where Izuku had been. It would have broken his back easy had it landed! Izuku faced the villain, panting and bruised, his eyes hard with determination. The villain was laughing, like he was having the best time in the world.

"What'd you say earlier? That you'd definitely save him?" he demanded, words coming quick with his excitement. "Well, I'm going to smash his head in like a watermelon, all that juicy pink pulp." He licked his lips like a dog. "Unless you stop me, hero! So why are you running away, huh, hero?" he spread his bulky arms wide "I'm right here! PLAY WITH ME OR I'LL KILL HIM RIGHT NOW!"

"Kota! Get inside the cave!" Izuku screamed as he shot forward.

He faked a punch. The villain blocked with his muscled arms, but at the last minute, Izuku twisted his body hard, flipping backward and sending his foot flying up under the block, right into the villain's exposed chin! The villain's head snapped back, his feet lifting off the ground as he went flying.

Izuku landed, one hand pressed to the ground in front of him for balance, and watched as the villain went flying right toward a waiting Kacchan. Kacchan lifted his hand, a snarl twisting his features, and… **_BAAAH - BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_**

Izuku went tumbling and almost slid right off the ledge! Light blinded him as the world shook around him. Rocks and dirt rained down the mountain. Smoke and dust choked him. Izuku lifted his head from where he lay on his stomach. His legs up to the knees were actually dangling off the edge! He looked for Kota and saw the boy huddled against the wall of the cave as huge chunks of rocks rained down on the ledge. Kota was covered in dust, but he looked okay. The cave was protecting him from the falling rocks.

Izuku's eyes snapped over to the villain, heart pounding, but the man was down and out in a crumpled heap against the side of the mountain. Above him was a scorched crater of spiderwebs almost a foot deep.

The villain had been flung so hard into the mountain, he'd left a splatter of blood from where his head had cracked open against the stone. His exposed muscle fibers had been torn brutally away, leaving bleeding, smoking ends and burnt skin underneath. He wasn't moving. In fact, from the amount of blood gushing from his head wound, Izuku suspected he was in critical condition.

Kacchan? Izuku looked, but he couldn't see him! The blast must have knocked him back down the path! Izuku scrambled to his feet. "Kota! Kota, come on!" he yelled, desperate to get to Kacchan.

"I-Is he d-dead?" came a soft, broken whisper as the boy walked unsteadily toward him. His arm was horrifically broken, hanging at strange angles and already turning a dark purple.

"No, he's alive," Izuku answered honestly, hoping the little boy hadn't realized he was actually watching the villain die.

"I w-wish you k-killed him!" Kota wailed. "He k-kiled my p-parents! He's th-the one! He k-killed th-them!"

Izuku felt chilled to the bone at hearing that, and he lifted him into his arms, holding his head against his shoulder. "It's okay, Kota. It's over. He's never going to hurt anyone again," he promised, soothing the boy as he ran quickly down the path.

There! Kacchan's hand! Izuku set Kota down and ran forward, grabbing Kacchan by the arm to haul him up. Kacchan was coughing and cursing, his right hand red and cracked, black around the edges._Shit!_

"Is…" Kacchan coughed as he knelt on his knees, trying to get his breath back. "Is he dead?" he rasped, eyes wide, and Izuku knew that Kacchan had forgotten about his bandage. The bandage that had been absorbing his sweat for hours.

"Alive," Izuku told him, heart aching. What would happen if the villain died? Tsukauchi made it clear Kacchan would be in trouble if he were caught up in violent acts again, even against villains.

Izuku looked up and his eyes went wide. There was a blue glow in the forest! He could see sparks and smoke, and to the other side there was some kind of pink haze? Izuku felt his heart begin to race. This wasn't over! There were other villains out there! His stomach clenched in fear. Hitoshi was in danger!

"We need to move fast. Look!" He bumped Kacchan's shoulder to get the blond to look behind him. "There are other villains, and if all the villains are as strong as that one, then everyone is in serious danger! That guy said they're here to capture you and Hitoshi, but he was really eager to kill anyone else in his way. We have to warn everyone!"

"Pixie-Bob and the others are in the clearing where we train," Kacchan rasped. "Aizawa took the extras who failed the exam to the cabin to study or some shit. He didn't think they'd earned the right to play."

Izuku's stomach dropped, but he knew what he had to do. "Take Kota back to the cabin. I'm going to sprint to the clearing and get the word out." He glared at Kacchan when his boyfriend opened his mouth to furiously protest. "You're hurt, Kacchan! You're not supposed to use your hands yet! Kota needs to get somewhere safe. I'm trusting that you'll make that happen."

Izuku grabbed the back of Kacchan's coarse blond hair in a desperate grip as he pressed their foreheads together. "They're after you as well as Hitoshi," he said roughly, terror making his voice thick. "Promise me you'll be okay if we split up. _Promise_, Kacchan!"

Kacchan pushed Izuku away with fierce scowl. "I'd like to see them fucking try to capture me! You're the one who needs to be fucking careful, idiot!"

"I will be," Izuku promised seriously. "I swear it."

"Then fucking go already," Kacchan snarled.

Izuku nodded and gently touched Kota's head. "Kacchan won't let anything bad happen to you. You're safe now," he said softly. Then he looked into Kacchan's glaring eyes one last time before sprinting away.

…

As soon as Aizawa stepped outside the cabin to go after his students, a hand appeared right by his head. A rush of blue, searingly hot flames. Aizawa pulled himself out of the path of the deadly attack by his capture scarf. He landed on the first-floor roof. Thin, tall, early twenties, male; the villain lifted his hand again, but it was too late, Aizawa had his sights on him.

"Nothing's going to come out," he said grimly as he lashed his capture scarf forward, wrapping the villain up. He leapt down, landing on the villain and pinning him face first to the ground. He had one hand planted on the back of the villain's head, the other hand tight around the villain's forearm. "Tell me your purpose, numbers, and positions!" he barked.

"Why?" the raspy voice of the villain asked calmly.

"Because otherwise _this_will happen," Aizawa said mercilessly. With a twist, the villain's wrist bones snapped under his hand. The villain arched in pain, but he didn't scream. "I'll break your other arm next," Aizawa promised coldly. "Then your legs. Eventually you'll tell me what I want to know, so you might as well save yourself some pain and tell me now."

"Are you in a hurry, Eraser?" the villain asked, a smile in his voice.

Aizawa grabbed the villains other arm and snapped that wrist, too.

The villain tensed and gasped under him.

A rumble from a huge explosion sounded in the distance. Aizawa looked up, heart in his throat, but before he could take off after the source of that sound, Iida, Ojiro, and Koda came running out the woods, clearly terrified.

While he was distracted by his students, the hero swung his broken arm trailing deadly blue fire and knocked him off his back before scrambling to his feet. Aizawa kept his eyes on him, making sure he couldn't activate his devastating fire quirk.

"As expected of a UA teacher," the villain said with a lazy smile, broken arms dangling loosely at his side. Aizawa lashed his capture scarf forward to capture him, but the villain's body went liquid, dissolving into mud. As he disappeared, the villain's mocking voice asked, "Hey, hero, are your students important to you?"

"Sensei!" Iida yelled, running up to him. "What's going on?"

"Get inside and don't come out until you get the all clear! I'll be right back!" Aizawa barked at them and took off in the direction of the explosion from earlier.

…

Katsuki ran with the brat clinging to his back like a koala. The forest was dark, the smell of smoke thick in the air making his lungs burn. Twigs and branches hit him in the face, but he couldn't slow. The brat was crying softly, wetting his shoulder with snot and tears.

Fuck! Had he killed that villain?! Shit, fuck, damn it all to hell! He'd forgotten about his fucking bandage! Hadn't took into consideration the fucking sweat that had been accumulating over the last several hours in the cotton! FUCK! And now his right hand was fucking toast, the pain incredible! And Izuku had run off on his fucking own!

"Katsuki!"

He came to a skidding stop as Aizawa sprinted out of the gloom. "I have Kota!"

Aizawa grabbed his shoulder, breathing hard. "Where's Midoriya?"

"The clearing," Katsuki reported quickly. "We took out a villain on the mountain. He tried to kill Deku and Kota. He said they're after me and Braindead."

Aizawa looked grim at the news. "Take Kota back to the cabin. Help Vlad defend it! I'll be back as soon as I gather everyone else!"

Katsuki bit back a scream of frustration. He didn't have time to argue! The faster Aizawa got to Izuku, the safer Izu would be. "Fucking fine," he snarled and took off. "YOU BETTER NOT LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO THAT STUPID DEKU!" he screamed.

…

Izuku gave a grunt of effort as he leapt up and came down on top of an alligator-humanoid villain. With both feet extended before him, he stomped down on the ridiculous sword, which was made up of a bunch of swords all tied together. The leather bindings snapped and the swords went flying to the ground.

Izuku landed and rolled, coming up with his hands raised in a boxing style. "Mandalay! You have to warn everyone! They're after Primus and Socrates!" he yelled at the woman as she stared at him in surprise. "The students are the targets! You have to tell them they can defend themselves and not just run away!"

Tiger was faced off with a guy dressed as if he were going to the mall: white t-shirt, orange button down shirt left open, shorts, sunglasses. It was bizarre. Tiger leapt away from the villain to scream at his partner. "Do it, Mandalay!"

Mandalay nodded and put her fingers to her temple. The alligator villain rushed her, but Izuku slid between them and delivered a round-house kick that knocked the villain hard into a tree. That's when Izuku noticed Pixie-Bob, looking small and fragile, collapsed on the ground, blood pooling under her head.

_"ATTENTION STUDENTS! THE PRO-HEROES ARE GRANTING YOU PERMISSION TO ENGAGE IN COMBAT! BE ADVISED, ONE OF THEIR OBJECTIVES IS TO CAPTURE PRIMUS AND SOCRATES! PROTECT EACH OTHER AND RETURN TO THE CABIN AS SOON AS YOU CAN! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"_

"Kota?" she yelled as soon as she was finished.

"Primus is taking him to the cabin!" Izuku answered, panting. "Where's Socrates?"

"He was paired with IcyHot!" she answered. "He should be around the halfway point of the course! Ragdoll is there!"

Izuku took off running. The villain in the mall clothes got in his way, but strangely the alligator villain shoved him to the side.

"No, Big Sis Mag!"

"Spinner, what are you doing?! He's on the Kill List!"

"Shigaraki's list!" Spinner snapped. "Stain deemed him worthy! We can't hurt him!"

Then Izuku was past them. "Shigaraki?! Stain? The League of Villains! What do they want with Kachhan and Hitoshi?" he babbled nervously, heart racing.

Gut tight with fear, he blurred through the woods, streaking toward the furthest point of the course. He had to find his friend, fast! _Please be safe, Kacchan, _he thought fervently as he sprinted through the dark. _Please…_

…

Katsuki slammed through the cabin door and marched into the cafeteria. Vlad immediately took Kota from him and laid the crying boy on one of the tables.

"Oh my god, he's hurt!" Pinky cried and hurried to get the first aid kit.

There were only nine students in the room, ten counting Katsuki. There were forty fucking students at camp. Holy shit, that meant only a quarter of the students had made it back so far. Deku was right as fucking usual. There must be really fucking badass villains out there if they were keeping 1-A pinned, and Katsuki was fucking hiding inside the cabin! But, fuck, it looked like he was fucking needed here! These idiots were just standing around!

"Bakugo!" Kirishima and Kaminari cried, almost at the same time. They rushed up to him. Kirishima actually grabbed his wrist and yanked up his hand. "Your hand!"

Katsuki yanked his hand away and snarled. "You losers know what's happening right? We're under attack! Where the hell are your defenses?"

Vlad King walked up. He was in his hero costume. Mostly a blood red with some black accents. He also wore a metal belt, gauntlets, and boots and had some kind of tank on his back. "Do not fear. I'll protect us."

"I stormed right in here!" Katsuki argued, completely unimpressed. "Red! Pikachu! Help me barricade the entrance to the cafeteria! Any of you losers with surveillance ability, keep an eye out. It's not just the fucking extras who are heading this way!" But of course, just his fucking luck, there was no Ears, or Ponytail, or Arms, or any of the ones with the ability to fucking monitor a situation.

"That is unnecessary," Vlad drawled, but he was distracted as Glasses started giving him a speech about safety and harmless precautions or some shit.

Katsuki didn't care what Glasses was saying, only that it was allowing him to do what he had to do.

Kirishima and Kaminari grabbed one of the tables and tipped it over in the doorway. That asshole Monoma was useful for once and carried over heavy crates filled with canned goods with Sugar boy or whatever the hell the body builder in class called himself. Tape-boy helped, too, by taping everything together to make it more solid. When they were finished, Pinky and Tail were still fussing over the brat, wrapping the boy's arm and giving him some water and painkillers.

"Come on, man," Kirishima said and tugged him toward the first aid table. "Let me clean that up at least. You never know when we're going to fight again."

Katsuki made a "tch" sound, but he allowed himself to be pulled forward.

The sound of the cabin door opening and shutting on the other side of the barrier sounded.

"Did someone else make it back?" Kaminari asked excitedly.

Katsuki grabbed the back of his shirt protectively just as blue flames exploded inward. The heat was _intense_. As hot or hotter than any blast he'd made. The table and crates fucking turned to ash in seconds. The cans turned black and warped into half melted puddles. The smell was horrible as the room filled with smoke. The extras were screaming. Vlad and Glasses who'd been standing closest to the doorway were knocked on their asses, their fucking clothes on fire!

A villain with fucking burn scars on the lower half of his face and under his eyes stepped into the room. He had dark hair and vivid teal-colored eyes. He gave a smile as he locked eyes with Katsuki. Katsuki snarled, his good hand popping warningly. "Look what I found," the man drawled.

"You're too slow!" Vlad grabbed the villain by the head and slammed him into the reinforced wall of the cafeteria so hard it left a fucking crater! Blood poured out of his gauntlets, covered the villain's torso, and hardened into something that resembled stone. He'd used his blood to put out the fires on his uniform and Glasses's shirt, but they'd been left with nasty burns.

"Blood Control… It's so strong," Kirishima said, awed.

"As expected of our Vlad-sensei!" the copy asshole said excitedly.

"You're pushing hard into a place like this without thinking?" Vlad said in a completely different voice. It was hard and unrelenting. It was the voice of a hero. "You're really underestimating us."

The villain smirked. "And why wouldn't we? You've already lost. The pinnacle of hero education, UA. And the Symbol of Peace, All Might. The two most trusted figures of hero society, gathered together. If multiple incidents keep putting that trust into question, then don't you think that will shake society as a whole? No one's going to believe in you when you were so weak as to allow two students to be stolen away by a criminal group."

As Katsuki's mind raced through the implications of what this bastard was saying, and they were really bad implications, Kirishima, Kaminari, and fucking Glasses suddenly stepped in front of him.

"Bastard," Kirishima said, voice low and angry. "Are you saying we're going to let…"

"Bakugo be kidnapped by you?" Glasses demanded sharply, his legs rumbling with his quirk on idle.

"Stop messing around!" Kaminari yelled, electricity arching dangerously between his hands. "You'll have to go through us!"

"Hey!" Katsuki yelled, completely shocked. "The hell are you extras doing?!"

The villain grinned. "Okay," he said with an evil smirk.

Fire exploded from his body. He fucking immolated himself! Burning to ash in an instant. A fucking suicide run! The solidified blood that had been holding him in place evaporated in a flash. Kirishima tackled him, shielding him with his own body from the agonizing flames. He'd activated his quirk, so he was as heavy as a human-sized boulder. Katsuki's breath came fast and thin as the oxygen in the room was devoured by the fire. Vlad was screaming in pain. So were others.

Katsuki flailed in panic, shoving Kirishima off him. The fire was too hot! Too fast! It came from everywhere! Between the blindingly bright blue flames and the dark, black smoke, he couldn't see shit except for what was right next to him. Kaminari was coughing and rolling, trying to put out his shirt sleeve. Glasses was getting back on his feet. Kirishima was fine, his fucking rock skin protecting from the heat.

"Get out! GET EVERYONE OUT!" Katsuki roared and dove for Kaminari. He slapped his hands over the fire. It burned like hell, but he got the flames out. He shoved the teen to his hands and knees and pushed him toward the nearest window. "Break the fucking window! We need to clear the smoke!" he ordered.

Glasses and the copy asshole were helping Vlad. Kirishima appeared with Kota in his arms and a coughing Pinky holding onto his shoulder. Fire was everywhere. The room was going up, the walls groaning. Katsuki directed them toward the window and Kaminari, but as he did, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

A figure was stepping through the flames filling the fucking doorway! No, two figures! It was the fire villain and a new one! How the hell was the villain still alive?! What the hell was going on? Didn't matter. He had to save everyone! These villains weren't fucking around! The extras needed time to get out! They couldn't fight like this! They were going to die!

Katsuki took off running. The bodysuit villain took a metal ribbon from an item on his wrist, but the fire villain grabbed his arm, stopping him. Because they wanted Katsuki alive. Couldn't risk hurting him. Katsuki grinned wolfishly, lifted his good hand that was still wrapped in bandages and rushed the doorway. He had to protect everyone! He had to keep the villains away! Even if that meant killing the motherfuckers and throwing his career away.

The fire villain's eyes widened and he dove backward, away from Katsuki. Katsuki triggered his quirk, and the sweat-stained bandage ignited! **_BAAAAH - BOOOOOOOM! _**The whole front of the cabin was blown off the building. The explosion was deafening. Katsuki's ears rang as he was flung off his feet from the recoil, but he'd made it through the doorway, most of the force went forward, the cafeteria behind him was still standing!

Something slapped around his wrist and snaked up his forearm. The metal ribbon? It cut him. He tried to grab it, but he was yanked brutally forward in the opposite direction he'd been thrown. Katsuki screamed as his shoulder was nearly ripped out of the socket. He hit the ground hard and was dragged over burning rubble. Something hard hit the back of his neck and everything went black.

…

Izuku had to slow down to dodge trees, but he pushed himself to go as fast as he could. A terrible premonition sent his heart rocketing against his ribs. Something awful was going to happen. He had to do something! He had to stop it!

Suddenly, he was tackled to the ground. Before he could lash out, he recognized the skin-like webbing holding him captive. He lifted his head and saw he was on Shoji's back, the teen crouched behind a tree.

"Stay still and quiet," Shoji whispered.

"What's going on?" Izuku whispered back.

"Tokoyami has lost control of Dark Shadow."

Izuku's eyes widened.

"We were attacked by a villain. I pushed him out of the way and lost a duplicated hand on one of my tentacles. It bled a lot, and Tokoyami lost control. Dark Shadow is reacting to any sound or movement."

"STAY AWAY!" Tokoyami's tortured voice echoed out of the darkness. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

"You're going after Shinso," Shoji guessed. He very carefully released Izuku and set him on the ground. "I'll draw Dark Shadow's attention so you can get past."

"What about you?" Izuku demanded.

Shoji met Izuku's eyes with determination. "Midoriya, no matter the circumstance, I don't want to become a person who leaves a suffering friend behind. I have to help him. Once you're gone, I'll try to lead him back to camp. Dark Shadow's weakness is light. That should help."

Izuku understood, but still… "Camp is so far away! And he could hurt you on the way!"

A massive black arm completely snapped the tree they were hiding behind. Malevolent yellow eyes glowed in the dark, and a piercing roar shook the ground. Izuku and Shoji sprinted further away as Tokoyami screamed in pain.

"The act of saving people comes with risks! You're not the only one who wants to be a hero!"

"I know that," Izuku hissed in frustration. "But everyone tells me that being a hero isn't the same thing as sacrificing myself. That heroes can be smart, too!" His mind raced. What would Kacchan do? He'd create explosions and the light would… Izuku's eyes widened. "The camp's far away, but you said Shinso was close, right? Mandalay said he was with Todoroki! Todoroki can create a fire that will help Tokoyami regain control, and it's much closer than the camp, so it's a smaller risk!"

"We'd be leading a rampaging Dark Shadow closer to our classmates," Shoji argued.

"You might run into classmates on the way to camp, too!" Izuku pointed out. "It's up to you, Shoji. I'll follow your lead. You know Tokoyami better. You're close friends. What do you think is the best call?"

Dark Shadow gave another roar and Tokoyami another scream, but it was weaker this time.

"We'll head for Todoroki," Shoji decided.

Izuku smiled, relieved. "Let's go."

…

Todoroki slammed his foot down to bolster his wall of ice. The villain's blades were sharp and kept piercing through. They moved at sharp, zigzag angles. A cut on his shoulder and leg were bleeding steadily from just grazing one of them. There were dozens, all spearing out of the villain's mouth like extensions of the man's teeth.

They lifted the villain high in the air like a dozen stilts, swung him sideways and around trees. Todoroki couldn't get a lock on him, and when he did, the blades would shatter the ice he used to try and capture him. Fire was out. The forest was already burning. If he added any more…

"You think you can beat us? You're just a lunatic in a straight jacket!" Shinso yelled and laughed defiantly. "What do you think you can do? You're useless!"

"Flesh… I want to see your flesh…" the villain said, but it must not have been in reaction to Shinso's taunt because the teen had yet to be able to brainwash him.

"What do you like about meat so much?" Shinso tried. "Is it the color? The flavor?"

"So much flesh…"

Five sword-like blades pierced through Todoroki's ice, one catching his side. Todoroki slapped his hand over the wound, feeling warm blood well under his palm. Shinso shook his head hard, his hands tugging roughly at his purple hair, making it stand wildly around his head.

"I can't get through to him."

"Keep trying," Todoroki said through gritted teeth. His right side was starting to freeze. His arm becoming heavy and numb. They were going to die at this rate.

He frowned, confused. Was the ground… shaking? Then the sound of trees snapping cracked through the air, echoing, but definitely coming closer. The villain stopped his relentless attacks and looked to the side. Todoroki used this opportunity to send a spear of ice up toward the villain, but the villain shot out a blade that moved him to the side and out of range.

"… todoroki… Todoroki…" It was the call of his name, growing louder. "Todoroki!" A flesh-colored tentacle shot out of the dark with a mouth on its end. "Todoroki! Light! We need light!"

Todoroki was knocked to a knee as the ground jumped under his feet. The trees around them cracked and toppled under a wave of black. Another wave in the shape of a clawed hand slammed down on his ice wall and shattered it. Ice went flying in all directions. A chunk hit Shinso in the shoulder, spinning the teen around and knocking him off his feet. An enormous monster made out of inky black shadow and sinister red eyes rose up above them and roared in rage.

"Dark Shadow?" Shinso gasped from his stomach, his head lifted as he stared upward.

Todoroki's eyes widened. Dark shadow? As in _Tokoyami's_Dark Shadow? In the moonlight, he was able to make out Tokoyami in the center of the black monster. Tears were streaming down his face as a scream of pain tore free from his beak.

"Hurry up!" Shoji yelled, running out of the forest. "Make a light! Quick!"

The black shadow swung at Shoji. The teen just barely managed to dive away. A tree snapped and fell with a crash, some of the branches landing on Shoji's back, pinning him to the ground.

"Over here!" Midoriya called from the opposite side of them. He was standing on a branch of a tree at least twenty feet in the air. "Come and get me!"

Dark Shadow turned that way and swung wildly, shattering the tree Midoriya had been standing in. Shinso used the distraction to scramble to his feet and run to Shoji, trying to drag the heavy branches off him. Midoriya appeared next to him in a green blur and easily lifted the limbs. Shinso quickly helped pull Shoji out from under them. Todoroki primed his fire, but he waited, his eyes on the villain who was rising up off the ground from where he'd been tossed when Dark Shadow had demolished the ice wall.

"It's no good… I can't allow it… I'm the only one who's allowed to look at a cross-section of those kids… DON'T STEAL THEM FROM ME!"

As Todoroki had hoped, the villain attacked Dark Shadow.

"Todoroki!" Shoji and Midoriya cried. "Fire! We need fire!"' and "Make a light!"

"Wait!" Todoroki yelled back, poised.

A massive hand slammed the villain back to the ground. Todoroki ducked as the villain's blades shattered in Dark Shadow's grip! The dangerous shrapnel rained on the surrounding forest, many broken shards getting lodged deep in the trunks of the trees. Then the monstrous claws lifted the villain off the ground and hurled him through a tree so hard the tree trunk snapped and fell with a mighty crash. The villain was not getting up from that!

Todoroki ran, picked up speed, and leapt. Fire flared bright along the left side of his body from his waist to his hair. He landed on Dark Shadow's back, and he let the fire roar free until he was awash in a column of bright flames, his ice side protecting his body and core from the heat.

Dark Shadow shrank immediately, his deep voice rising in pitch until it was a high squeak before disappearing inside Tokoyami's body. Todoroki pulled back his flames and dropped to the ground as Tokoyami collapsed to his knees.

"Tokoyami!" Shoji yelled and ran up to his shaking friend.

"Where's Bakugo?" Todoroki demanded of Midoriya, knowing he would know.

Midoriya had a grip on Shinso's wrist, as if he were afraid to let go. "He's at the cabin. We have to get back there as fast as we can. They're after him and Shinso!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Tokoyami kept repeating.

"You did what we asked," Shoji assured him.

"You did a great job," Midoriya agreed.

Shinso sighed and pointed out, "You saved us." Todoroki noticed he'd made no move to pull his wrist out of Midoriya's grasp. "We were barely able to defend against that villain and you were able to take him out in an instant."

Tokoyami shook his head hard. "I didn't do anything. I was weak and I couldn't hold Dark Shadow back, and because of that, Shoji got hurt. I failed."

"We can leave that for later," Shoji said gently, a smile in his voice. "That's what you would say if it had been me who lost control, right?" He reached out and lifted Tokoyami onto his back, securing him with this webbed tentacles. "Rest, Tokoyami. We're not outta the woods yet."

"That's a terrible pun," Tokoyami complained, tears in his eyes. He laid his head against Shoji's shoulder, clearly exhausted.

"We have to get Shinso safely back to camp and reunite with the others," Midoriya insisted.

He was practically bouncing from foot to foot with anxiety. Todoroki could only imagine how badly he wanted to return to Bakugo's side. In fact, Todoroki felt the same exact way. He wouldn't be able to relax until he saw Bakugo safe with his own eyes.

"We should cut through the woods. It'll be much faster," Midoriya continued. "Shoji, go first and be on the look out for traps or obstacles. I'll protect Shinso from the middle. Todoroki, you're rear guard."

They all nodded and began their run through the woods.

…

Aizawa watched the nomu from the branches of a tree. Killing tools like chainsaws and horrific drills rose from its arms and back unending. They shredded through his scarf, and his erasure didn't seem to be stopping the quirk. That meant there was more than one quirk in effect, and he was erasing some quirk he hadn't seen evidence of yet.

Like the nomu at the USJ, it was superhumanly strong and seemed unaffected by any blow Aizawa landed. At least he'd arrived before it had killed Yaoyorzu or Awase. They'd gotten away bloody but alive and were heading to the cabin. Still, the broken, yellow cat ears in one of its blood-covered hands did not bode well for Ragdoll.

Hissing in frustration, Aizawa leapt to another tree. He taunted the monster, and when it lashed out, he yanked it against the tree with the remaining tatters of his scarf. With a horrific metallic scream, the chainsaw went right through the thick trunk and the tree began to fall.

The nomu screamed and flailed its limbs as the massive tree fell right on top of it, shaking the earth and pinning it to the ground. The chainsaws and drills hacked into the tree trunk wildly. Soon it would be free. What could he do?! He had to stop it somehow! He was wasting time! His students were in danger!

Suddenly, the nomu went still. The metallic weapons were sucked back into its skin. It calmly put its hands on the tree trunk and lifted. Slowly, the tree rose into the air. The nome tossed it aside then got up. It completely ignored Aizawa when he attacked it. It was as if it had powered down. Aizawa felt a chill. Had the villains gotten what they wanted? Were they now retreating?

"Damn it, Vlad," he hissed furiously as he followed in the nomu's wake. "You better not have let them take Katsuki."

…

"Uraraka and Tsu are up ahead. It sounds like they're fighting a villain. Female. Small," Shoji announced.

Izuku felt his heart skip a beat in fear. They broke into a sprint and burst out the woods on the path.

"Shoji! Everyone!" Tsu cried out, distressed.

She was pinned to the tree by her hair. Uraraka was on top of a teenaged girl, but the look of pain on Uraraka's face told Izuku that even though she was on top, she was the one being attacked. He didn't hesitate. He blurred forward, but before he could get there, the girl had shoved Uraraka off and ran away, pulling the weird wire-like contraption that had pinned Tsu to the tree with her.

Tsu rushed to Uraraka's side, and Izuku noticed both girls were bleeding from thin slices.

"Are you okay?" he demanded, helping Uraraka get to her feet.

"I'm fine. I can still totally walk," she insisted.

Izuku felt instinct prickle at the back of his neck. He turned his head and saw a man in a brown trench coat drop from the trees behind Hitoshi. Izuku's eyes widened, his body moving before his brain fully understood what was happening. He shot forward, reaching for his friend.

The man dropped silently, holding onto his top hat, his face mask a huge grin. A black, gloved hand landed on Hitoshi's head, almost gently, like a head pat from a parent. Izuku's reaching hand was maybe a foot away. Hitoshi was staring at him, his eyes widening as if in slow motion, and he was gone in a flash of light. He just vanished.

The trench coat villain leapt up, grabbed a low hanging branch of a tree, and swung around it before landing on top. Izuku stared up at him, his grasping hand holding nothing but empty air. The villain bowed, tipping his hat at him.

"This talent isn't someone who should be on the hero's side," the villain said cheerfully. He had something in his hand. Something that shimmered in the moonlight. Something small. A marble?

Izuku leapt, One For All singing in his veins, but the villain jumped to an adjacent tree. Izuku landed on the branch the villain had been standing on and turned to face him with a furious glare worthy of Kacchan.

"We'll take him and Explosion to a stage where they can shine more," the villain taunted him.

Izuku felt a dark hole open up in his core. Kacchan? They had Kacchan? "GIVE HIM BACK!" he roared, crazed, and leapt again.

The tree branch snapped as he pushed off and he flew toward the villain, a glowing punch aimed right at the man's head. The villain leapt into the air, performed a graceful flip and landed impossibly on another tree branch.

"That's a rude thing to say. We don't want Explosion to be lonely, and they have a right to know what their options are. This oppressive existence isn't the only life they can choose."

Izuku screamed in rage, but before he could attack again, Todoroki's ice speared up in a flash. It was bigger than a glacier, bigger than the huge attack at the Sport's Festival. It froze everything in it's path, but _somehow _the villain managed to dodge it!

"Sorry, sorry," the villain called down with a laugh, flipping through the air. "Tricks and running away are my only redeeming features!"

Izuku gave chase as the villain ran for real. The man leapt from tree to tree with superhuman agility and speed, racing toward the burning line of fire that cut through the forest. No matter what Izuku tried, he couldn't catch up. He always landed right when the bastard leapt again, his fingers just brushing the tail of the man's trench coat.

Izuku gave a yell of frustration and kept jumping. He wouldn't let him get away! _Kacchan! Hitoshi! I'm coming!_

… "Uraraka!" Todoroki yelled, heart racing. "Use your quirk to make us float! Tsu! Throw us with your tongue! Shoji, use your arms to control our trajectory! Uraraka, release your quirk when we hit him!"

"A human bullet?" Tsu asked, tilting her head. She gave a firm nod. "It might work."

"If you're sure," Uraraka said and slapped both Shoji and Todoroki on the shoulder. "Go get Bakugo and Shinso back!"

… Izuku's eyes widened as Todoroki and Shoji went flying past him and tackled the villain right out of the air. Izuku followed them down. They landed hard, dirt billowing up around them. The trench coat villain made a choked sound and started to glow. Izuku tried to grab hold, but his hand passed through his body as if the villain were suddenly made of light.

And then blue flames were barreling toward him. He grabbed Todoroki's arm, couldn't reach Shoji, and leapt to the side. The fire licked at his arm, the pain white hot and searing. Shoji screamed as he rolled in the opposite direction, half of his body already a dark red. Izuku looked in the direction of the fire and saw a dark-haired villain with horrible scars.

At his feet…

At his feet…

_KACCHAN!_

Izuku sprinted forward, heedless of the blue flames that licked out of the villain's scared flesh, but a man in a bodysuit leapt between them, a metal ribbon flashing. Izuku flinched to the side, but it licked his face near his eye and blood instantly poured down his cheek and dripped from his jaw. Izuku roared and punched the air. The bodysuit guy was blown backward, tumbling head over heels. Izuku closed the distance between him and Kacchan.

… Todoroki slammed his foot down and another spear of ice shot up from the ground and raced toward the villain and Bakugo, but the ice didn't even make it halfway before a small portal opened and a hand pushed through. Blue flames spewed from the hand. They were so hot they evaporated the ice so quickly that air pressure knocked on his ass from the backlash and sent him tumbling.

… Aizawa ran into a scene from hell. Hot, choking blue flames burned everywhere. An injured Shoji was fighting a manically laughing high school girl. Portals stood open scattered across the clearing. The fire villain stood in front of one with his hand wrapped around an unconscious Katsuki's throat. Midoriya was rushing headlong toward the two.

Two villains with unknown quirks stood between him and Midoriya! And his scarf had been torn to ribbons from the fight with the nomu. The nomu! It was rushing toward Midoriya's back! Chainsaws and drills and knives thrusting out of its skin, aimed at the obvious boy, and Aizawa realized in gut-wrenching horror that he wouldn't make it in time. For either of the boys. Out of sheer desperation, Aizawa activated his quirk. He pushed it harder than he ever had, targeting the nomu, staring at the weapons thrusting out of its skin.

_Go away go away DISAPPEAR!_he mentally screamed.

The chainsaw drew back, ready to swing forward and cut Midoriya in two! ... And suddenly they were all gone. Aizawa staggered. It felt as if his eyes were being plucked out of his head, but he refused to fall, refused to blink, and the nomu simply tackled Midoriya instead of slicing him to ribbons.

… Something heavy landed on Izuku. It slammed him into the ground and knocked the wind out of his lungs, but he pushed up with green sparks and glowing skin. With a heave, he tossed the weight aside. He was almost there!

Kacchan hung limp and battered, both hands dark and dripping blood, unconscious. With a smile, the villain stepped backward into a swirling, dark purple portal and pulled Kacchan in with him by his throat.

"NOOOOOO!" Izuku roared.

He reached for Kacchan, reached deep inside, refused to give up, refused to let it end like this, refused to let Kacchan slip through his fingers, and something answered him.

The skin of his forearms peeled back as tar-black tendrils shot out and wrapped themselves around Kacchan's arms just as Kacchan was being pulled backward into the portal. Kacchan's arms were yanked up as the whip-like tendrils went taunt, as if he were reaching for Izuku, but he was still being pulled backward. This meant Izuku was suddenly yanked forward instead. He hit the portal and slammed into Kacchan, knocking both him and the fire villain down.

The black tendrils were still coiled tightly around Kacchan, locking them together, but Izuku's legs were free! He twisted on top of the pile, lifted a leg, and brought it down on the villain's chest. The villain screamed as his ribs broke, and then something slapped the top of his head.

The room suddenly twisted and slammed closed around him. The walls pressed inward until Izuku was curled in a tight ball. He screamed and triggered One For All at 100%, but he couldn't move an inch! Nothing happened. He was stuck in some kind of ball!

Those marbles?

Was he shrunk? He didn't feel shrunk, but what would being shrunk feel like?

He tried to thrash, to wiggle a finger! A toe! But he was held tight and still.

_Kacchan! Hitoshi!_

Izuku couldn't stop screaming.

He was trapped.

**Chapter end**

**A/n:** _*bites lip nervously* _Well? What do you think? _*stares at you with huge hopeful eyes*_

Writing this chapter felt like running a marathon, let me tell you!

Sooooooo… How does it rank compared to canon? I kept a lot because it was just so awesome, but I changed things, too. And now we have Izuku, Katsuki, and Hitoshi captured by villains! Oops? _*sheepish smile*_


	55. Chapter 55

**A/n:** Sorry the chapter is so late, but it was a challenge to write.

This chapter is dark-ish. The villains are bad.

A lot of different POVs here, which really threw me off, but I couldn't see any other way to write it.

Any feedback is appreciated!

…

**Trapped**

Cold terror snapped closed around Aizawa's heart.

Katsuki was gone.

Midoriya was gone.

Aizawa had saved Midoriya from being cut down, and he couldn't have done anything but try to save him, but he realized with sick dread that there was a chance it would have been better for Midoriya to die quickly here in this field than to be taken. There was a chance that - if they got the boys back - they would not be whole.

The boys were prisoners.

At the mercy of villains who owned monstrous things such as nomu.

There was no telling the depths of the League's cruelty, and the League now had Katsuki and Midoriya in their clutches.

"Todoroki!" Uraraka cried as she ran out of the forest with Asui and Tokoyami at her side. "What happened?! Where's Deku? And Bakugo? Shinso?"

Oh, god. Hitoshi Shinso had been taken, too.

So cold and unfamiliar with human emotion and warmth, a boy raised and exploited since young childhood, who had depended on Aizawa and UA to keep him safe, depended on Aizawa to protect him.

He'd been taken with Midoriya and Katsuki while Aizawa had been unable to do anything but watch.

"Gone," Todoroki said brokenly, voice cracking open and filled with horror. "They took him. They look all of them."

Todoroki was sitting a few yards away. He was breathing fast, face pale. The bones of his forearm pressed up against his skin, his hand hanging limp in his lap. He was clearly in shock, but Aizawa suspected it had nothing to do with his injuries.

Uraraka gasped, covering her face as tears filled her large brown eyes. "No."

Shoji was even more seriously hurt. His body badly burned along one side. Another lash against his soul. Asui and Tokoyami ran to him, their expressions painted with fear and horror as they fell to their knees beside their friend where he lay curled in the grass in excruciating pain.

"Stay here," Aizawa ordered, tasting ash in his mouth. "I'll bring help."

…

"And then the brat who almost killed me at the USJ shot out some black tendrils and rode here with us! What cheat is this, sensei?! How does he have more than one quirk?!"

Hitoshi opened his eyes. He remained perfectly still, not even his breathing changing. He was on his side, curled in a loose ball. Dirty wood floor; smelled like stale alcohol and polish. He could see a few feet and legs. Stools. Hear the static of a television.

"_You say he shot out black tendrils?" _The voice was smooth, older, confident. Hitoshi shivered. He'd heard that kind of voice all his life. At the Institute. _"Where is this boy? Did you kill him?"_

"Compress secured him," the petulant younger voice answered. "But I will! I will destroy him for coming here and trying to ruin my plans once again!"

"_No." _Firm. Expecting perfect obedience. _"Do not kill the boy. Kurogiri, bring Compress with his new marble to me."_

"Yes, sir."

"But!" The petulant one. Young. Unhappy.

"_Do not worry about this irrelevant boy. You will be busy. These boys are important pieces to control if you are to win the game. Especially as you lost three strong pieces to obtain them. Kurogiri could not extract Muscular, Mustard, or Moonfish." _The tone of disapproval was clear.

"It is not my fault they could not withstand those monstrous children!"

Suddenly a villain walked into Hitoshi's line of sight and crouched down, meeting his eyes. He had dark hair, scars covering half his face, and piercing blue eyes. He smiled slowly, sardonically. "Hello there, Brainwash."

Hitoshi sat up crosslegged and stared back at him impassively. He said nothing, did nothing. The villains eyes became darker, his smile faded away as he examined Hitoshi's expressionless face. He abruptly stood up and turned his back.

Hitoshi looked around and saw he was in a bar. There were several villains. Some looked battered and wounded. Like the man in casual clothes with shoulder-length brown hair or the lizard-mutant. He could still smell the faint scent of fire.

A young man with severed hands clutching his arms, sides, neck, and face crouched before him. "Another cheat?" the villain asked with childlike curiosity. "The sedative should still be working," he said thoughtfully. "Is that because of your quirk or your upbringing I wonder?"

Sedative. Hitoshi suddenly recognized the slow and ponderous way his thoughts moved. He'd been drugged. And with that realization, Hitoshi's heart began to beat faster, clearing even more of the sedative from his system.

He'd been kidnapped by villains. The Institute would come. They'd extract him and likely kill him or lock him away forever after this. It was bad enough he'd used his quirk to escape to the heroes. He'd built up enough credit that the Institute trusted he would still obey the rules while at UA, but villains had ways of _making_ him break the rules, namely torture, and that would _not_ be allowed. He broke out in a cold sweat as he began to tremble.

The villain left him and went over to a figure Hitoshi hadn't noticed sprawled out on the floor. Bakugo lay unconscious, bruises starting to form around his throat. His hands looked bad, too, burned and blistered and oozing. Hitoshi searched the rest of the room in a panic. If Bakugo was here, then…

"If you're looking for the brat with green hair, he's gone. Kurogiri took him to Sensei," Shigaraki said carelessly as he tapped Bakugo's cheek. Bakugo didn't move. "This one's still out. Magne, carry him to the room."

Hitoshi began to breathe faster. All fears for himself completely fled in the face of the knowledge that Izuku was here, too. And apparently his friend had been taken to that cold voice on the other end of the static-filled tv. Hitoshi felt a deep fissure of pure terror at the thought.

"I said, follow me." Shigaraki's foot kicked him gently in the thigh. "Come on. If you're awake, you can walk. And don't think to try your quirk on me. I won't answer you, not until you prove yourself trustworthy."

Hitoshi stood automatically at the order. He hated that it made the villain smile.

He followed them to a door behind the bar and walked through it into a dark hallway. At the end was another door. Harsh fluorescent light spilled out and Hitoshi froze in the doorway. The room was white. White ceiling, white walls, white floor, white cots, a white bucket. No windows. No vents. Nothing to break up the monotony of all that white. He was breathing harder now. He couldn't move forward.

"Is something wrong?" Shigaraki asked, but his voice sounded far away in Hitoshi's ears. "I had this room made just for you. To think about what you really want out of life. Of course, you could just decide now. If you have nothing to think about, you don't really need to use the room, do you? You already know you'll never know true freedom back with the heroes or with the government. You are nothing but an item, an object, to them. The only way you'll ever truly be free is with me. You know that, don't you, Brainwash?"

Hitoshi looked past the villain. Bakugo was lying on one cot. The casual looking villain, Magne, was kneeling and examining one of Bakugo's blistered hands. Bakugo was a shock of color in all the white. Tan skin smudged with dirt and soot, coarse ash-blond hair sticking up around his head. Bakugo wore a black tank top, his blue and white gym pants, and beat up red sneakers. The shoes were like a punch to the gut, reminding him of Izuku. Hitoshi pushed past Shigaraki and sat with military precision in the center of the second cot, staring at the far wall.

"He's going to need first aid," Magne said softly, uncertainty.

"See to it," Shigaraki ordered and left the room.

"I'll get Dabi. He's best when it comes to burns."

Magne and Shigaraki left, shutting the door behind them, and Hitoshi's breath caught. There was no door handle on this side of the door. Painted white to match the room, he couldn't even see the outline. The door simply seemed to disappear, leaving him in a perfect white box. Hitoshi latched his eyes onto Bakugo's unconscious form, the only thing real and solid in the universe.

…

Kirishima stood outside the burning cabin with ten of his classmates, a crying little boy, and an unconscious Vlad King. Thank god. The man's horrific screams had shaken them all. His face…Kirishima felt a wave of dizziness hit him and he almost puked. He desperately looked away from their wounded teacher.

"I… I have… a water… quirk," Kota offered. He was shaking, his teeth chattering. His eyes were wide and he was in a lot of pain despite the medicine Ashido had given the boy. And still… "I c-can help."

Kirishima's heart about broke at the little boy's manliness, but it was Monoma who answered.

The blond crouched in front of the boy and gave him a big smile. "That's amazing, Kota! That would be a big help. Just take my hand and leave everything to me."

The little boy numbly put his hand in Monoma's. Still grinning wide, Monoma walked back toward the burning building and lifted his hands. Two streams of water as fast and powerful as a firehose came shooting from his palms. The fire hissed and the building cracked; more smoke billowed up. The heat was incredible.

Kirishima looked at Kaminari. The blond stood next to him, staring at the burning cabin. He was silent, his shoulder red and cracked, oozing. Kirishima tried desperately not to think about the smell of barbecue. Kaminari was rocking back and forth on his toes as he watched the blue flames lick high into the sky. The dopey smile was on his face, but it wasn't because he'd overloaded. Kirishima realized in sick horror that this was the mask Kaminari wore when he was in a lot of pain and remembered how much they'd laughed while he wore that smile.

"_Where's Bakugo?!" the blond yelled as Kirishima crawled last out of the broken window. Kaminari shook him, eyes wide and wild. "Where is he?! Is he still in there?! BAKUGO!"_

_Kirishima grabbed his friend as the blond went to dive back through the window, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. "The villains came back… He blocked the door and let off that blast…"_

"_WHERE IS HE?!" Kaminari roared in his face._

"_I… I almost had him," Kirishima rasped, throat tight, tears streaking his soot-stained face. "The explosion flung him back toward me. I almost had him, but… Something grabbed him. Yanked him back to the door."_

"_No…" Kaminari looked gutted._

"_I tried to run after him, but the ceiling caved. Blocked the doorway," Kirishima broke into sobs. "I saw that f-fire villain put B-Bakugo over his shoulder. He t-took him. He's g-gone, Kami. He's gone."_

_Kaminari's hands had fallen from his shoulders then. The light in his eyes going out as that dopey smile spread across his face. _

The sound of sirens drew Kirishima's attention. A plane flew overhead. He turned and saw the flashing red lights of emergency vehicles. In what felt like seconds, paramedics and police were shouting commands from all over the place. A blanket was thrown over his shoulders.

"Are you hurt?" a woman asked him urgently.

"No," he lied, feeling gutted. "I'm not hurt."

…

Izuku's screams had faded into sobs into whimpers. He couldn't rock, couldn't move, could hardly breathe. Felt himself fade, curled into a small part of himself. Dissociated. Then suddenly the tight curved walls that pressed in on him suddenly gave way.

He lay sprawled on his back, panting and shaking, struggling to come back to himself. A bright light in his face, metal everywhere. He tried to jerk away, but something was flung across his body and a sharp click sounded in his ears like a gun shot. Gasping in air as if he were drowning, Izuku lifted his head to see he was on an exam table, metal straps across his chest, thighs, and shins holding him tightly in place.

An older man in a lab coat with thick glasses and a bushy mustache stepped up to him. He was pulling a boxy machine over to him. He fitted it over Izuku's chest. Izuku grunted and strained, but even with Full Cowling all he managed to do was bruise himself against the metal restraints. The doctor smiled as he worked, ignoring Izuku's struggles completely.

"What did you do to Primus?!" Izuku demanded, shaking with fury. "Where's Socrates?!"

The doctor said nothing.

"ANSWER ME!" Izuku screamed. "What do you want?!"

Izuku whipped his head around as someone stepped out of the shadows. A tall man with broad shoulders in an expensive black suit. His face concealed by a black, mask-like helmet. It had tubes running from the mouth area over his shoulders.

"Strongest Man." The man's voice was smooth and confident. "A disciple of All Might."

Izuku felt tears blur his vision, his heart was beating so fast, he felt like he was going to be sick. "My name is Deku," he said as firmly as he could, his voice shaking.

"Is it?" The man stared down at him with his faceless mask. There were no holes for his eyes, nose, or mouth. Just an impression of a face under tight, semi-shiny black leather. "Super strength. A common quirk. But my successor informs me you displayed a completely different quirk tonight. Black tendrils that latched onto your friend and pulled you into the portal with him, and that, dear Deku, is not common at all."

Izuku panted hard, rigid with terror. All Might's secret! One For All! He'd just walked into the villain's lair, without thought, without a plan. Kacchan would never forgive him! He'd not been thinking! He'd just wanted to get Kacchan back! And he still don't know what happened. What those black tendrils had been.

He'd messed up. Badly. He'd given the villains another helpless hostage and endangered All Might's legacy. He wanted to take it back! He wanted to make a hundred different decisions that led to this point, strapped to this table, with this man leaning over him. Tears ran freely down his face and he shut his eyes tight.

"You damaged my Shigaraki very grievously, young Deku. In fact, he very nearly died, and it was only due to the doctor's efforts that my successor is alive today. For that, you will die here, Deku, but perhaps not right away, yes? It seems there is much we can learn from each other."

"He is definitely evidencing abnormalities," the doctor said in interest as he stared at the screen of his machine. "Remarkable. It is very similar to your readings."

"Is it now? Let's just see if my theory is correct, shall we?"

There was the sound of clothes rustling and Izuku's eyes snapped open. The man was reaching for Izuku's face. Izuku whipped his head to the side, straining, but it didn't matter. The hand grabbed his head.

Claws made of molten lava raked his brain. Izuku's body went rigid as a scream of agony tore from his throat. It seemed to go on forever. Then as suddenly as it had started, he was released. He lay dazed and weak, drenched in sweat.

The man's laugher warped in his ringing ears, sending stabs of pain through his eyes and deep into his skull. Grabbing Izuku's face and making him look up at him, the man gave a cheerful, "Hello, little brother. I have you at last."

Izuku's world crumbled around him. He wasn't just with villains. He was with All For One! The evil Daisuke and all the other users had sworn to stand against! All those heroes - All this time spent cultivating this precious quirk - For nothing - Because of Izuku.

Izuku's eyes rolled up in his head as he passed out.

…

Toshinori slammed through the conference room door. Terror like he'd never known gripped his chest making every breath painfully tight and shallow. Principal Nezu stood at the window, looking out at the sky as it began to lighten to a glowing grey of pre-dawn.

"What has happened? I was told there was an attack on the students at camp!"

Nezu turned from the dark window and gestured to the U-shaped table. "Please have a seat, Toshinori. Now that you are here, we can begin."

Toshinori had been a hero for decades. He knew that impatience would only slow things down. He'd always been able to grin and bare with meetings and pre-op proceedings, but not this time. His patience was very limited. He pierced the principal with his eyes, letting him see this fact, and Nezu bowed his head in understanding.

Stiffly, Toshinori took the remaining seat. There were only three other staff members present: Midnight, Present Mic, and Snipe. Nezu climbed into the chair at the bend and folded his paws before his snout.

"The League of Villains attacked the camp at 8:45 pm last night and departed at approximately 9:08 pm. Several students were seriously injured as well as King Vlad and Pixie-Bob, but I've been informed they will recover with treatment. More importantly, three students as well as Ragdoll were abducted."

Toshinori bit back a scream of rage, of denial. "Midoriya?" he demanded tightly.

"Midoriya, Bakugo, and Shinso, to be exact." Into the heavy silence that followed that pronouncement, Nezu said, "To be attacked during a training camp meant to prepare students to fight villains… We should be embarrassed by the irony. We feared the revitalization of villains, but our understanding was naive. The League is more organized and connected than we realized. They've gone to war with us and hero society, and we were not prepared."

"Do we know where they are?" Toshinori didn't care about any of that! He needed to save Midoriya!

Nezu gave him a piercing look. "We will uncover that information soon, I am certain, but for now we have to wait."

Midnight spoke up, voice unusually soft. "Even if we had understood what the League was capable of, would we have been able to defend against it? All Might has weeded out most organized crime. For the last ten years, we've only had to take on individuals and small time gangs. This is something totally different. Do we even have the skills anymore to fight an organization like this?"

Snipe crossed his arms, ducking his head so that the brim of his cowboy hat blocked his face from view. "Having the Sports Festival right after the USJ attack was a mistake. We obscured the names and faces of the students as usual, but it still gave too much information to the enemy. That is where they discovered Bakugo's violent side and Shinso's unprecedented brainwashing power. We can't keep taking unyielding positions like that, like we have up until now. To have students kidnapped is UA's greatest failure. With those students, they have stolen the trust people have in us heroes."

"What of Midoriya?" Toshinori demanded, angry he was being left out.

"Midoriya was not a target of capture," Nezu said gently. "In his efforts to rescue his classmates, he inadvertently was pulled through Kurogiri's portal."

Toshinori felt his heart clench at that. _Izuku, my boy… _he thought, simultaneously proud of his successor's need to save others and deeply pained by what that valor had cost.

Nezu spoke into the silence. "Snipe is correct. This is UA's biggest disgrace. All the news outlets will be filled with criticism tomorrow, and if any of those boys are won over by the villains or we fail to retrieve them, then it is over for UA as an educational institution."

Present Mic slammed his hand onto the table, his voice loud and verging into piercing. "There's something I'd like to say. There's a traitor among us, isn't there? Only a select few teachers and the Pussycats knew where the training camp would be held. We didn't even make a digital or paper record because that's how those bastards knew our itinerary for the USJ. Not even the students were told, and we disabled cell service once they got on the bus."

Midnight's voice cracked as she ordered, "Mic, stop it!"

The blond leapt to his feet and leaned on the table, both hands pressed to the polish wood. "How can I? Let's clean this place up thoroughly!"

"What about you? Can you prove that you're one hundred percent innocent?" Snipe demanded coldly. "If we suspect each other, then we'll destroy ourselves from the inside. We've all seen it happen before. Looking for a traitor isn't something we should do in a hurry. Not without evidence we can use to correctly identify the traitor."

"At the very least, I trust those at this table completely," Nezu said placidly. Present Mic huffed and fell back into his chair. "Although, I can't prove definitively that I'm completely innocent, either. For now, what we must do as a school is guarantee the safety of the students. With the suspected leak, there's something I've been thinking about doing for awhile now. Once we rescue those boys, starting next term, I will require teachers and students to live on campus. That will make it harder for any informant to work, if there is any, and will allow us to better protect the students since they are clearly one of the targets of this organization. Any teacher or student who declines, we can dismiss from UA's roster without penalty. Hopefully any informants, if any," he said again, "will take this as the opportunity to leave."

All Might's boisterous voice lifted from a tiny speaker._ A phone call is here! A phone call is here!_

Toshinori jumped to his feet. "Excuse me. I have to take this."

Present Mic laughed, mood as mercurial as ever. "Your ringtone is so lame, old man!"

Toshinori ignored this and shut the door behind him. "Tsukauchi! Did you find them?"

"_We just got the statement from Aizawa, and, yes, we may be able to determine the whereabouts of the League of Villains."_

Toshinori felt his heart beat faster. "Where?"

"_It sounds like this case is related to a case I was already investigating. About two weeks ago, one of my subordinates received a report that a man with a patchwork face was seen going into a building that was supposed to be vacant. The man matches the description that Aizawa gave of the lead villain. After checking with the owner of the building, my officer found out that there was a hidden bar there. We were thinking it was a drug ring or small time gang hideout, but it looks like it could be connected directly to the League of Villains."_

"I will be a part of any rescue operation," Toshinori demanded, voice hard and unyielding as steel.

"_I was counting on it, my friend. We're planning on asking for the cooperation from a lot of pro-heroes for this."_

"I will inform Nezu. I'm at the school right now. You have UA's full support."

"_Hang in there, Toshi. We'll get your boy back."_

…

Izuku sank deep in a violent sea of agony. Pain tore through him, ripping him apart and slamming him together in a brutal cycle. It went on and on. There was nothing but terrible pain until he slowly realized he was screaming. The agonized sound filled his ears and poured over him, shaking him to the foundations of his sanity.

"_Izuku…"_ A voice broken and cracked threaded through his screams._"Izuku… forcing your quirks… one by one… visions… not alone…"_

He was torn apart. Shredded down to bone. Screaming in agony.

"_Hold on… sorry… here. I'm here… little longer."_

Izuku dropped to his knees, howling in pain as he curled into a ball. His brain was on fire. The pain was indescribable. A siren blaring. People running. Screaming. Evacuation. A shadow. Izuku looked up and screamed, arms lifting to protect himself as the building slammed down on top of him.

Fire. Painful heat and burning breaths. Not alone. People. People need help. "Help me… help…. HELP!" The fire roared. Izuku screamed as his body began to cook, his fat sizzling up through his melting skin.

A monster, a nomu!, lopped down the street. Izuku looked over his shoulder in horror as the beast opened a beak lined with teeth and crunched down on his skull.

Impaled through the gut, having from a nomu's hand, choking on blood, twisting, screaming, the burn of his own acid eating him alive, a pain like nothing else in this world.

A blast of force lifted him off his feet and flung him through a window, saw All Might, battered and broken crashing through the wall just as he tumbled over the edge and fell, slamming in a bright pair o into the pavement.

Choking on smoke, trapped in rubble, sweating, screaming, choking, crawling, dragging broken limbs over glass.

Feet pounding over his broken body, stomping him down, organs bursting like rotten fruit, screaming.

Glass breaking, building swaying like a tree in the wind, scrambling to stay on his feet. Blood. Blood everywhere. Bodies. Dead bodies. Broken open. In pieces. Nomu everywhere. Monsters running the streets. Eaten by flames. Crushed under concrete. Screaming and screaming. The ground shaking. Collapsing.

The world tumbling, shattering, falling. Dead bodies, broken heads, severed limbs, burning meat. Blood. Blood and death. Crushed under concrete. Body broken. Screaming and screaming. The ground shaking. Collapsing. Falling. Screaming. Glass breaking. Building swaying like a tree in the wind. NOMU! Nomu tearing people to pieces, leathery skin drenched in blood. Bodies everywhere. Blood. Rivers of blood.

Fire, heat and burning lungs, screamin crushed under concrete, broken and screamin the ground shaking, collapsing, fallin roar of the fire, the thunder of the building coming dow scrambling, clawing, running, screaming from monsters straight out of hel screaming, screamin blood, everywher so many peopl screaming Siren

Again and again.

Broken, crawling, burning.

Fire. Crushed under concrete. Screaming, screaming.

and again and again

The ground shaking. Collapsing. Falling. Glass breaking. Building swaying.

Blood Blood everywhere

and again Crushed again

Scrambling, clawing, running from the monsters, the Nomu cutting people down like a scythe through a field of wheat, wheat that bleeds red.

an again

and again

Bodies broken open In pieces

dozens? no, hundreds of times

and again and again

H

…

Todoroki opened his eyes. He was in a hospital room. His left arm was casted from elbow to hand. A machines beeped softly, regularly, as he breathed in and out. He turned his head as the door to his room opened. Kirishima and Kaminari slipped inside. Kaminari was wearing a tank top. His right shoulder and arm down to the elbow was wrapped in bandages, but he had a big grin spread across his face. Kirishima stood uninjured in a t-shirt and jeans.

"Any news?" Todoroki asked dully, surprised and yet not surprised by their visit.

"Just got discharged," Kaminari told him cheerfully. He bounced a little on his toes before settling himself. "My burns weren't as bad as some of the others."

Suddenly Kirishima looked up. "We're going after them. Bakugo and the others."

Todoroki felt cracks spiderweb across the numb bubble encasing him.

"I was right _there_," Kirishima said, low and raw, eyes burning. "I could have saved Bakugo, but I was too _weak_."

"No," Todoroki told him. His good hand fisted the blanket. "I was the one who let him get captured. I watched Shinso disappear in front of my eyes. I watched as Bakugo and Midoriya were pulled through the portal. Everyone says my quirk is stronger than anything they've seen, but I was helpless!"

"Then let's save them this time," Kirishima said, voice hard.

"How?" Todoroki demanded, coldly furious. "They're gone, Kirishima!"

"It was a few hours after we were brought here," Kaminari pipped up. "I was a little out of it on pain meds, but that makes my channel surfing a little more fluid, you know? I picked up a call between that fire villain and someone else. Sounded like an older dude, you know? Anyway, I'd know the fire villain's voice anywhere. He was reporting on our conditions. I was able to surf the channel to the other side, and I know the location of the old guy. He's probably their boss. It might be where they're holding Bakugo and the others!"

Todoroki stared at him, heart beating fast. "Did you tell the police what you overheard?"

Kaminari nodded: "Yeah, but they acted like it wasn't important. They said they had a lead somewhere else and not to worry about it. That I probably misheard." Electricity crackled briefly over his clenched fists. "I know I'm not reliable, but you have to believe me. I'm dead certain about what I heard. It wasn't a dream."

"The police and the heroes aren't going to do anything carelessly. If they have a lead, then they must know something for certain." But doubt and hope burned bright in his chest. Could he really save him?

In a burst of frustration, Kirishima slashed his hand to the side, nearly hitting Kaminari in the face. "We know that! But Bakugo was taken right in front of me! I didn't do anything! And if I don't do anything now, I won't be a hero or a man anymore! Maybe, Bakugo and them aren't there. Maybe it's like you said and the police know where they are, but think about it, Todoroki! What if Bakugo and Midoriya and Shinso are at this place Kaminari found and the police think they're somewhere else? We have to check it out!"

Todoroki sat there breathing hard.

"We're going this afternoon," Kaminari told him, placing a hand on Kirishima's tense shoulder. "If you want to come, meet us in front of the hospital."

Todoroki didn't have to think about it. He knew his answer. "I'm coming."

…

Katsuki's consciousness drifted, dark and weighed down. Thoughts slow and ambiguous with static urgency fading in and out like a broken radio. Opening his eyes, he became aware of a white ceiling and a far-away sense of pain.

A face appeared sideways before his own.

A wave of disorientation made him dizzy before his brain comprehended he was flat on his back. The face was bending over him. Watching him with dark, ruddy eyes - silver hair, shaggy and unkempt - chapped lips and a wide almost reptilian smile. Katsuki's mind slowly coalesced. Anger flickered, caught, but remained a small flame.

"Ah, hello, Explosion," the face said, smiling. "We meet again. Are you coming around now? Can you sit up?"

Katsuki thought about it. A growing sense of _wrongwrongwrong_. Muscles flexed and he lifted his head, feeling weightless and floaty. His hands braced to push himself the rest of the way up and pain flared bright. He collapsed and, as if swimming through the air, he lifted his arms and looked at his hands. They were bandaged, but he could see blood seeping through in spots.

"We don't have a Recovery Girl of our own. That's one of the heroes' cheats," the face said in disgust. "But we did the best we could." Voice low, compelling, the face leaned over him, watching him. _Wrongwrongwrongwrong._ "They train you to violence. Patch up the wounds you receive in their care and make you feel grateful for it. They are grooming you, Explosion. Brainwashing you to believe their _lies_," the face told him. "I'm sure you've already noticed. The looks, the condemnation you get when you excel at the game they're teaching you instead of giving you praise like you deserve. When you show them the power of your quirk, the power that is yours by right, they try to muzzle you and wrap you in chains, but don't you want to be free? Free to be who you were really meant to be? Don't you want to do what you want with no fear of punishments or judgment?" The face leaned closer. "With me, you will be free. No fear. No rules. No more chains."

Katsuki stared up at the face and said, "… de… ku…"

The face watched him.

"De-ku," he said more firmly. "Where's… Deku?"

The face smiled. "Think about what I said."

The face was gone, leaving a white ceiling. Katsuki tried to think. To drag his thoughts together, but he couldn't quite grasp any words beyond _Where's Deku?_

"Primus."

Katsuki turned his head to the side. Across from him, a boy on a bed.

"How are you feeling?"

Purple hair. Dark circles under his eyes. The flame of anger flickered brighter, but still Katsuki couldn't grasp what was going on. Where? Who?

"I need you to say something. Don't you want to see Deku?"

"Where's - "

Something grabbed him. Held his brain in an alien grip. Anger flickered hotter.

"Feel like someone is about to kill you."

Katsuki gasped as adrenaline poured into his system. His heart raced in his chest, and it really felt like he was going to fucking die! He bolted off the cot and stood shaking and trembling, sweat drenching his body. The grip on his mind released.

"THE FUCK…!"

"_Shut up, you imbecile!"_ Braindead whispered fiercely.

Katsuki was still shaking like a fucking junky, his heart beating fit to burst out of his chest. He stood panting, desperately trying to put a chokehold on his rage. He was in a white fucking box. The memory of blue fire and his classmates' screams hit him hard. He lowered his head and wrapped his arms around himself tightly, trying to hold himself together.

"I don't know when they'll be back. Or if they have cameras or microphones in this room," Braindead said monotonously. "They have Deku, too."

Katsuki's head whipped up to stare at the teen. Purple eyes stared back at him.

"They took him somewhere else. Shigaraki wanted to kill him, but his boss wouldn't let him."

Katsuki's mind raced a million miles an hour. Shiga-fucking-raki's face in his. Fucking trying to _recruit_ him. The League of Villains. Suspected mastermind behind them, All For One. Izuku. Being held somewhere else. The fire villain's speech about UA and All Might.

"How're your hands?"

"Shut up, I'm trying to fucking think," Katsuki snarled, eyes squeezed tight, shutting everything out.

This was a fucking shit show and a half. They'd been utterly smashed into the ground. In just two moves, the USJ and now the fucking camp, UA had been brought to its fucking knees.

The villains were trying to end hero society. Turn people against heroes, UA, and All Might. Make people afraid, untrusting. So they attack two UA events. Kidnapped three fucking students, which will cause a shit storm, but… Why not kill them?

Katsuki knew the answer almost before he finished thinking the question. Their deaths would have triggered rage not fear. The people would have banded together to stop the League. Anger, revenge, it would have turned society in UA's favor, not the League's. Okay, so the fuckers had to take them, but why not kill them once they were here? What was with the fucking white room?

They must be useful somehow, needed for something, and it wasn't fucking recruitment. They had to know that was a near impossible eventuality. So… Kidnapped, hostages, useful? Leverage to escape? But the villains had already escaped. Ransom? This group wasn't motivated by money. They had one goal, destroy hero society. Destroy heroes… And just like that Katsuki could see a plan forming in his head.

All Might would come for Izuku. Aizawa would come. Nezu. Nighteye. The best of the best. They would counterattack. USJ objective: Kill All Might. That hadn't changed. Kill All Might. The game wasn't over. Two attacks on UA, the kidnapping of students, and the death of All Might… The world would fucking _shatter_.

But another thread was pulling for his attention. Izuku. Where was Izuku?! Shigaraki had wanted to kill Izuku - likely for the damage Izuku had dealt during USJ. But Shigaraki's boss had stopped him. There's only one reason to do that: He knew or at least suspected something about Izuku. Katsuki's hands clenched into agonizing fists as he remembered Izuku telling him about his conversations with All Might.

Fuck! All Might suspected the League was run by All For One, one of the original supervillains of the world. All For One was _Bad News_. Really fucking Bad News! He was also the source of One For All, and shit just got even more dangerous. More dangerous than UA being taken apart. That meant, more important than escaping, they _had_ to get Izuku back.

How? There was no fucking door! It could be a quirk? Didn't matter. They had to wait for someone to come. Or they could try and get someone to come in. No way were they not being monitored.

They could pretend to give in. Give a speech about how fucking incompetent UA was to get on their good side… But if this was being recorded and the League sent the tape to the media that really would destroy the school for good. Izuku was priority, but taking down the school had to be the last resort.

What else would draw them in?

Katsuki opened predatory eyes. "I feel like shit, asshole. The hell did you do to me?" He took a staggering step forward. "Icanhardlythink," he complained, blurring his words.

Katsuki held his bandaged hands out in front of them and made them shake, and all the while, he never broke eye contact, hoping the idiot would know what he wanted. Oh, thank fucking god. Braindead gave him a minuscule nod.

"I simply made your body produce adrenaline to counteract the sedative. You got a problem with that?"

Katsuki sneered and took another step forward, purposefully overbalancing. "Yeah - "

His mind was seized and he was shoved out of his own fucking head. Mother fucker, he fucking _hated_ this feeling. He tipped forward and began to fall, but Braindead leapt up from the cot. His mouth pressed close to Katsuki's ear as the teen caught him.

"_Convulse and spasm,"_ he commanded in a whisper. Instantly, Katsuki's body dropped and went into seizures. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"

It was bizarre as fuck. He watched from the back of his mind as the room jumped and shook, knowing it had to be fucking painful but not really feeling a thing. He heard the door open and a villain with sunglasses and fat ass lips was bending over him.

"I don't know what's wrong with him!" Braindead cried in a panic. "Can you help him? What's wrong with him?"

"Calm dow- "

Katsuki gasped as his mind was released. Holy shit! It felt like he'd been hit by a truck! Groaning, he got to his knees and just knelt there, trying to catch his breath. Everything hurt, even his hair hurt. He was fucking drenched in sweat. Literally. He was dripping a small puddle on the floor.

"How many villains?" he croaked and coughed to clear his throat.

"How many of your allies are in the bar?" Braindead echoed, and what the fuck? They were being kept in a fucking bar?

"Seven," came the robotic answer.

"What are their quirks?" Katsuki demanded, and again Braindead echoed him.

"Decay. Teleport. Lizard. Transform. Compress. Hell Fire. Double."

Damn that was way too many. Hell Fire. Fuck. That asshole alone was dangerous as hell. No way could they fight their way out. Not to mention Katsuki wasn't going any fucking where without fucking Izuku.

"Give me your cell phone," Katsuki growled.

The villain did.

Katsuki saw that it was Saturday, August 15th, 7:48 am. His heart beat faster. Shit. They needed to get Izuku out as fast as possible, of course, but for another reason as well. The full fucking moon was tomorrow night. Shaking, hands screaming in pain, Katsuki quickly opened the texting app and put in Aizawa's number. Then he began to text quickly and in short hand everything he knew.

_Bar. Trap 4 AM. 8 vill min. Decay. Teleport. Lizard. Transform. Compress. Hell Fire. Double. _

"What's your quirk, what's our location, and what are everyone's names?"

"Magnetism. Magne. Camino Ward. Shigaraki. Kurogiri. Dabi. Twice. Compress. Toga. Spinner."

Katsuki typed his answer. "Where's Deku?"

"Sensei."

Katsuki growled in rage, wanting to shake the asshole until his head fucking rolled off his fucking shoulders. "Where the fuck is Sensei?"

"Don't know."

"Who does fucking know?!"

"Shigaraki. Kurogiri."

Fuck. He typed, _Loony Deku not here. _Hoping against hope Aizawa would understand that as code for lune, reminding him about the moon, about the urgency of rescuing Izuku._ Taken by boss. Tell AM AFO. Shiga Kuro know location._

The sound of clapping came from down the hallway. Katsuki lifted his head and stood defiant as Shigaraki, a dead hand once more covering his face, stepped into the room. His eyes, the color of dried blood, crinkled in a smile.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have too wait long. Impressive little heroes."

Katsuki snapped his free hand up and aimed at the villain's head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Shigaraki said with a child-like giggle. "First, you use your quirk with your hands like that, you'll never use your quirk again. Second, you've been sweating. The force of the blast you'd spark would fling me down the hallway. I'd be terribly hurt, yes, but I'll live, but you and Brainwash here will be dead."

Katsuki glared murder, but before he could respond, there came the sound of shoes clicking their way down the hallway. The pace was almost robotic it was so perfectly repetitive.

"Primus!"

The desperation in Brainwash's voice snapped Katsuki's head around to look at him, and the little asshole grabbed hold of his brain. It was desperate and sloppy because Katsuki hadn't verbally answered, the grip tenuous, but before he could shatter the asshole's control, something really fucked up happened.

Through the end of the tunnel where he could still see out his eyes, it was like an overlay. Like someone fucking playing two movies at once.

With a snarl of rage, Shigaraki pushed past him while Katsuki stood with painfully clenched fists. Then the fucking evil motherfucker grabbed Braindead's face! Katsuki roared, but the Magne asshole grabbed him and somehow immobilized his body. Katsuki couldn't move no matter how hard he strained or screamed. He watched in wide-eyed horror as Braindead - that fucking asshole with the too fluffy hair and deep, dark bags under his eyes - the asshole with the confused fucking look over the simplest shit, like ordering fucking dinner in the cafeteria - Hitoshi Shinso _disintegrated_ right before his eyes. Katsuki screamed as a pile of fucking _ash_ fell to the floor where the teen had been standing.

A woman entered the room. Long dark hair with thick bangs that fell to her lips and completely concealed her eyes from view. She wore a button-up and slacks, shiny black shoes with heels. Behind her a man in a black suit and tie, wearing sunglasses. He gestured for Braindead to come to him. Shigaraki stood like a statue, eyes blank, body still. The way Braindead's victims looked when he brainwashed them. Braindead eased around Shigaraki and Katsuki and went to the suit-guy's side. The woman moved to where Braindead had been standing and reached into her pocket. She upended a bag of ash right there on the fucking white floor. Then she turned and the three of them fucking walked right out of the white room.

Holy fuck! The Institute! These bitches were from the Institute! They were retrieving Braindead. Either the woman or the man was creating an illusion in Katsuki's mind, a false reality. Braindead was fucking protecting him so he'd know the truth, but the villains would think Shigaraki had killed him, and if Katsuki was rescued, the heroes would think Braindead was dead and not come looking.

Fuck. That.

Katsuki remained small and still, doing everything he could to not break Shinso's hold on him. The teen's grip grew thinner and thinner, the illusion growing brighter and brighter. Katsuki held onto Shinso's quirk, terrified that if it broke, his memories would be overwritten. That he'd be left with only the horrific image of Shinso fucking _dissolving_ in front of him while Katsuki stood helpless.

With a painful lurch, he was back in his body. Breathing harshly, shaking and sick, Katsuki held tight to the memory of the woman and the man, of Shinso fucking walking out of this fucking room. Shigaraki whipped around and viciously backhanded Katsuki across the face.

"LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!" he screamed in blind fury.

He reached for Katsuki's throat, but then the other villains were there, holding him back, shouting at the madman. Katsuki was shoved onto the cot out of the way, and he stared down at the pile of ash on the floor. Half of him was convinced he'd just watched the teen die. He felt simultaneously hot and cold with horror and rage, but Shinso was alive. He told himself that again and again. Shinso was alive.

"KNOCK HIM OUT!" Shigaraki screamed.

A hand with a rag was shoved in his face, pressed over his nose and mouth. Katsuki roared and lashed out with his arms and legs, but the motherfucker pinned him down. He tried to hold his breath, but it was too late. He was already hyperventilating. In seconds, his vision tunneled. The chemicals hit him hard and fast.

Blackout.

…

He'd been distracted by his dear brother falling into his lap, and now a powerful brainwashing quirk had slipped through his fingers! Shigaraki was tempestuous, but he would never have destroyed such a prize. Not when he'd explicitly ordered him not to. No, this had the Institute's fingers all over it, but it wouldn't hurt for Shigaraki to believe the lie a little bit longer. The boy needed to learn more self-control.

If only he could find that gold mind of powerful and rare quirks! He'd tear them apart piece by piece and take every psychic quirk for himself! He'd be invincible, and his successor would rise to lay waste to this disgusting, stagnant world. But they hid like rats. No doubt protected by the very quirks they hoarded and he'd yet to breach those walls.

Frustrated, he loosened his tie. That was a matter for another day. He had to focus on the game that was in play. All Might's death loomed before them. Better yet, he had his brother in his grasp at last. Glee burned through his veins. He was going to enjoy taking that boy apart, peeling layer after layer away until he reached his brother at the brat's core. He would finally crush him once and for all.

He slammed the door to the operation room open and froze. The table was empty! The metal restraints undone. The doctor lay on his side on the floor. Blood pooled around him. All For One tipped his head back and screamed in _ !_

…

Aizawa made his way quickly and silently through the halls of the deserted school and slipped into the meeting room. Nezu was there, of course, as was Nighteye, Toshinori, and Tsukauchi.

"All For One has Izuku," Toshinori was saying. "We cannot wait!"

"We must," Tsukauchi insisted firmly. "We have to do this right or the kids will be killed or spirited away to another location. If we bust in recklessly, we will lose all chance of rescuing him. Besides, we don't even know where Midoriya is being held. Only Bakugo and Shinso are being kept at the hidden bar. These extra hours might give us a chance to find him before the raid."

"The boys could be dead by then!" Toshinori roared. "We go in now, rescue them, and interrogate Shigaraki for Izuku's whereabouts!"

"All For One will move Midoriya the second those two are captured," Tsukauchi argued reasonably. "I have very capable people on the case. Give them a few more hours to find Midoriya while we prepare for the rescue operation."

"We can not wait," Toshinori yelled. "I can get the boys out myself."

"No," Tsukauchi denied. "Too much is at stake."

"You're suggesting we leave Bakugo and Shinso in the hands of the villains," Aizawa cut in, voice quiet. "Despite knowing their location. For another five hours."

"According to young Bakugo's report," Nezu said gently. "This is a trap. We have to be prepared before we spring it. The pro-heroes who Tsukauchi has selected for this mission are still gathering and I have arranged a live press conference to air at the same time as the raid. It should give the illusion that we are still figuring things out and hopefully make the villains drop their guard. You will be there as their homeroom teacher."

"No." Everyone turned to stare at him. Aizawa stared back, unmoved. "I will be participating in the raid."

Nezu opened his mouth.

Aizawa stared at him unblinking.

The principal shut his mouth and nodded.

"All is not lost should we be unsuccessful in obtaining Midoriya's location before the raid," Nighteye said, voice low. "I'd like to remind everyone tomorrow is the full moon."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tsukauchi asked, frowning.

"I have an informant who contacts me after the full moon. They might be able to tell me Midoriya's location."

"If he is alive to do so," Aizawa said darkly.

…

Todoroki managed to talk his way into an early discharge against the advice of the doctor. Fuyumi had supported his decision and had signed off on the paperwork. He gave his sister's hand a squeeze in thanks, grabbed his wallet, left his stuff with her, and walked out. Kirishima and Kaminari were waiting for him on the sidewalk in front of the hospital. So were Iida and Uraraka. Apparently Iida had overheard them in the hospital and had contacted Uraraka.

"So you're going?" Iida asked, voice tight.

"Yes," Todoroki answered evenly. He stepped up to be shoulder-to-shoulder with the Kaminari and Kirishima.

Iida grabbed Todoroki by his shirt and gave him a shake. "Why are you trying to make the same mistake I did?! We're still minors! UA is in a bad enough position as it is! Who will take responsibility for your actions?"

"Iida!" Uraraka cried, voice wobbly with tears. "Don't."

Todoroki used his cast to knock the other teen's hands away from him. "It's not what you're thinking. We don't plan to rush a villain hideout or fight them head on. We already tried that at the camp and we lost. We only want to check out Kaminari's lead. If Bakugo and the others are there, we'll call the police. They might be going in the wrong direction, and we want to help. That's all."

Kirishima flashed a sharp-toothed smile. "In other words, covert action! That's the way we students can fight while toeing the line on the rules!"

"I must have heard that conversation for a reason." Kaminari looked relaxed, but his right hand was brutally twisting the hem of his shirt. "I'm not good for much, but I can do this! I can help bring Bakugo back!"

Uraraka put a restraining hand on Iida's heaving chest, keeping the teen away from Todoroki. "If you're really not planning on fighting… If you're just going to gather information to give to the police… Then count me in. I want to help save Deku and Bakugo, too."

"We can't come to an agreement, huh?" Iida paced away from them before throwing his hands in the air. "Then I'm going with you. I want to be there to stop you in case you decide to do something reckless."

"Fine," Todoroki agreed. He didn't care who came or what anyone else thought. He was going to find his friend. "We're wasting time. Let's go."

"We're going to Camino Ward," Kaminari announced, leading the way to the station.

Kirishima nodded. "That's in Yokohama City in Kanazawa Prefecture. It should take us two hours by express train. I looked it up."

"That's far," Uraraka said, expression creased with worry.

"Not really," Kirishima denied. "We should get there just before six. We'll have a good few hours before it gets dark to look around."

"And if it takes longer than that?" Iida demanded stiffly.

"Then it takes longer," Todoroki answered, shooting him a cold look. "Feel free to turn back if it gets to be too much."

Iida glared at him. "I'm not going anywhere."

…

Katsuki jerked awake, the memory of Shinso dissolving to ash right in front of him burned like a brand in his memory. "Fuck!" he snarled, shaking his head hard to clear the terrifying image from his mind.

He was tied to a chair. Thick leather straps bound his torso, thighs, and legs, holding him immobile. His hands were trapped in heavy metal cuffs secured at his wrists. At least he was out of the fucking white room.

Katsuki glared at the villains scattered around the room, sitting at booths or on stools. He really was in a fucking bar. Wood floors, wood bar, a dozen stools, and a wall of jewel bright bottles. The warp asshole was behind the bar drying a fucking glass mug like an everyday fucking bartender. What. The. Fuck.

"You fucking assholes…" he growled, voice hoarse and dry.

A school girl in pigtails skipped up to the bar and leaned over it. Her pleated skirt lifted to just below her fucking asscheeks, and grabbed a bottle of water. Then she skipped over, giggling. "You're pretty cute."

"Fuck you," Katsuki spat.

She laughed again. "Come on, kitty. Drink a little water."

"Shut up. I can't hear," Shigaraki grumbled. He was sitting on a stool at the bar and staring at a small tv. He reached forward and turned it up.

Katsuki was distracted as the bitch slammed the opening of the bottle into his mouth and tipped it upside down. Katsuki, sucking it into his lungs, spluttered and coughed before shoving his tongue forward to stop the flow and only allowing one mouthful at a time down his throat. The insane girl giggled again, the sound grating on his last fucking nerve.

"_As you can see, Tomo, there are quite a few people gathered here for the UA press conference that has been scheduled to begin in an hour. As of yet, the identities of the kidnapped students are still being withheld as is any plan for their retrieval; however, an hour ago the police have confirmed that the League of Villains was behind this attack. This is the same group responsible for the USJ attack and the attack at Hosu."_

As the tv asshole recounted the details of the USJ and Hosu attacks, Shigaraki turned to face Katsuki. "Toga. Leave him alone."

The girl giggled and skipped back to her booth leaving Katsuki half drowned, water dripping from his bangs and chin. Shigaraki stalked toward him, ruddy eyes glaring between the fingers of the fucking severed hand stuck to his face.

"That's so strange," he said, voice light and childlike. "Why are the heroes being criticized? They way they were dealing with things was only a little off the mark. Modern-day citizens are so uptight. Don't you think, Explosion? Don't you think they'll turn on you just like they're doing to UA if you keep following this path blindly? Everyone makes a mistake or two. What happens when they find out you're not perfect?"

The alligator mutant leaning against the wall spoke up, trying to sound fucking cool or some shit, pitching his voice low. "Once heroes receive compensation to protect people, they aren't heroes anymore. That is Stain's teaching."

Shigaraki stepped closer. "The strange system of transforming people's lives into money or glory… The society that sticks tight to those rules… The citizens who blame the losers rather than encourage them… Our fight is to question: What is a hero? What is justice? Is this society truly just? We'll have everyone thinking about it. We're planning on winning. You like winning, too, right?"

"I do apologize for using such forceful methods," the man in the black and white mask and fancy costume said. "But please understand that we are not just a mob trying to commit crimes. We didn't kidnap you by accident."

Shigaraki knelt and looked up into his glaring face. "Even though our situations differ, everyone here has been restricted and suffered. Because of people… rules… and heroes… I'm sure you also…"

Katsuki had heard enough. He spat in the villains face. "Eat shit and die."

The room grew tense and silent. Shigiraki slowly stood and removed the hand from his face. He looked like shit. Chapped lips and dry, irritated skin. Shigaraki stared down at the severed hand with a look of madness, the glob of spit sliding down the back of it.

"You killed Socrates," Katsuki growled, heart punching in his chest with fury. "You nearly strangled Deku at the mall and you're doing who knows what to him now! You don't give a shit about fucking society, ass wipe! You just want me to pretend to join you. To save my fucking life or some shit. Look!" he said nastily, pitching his voice high. "One of their precious students went bad! Look at how they failed!" Katsuki spat again, this time missing the villain by a bare inch. "Well, I'm not fucking stupid, asshole! I'll _never_ join you! So save me your pathetic speeches about being the good guys trying to save society from itself. You're not fooling anyone with that fucking crap! You hear me?! You're just a sadist getting off on hurting people. There's _nothing_ noble about you or your fucking loser gang! SO GO EAT SHIT AND DIE!"

"I wouldn't make me any more mad than I already am," Shigaraki hissed furiously as he fixed the hand to his face once more. "It's your fault I lost my temper and killed Brainwash! Now Sensei's mad at me for losing an important piece!"

"Sounds like a you problem," Katsuki spat.

"The kid's got a mouth, I hate him! He's ballsy! I like him," the villain in the black unitard shouted out like a maniac.

"Twice," Shigaraki said coldly, turning away and walking back to his stool. "Punish him."

"No way! I'd love to!"

The villain bounced to his feet and then he was laying into Katsuki. He punched him hard in the face, the chest, gut, face again. Katsuki's ears rang. Everything felt tight and hot. He gasped and grunted, choking on rage. Again and again, the villain's fists slammed into him. The chair creaked with every hard impact.

Blood from a split eyebrow spilled down his face. His head whipped to the side as a fist slammed into his cheek. He spat out blood, a tooth clattering against the wooden floor. A vicious gut punch made him convulse, vomiting water and bile. Stomach acid burned the cuts inside his mouth, making tears spill bitterly down his throbbing face.

"Ooooh, he's gorgeous, Twice," the girl cooed. "Keep going."

A brutal punch to his side and Katsuki felt his floating rib crack. He would have screamed if he had the air to do it. He couldn't breathe. Hurts. _Hurts,_ and he couldn't stop it. Couldn't fight back. Thud, pain, thud, PAIN, thud. Katsuki was crying. He was fucking sobbing with fury, desperate to fight back, but he was reeling, restraints holding him in place, cuffs on his hands, and he clenched them into desperate fists.

_Don't blow don't blow,_ he repeated over and over. If he used his quirk now, he'd lose his hands for good. Then a fist cracked against his jaw, flinging his head back, and darkness snapped closed on his mind.

…

Izuku screamed and sobbed. It took a long time to realize someone was holding him. The ground wasn't shaking. There was no smell of fire. Sunlight filtered into his awareness. An open window spilled gold-red light into the dark room. Arms were holding him close. Izuku tilted his head back, shaking with every sobbing, desperate breath. It wasn't the man in the mask or the doctor or Kacchan holding him. Stain stared down at him, face scarred and shadowed.

"…please…" he rasped through his sobs. He reached up and grabbed Stain's shirt in violently shaking hands. "You have to… evacuate… you have to evacuate…"

"Evacuate?" Stain asked, tilting his head as he stared down at him. "I already took you out of there. All For One is looking for us even now, but I will return you to All Might's care. You are a worthy successor, and he will protect you."

"_Please_," Izuku begged desperately. His teeth were chattering, his body quaking in the vigilante's arms. "Evacuate. Camino Ward. _Please_. Everyone will die! Everyone. Please! _Kill me_, Stain, I don't care, but evacuate Camino. The nomu! The buildings! So much… destruction… Promise me! _Promise me_, Stain. Please, I'll do whatever you want, just _please_ evacuate Camino Ward."

"Shhhh…" Stain's hand lifted and covered Izuku's eyes, plunging him into darkness. "Sleep, young hero."

Izuku shuddered in his arms. "_Please_, Stain, please… call All Might…" he slurred out the number to All Might's phone even as exhaustion pulled him under. "_Please_…please_… _evac… uate… Ca..mi…" Then he was gone once more.

…

Todoroki and the others stepped out of the train station as the sun was beginning to set. He stared around at the busy city. It wasn't downtown Tokyo where Endeavor had built his tower, but it wasn't the small city and suburbs of UA, either.

Kirishima peered around at the busy foot traffic with a frown. "This is Camino Ward? There's a lot of people."

"The villains are hiding somewhere in this city?" Uraraka didn't sound too happy about it. "How are we going to find them?"

Kaminari walked out into the street and turned, walking backward with his hands behind his head as he grinned at them. "I was able to narrow it down to a few blocks. It won' t be as hard as it looks."

"A few blocks, he says," Iida muttered discontentedly.

"You can stay here," Todoroki pointed out.

Iida glared at him. "I'm coming."

Todoroki stepped into his personal space, voice cold and threatening. "We're here to find Bakugo and the others. Time is of the essence, so I'm warning you now, if you slow us down, I'll leave you frozen in a block of ice without hesitation or regret."

Iida stared at him, eyes wide behind his glasses.

Todoroki stalked past him, hitting his shoulder hard with his own.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **So a lot of stuff is going on. I'm trying to keep it all organized, but it's a bit difficult, especially the things that I'm changing and the ripple effect it would have on the rest of events.

I'm purposefully being vague about time because I thought that would make it more suspenseful, but only about 24 hours have passed since the attack on the camp.

I'll try and get the next chapter out soon. They've been awfully finicky chapters to write, and the high emotions can get exhausting… but… _*shakes self and reaches for an energy drink*_ Plus Ultra, right? ;p


	56. Chapter 56

**All For One**

Dozens of reporters sat grim-faced and alert in a small conference room on the ground floor of UA. Bulky high-tech video cameras sat on tripods scattered throughout the room. On televisions and sides of buildings, the whole country watched as Principal Nezu, pro-hero Mandalay, and pro-hero Vlad King walked into the room from a side door and took seats at the table equipped with microphones and glasses of water. Flashes went off as a dozen pictures were taken before the room settled into a waiting stillness.

Nezu was dressed in a formal suit, his paws folded before him on the table. Similarly, Mandalay wore a white blouse and slacks. Her short bssrown hair was brushed and clean, her large brown eyes bright and alert. She looked every inch a professional hero. Vlad King, on the other hand, looked like he should still be in the hospital. Red, warped skin covered nearly the entirety of his face. His left side looked worse than the right, the skin drooping and tight like melted wax that had hardened. A good chunk of hair had been burnt away leaving raw, bald skin along the side of his scalp.

"Thank you for joining us today," Nezu began, his voice low and reasonable. "As some of you are aware, there was a villain attack on a UA training camp yesterday evening. It is with great regret that I have to announce twenty-seven of our first year students were injured during this villainous attack, and three students as well as one pro-hero were abducted."

A reporter stood as low murmurs went through the room. "I'm from Yomiuri TV. Since the beginning of the year, UA High School students have had four encounters with villains. This time there were students injured and you are now confirming that three were abducted. How did you explain this to their families, and what are some specific countermeasures you are taking?"

Nezu bowed his head in a respectful nod before answering. "We will increase policing in the surrounding area and review the security within the school, ensuring the students' safety with a strong position. That is what we told them."

Another reporter stood. "You speak about the students' safety, Principal, but is it not true that during the incident the students were urged to fight these villains? Can you explain how this action was meant to keep your students safe?"

"I made that call," Mandalay said clearly without flinching. "When I realized that the students were the targets, I concluded that they had a better chance of making it back to the camp if they were allowed to defend themselves. I gave them permission to fight via my quirk Telepathy."

The reporter did not look impressed with that answer. "Didn't more students suffer injuries because you gave the go ahead to fight instead of retreat?"

Nezu made a little chirrup sound, garnering the room's attention. "The gas attack accounts for most of the students who needed hospitalization. If it weren't for two students rendering this villain unconscious, there would have been even more victims. Fortunately, we were able to determine it was merely a sleeping gas from one of the enemies' quirks. Those students affected will make a full recovery.

"There weren't as many students injured by the villain with a fire quirk, but those injuries were more severe. This villain was held off by the pro-heroes, not the students, as you can see by our very brave and capable Vlad King who suffered the worst damage received during this villain's attack. Such a dangerous quirk could easily have killed, but due to the heroic efforts of the pros in place, there were no casualties.

"Our first concern is always for the students' safety. Any and all decisions are made toward that end. In addition to providing the highest level of medical care, we are also providing mental care to the students, but at the moment, we do not see any signs of serious psychological trauma."

Another reporter jumped to their feet. "Can you say the same thing for the kidnapped children?"

"We will provide whatever care is needed upon the return of our precious students," Nezu answered calmly.

"Is it true the boy with the quirk called Explosion was one of the students abducted?" a woman demanded.

"It is," Nezu confirmed.

She glared. "Are you concerned this boy will not wish to be rescued? The violence he showed at the Sports Festival that resulted in him being chained during the award ceremony suggests that he is not stable. You may have trained an individual who will side with the villains and thus put society at risk."

Vlad King pushed to his feet and the room grew absolutely silent as the pro-hero with the disfigured face leaned forward to speak directly to the microphone. "I take full responsibility for the abduction of the Explosive Hero: Primus. He was in my care when the villains overcame my defenses and took him. He did not go easily, and I can tell you right now that he is still fighting heroically to return to us. His actions at the sports festival originate in what he considers ideal strength. He is trying harder than anyone in his pursuit of becoming the top hero. If the villains saw that and thought they had an opening, then they will be surprised at the level of resistance they will meet. Primus would _never_ give in to the villains. UA did _not_ choose incorrectly when they accepted him into the hero course."

A man stood. "If what you say is correct, wouldn't that place him in even more danger? Do you have any concrete plans to rescue these students?"

Nezu gave him a furry smile. "We are not just standing around idly. We are currently investigating along with the police. We will definitely get our students back."

…

All For One strode furiously through the warehouse. Nomu floated in tanks all around him, but he had eyes only for the woman strapped to a lab table. Ragdoll looked up at him, large eyes shimmering with tears, face bloody from a head wound.

"I have need of your quirk," he told her and reached for her head.

"No… no, please… _DON'T!_" Ragdoll arched with an agonized scream as he ripped her quirk from her and took it into himself, the table rattling with her violently convulsing body.

All For One tilted his head back, feeling along the new pathways as he activated Search, merging it with a few others to boost its range and accuracy. "Ahhh," he said on a sigh. Near orgasmic pleasure uncoiled from his center as it always did when he took in a new quirk. "There you are Stain."

…

_A phone call is here! A phone call is here!_

"You should really silence your phone before a raid," Tsukauchi scolded as dozens of officers quickly moved into position around the bar.

All Might flashed a sheepish grin and pulled his phone out, checking the number. He didn't recognize it, but so few people had his number that he couldn't risk ignoring it. He pushed answer and held the device to his ear.

"_All Might…"_ The voice on the other end of the line was quiet and yet still resonated with obsession. _"I have your worthy successor. If you wish him back whole, come quickly."_

All Might went tense. "Where are you?"

"_Warehouse district," _Hero Killer Stain answered easily. _"Your successor begged me to tell you to evacuate the city." _The phone creaked in All Might's grip. _"All For One is coming. Be quick," _the vigilante hissed and the line went dead.

"Evacuate the city! Now!" All Might ordered urgently.

Tsukauchi jumped, eyes wide, but he reached for his walkie obediently.

"All Might?" Aizawa cast him a worried look.

"I know where Izuku is. I'm going after him." All Might's eyes burned. "I trust you to handle things here."

Aizawa glared. "Don't be stupid! It's a trap!"

All Might launched himself into the air.

…

Kirishima grunted as Kaminari climbed up his back. Todoroki was silent as Uraraka did the same to him. The sun had set a little while ago, leaving them in darkness. They'd searched the area Kaminari had traced the signal to, but they hadn't found anything suspicious until they'd come across this dark, seemingly empty building.

"What do you see?"

"Shhh!" Kaminari hissed as he lifted his phone, pressing it to the window. He turned on the flash.

"Oh my god…" Uraraka's voice wavered, tight and high-pitched. She practically tumbled off of Todoroki.

"What is it?" Kirishima demanded.

"Call Aizawa!" she hissed, large eyes wide in her pale face. "Ragdoll is in there! She's strapped to a table. Her face is covered in blood. I don't know if she's alive."

Iida whipped out his phone, already dialing.

"Nomu," Kaminari said faintly, still standing on Kirishima's shoulders. "I can see eight, but there could be more. Oh god," he said, sounding queasy. "The nomu are in tanks filled with water. Tubes are attached to their brains and stuff. I think I see one twitching…"

…

Izuku felt like darkness was being peeled away from his mind bit by bit. Became aware of movement first. Then his body jolting as it impacted a hard surface. He blinked open blurry eyes to see a shape bending over him, felt the gentle press of calloused fingers to his forehead and a murmur of words. Then the figure was leaving, moving through a doorway.

Heart beating in his throat, Izuku sat up. He shook his head hard and it helped, but it didn't do anything for the the weak feeling shivering through his muscles and bones. Tears streaked his face, but he ignored them. Stain! He recognized the tattered scarf, the ends of the red mask waving in the wind, the flash of a deadly sword. Izuku pushed up on his knees, needing to move but completely confused on what he was supposed to do. Attack? Defend?

Izuku gasped as All For One, terrible and unholy, landed delicately in the center of the street. Stain kept walking toward the man. "Don't come after me," the vigilante had ordered as he pressed his fingers gently to Izuku's forehead.

_Don't come after me._

Izuku trembled, terrified, but defiance roared through his blood. No. _No!_ He couldn't watch someone sacrifice himself! He couldn't! But he was terrified. Terrified to put himself in All For One's hands. Terrified of that operation table. Terrified of being the one to end One For All for good.

"You took something very important from me," All For One called and lifted his hand toward the Hero Killer. "After taking you in, after saving your life, after healing you, you betray me?"

"Only All Might is worthy of killing me," Stain answered and slashed his sword through the air between them. "I will cleanse this world of all the fakes!"

All For One's masked head lowered. "I assure you I am not fake," he promised, voice vibrating with evil. "Forgive me for making this quick. Tomura may need me soon."

Izuku looked around desperately. For a weapon, _anything!_ But he was in an empty concrete room. There were no doors in the doorways, no glass in the windows. A construction site? Izuku looked down and saw he was in his gym uniform, filthy from the camp battle. He had nothing on him, no hero costume, nothing. He forced himself to reach for One For All and almost collapsed, biting back a cry. Razor-blade static buzzed under his skin.

All For One's fingers on one hand became black, finger-thin spears threaded through with sinister red. They shot forward, moving like snakes. The Hero Killer spun and flipped out of the way with incredible grace and skill. Those he couldn't avoid, he blocked with his sword. Sparks went up, the air vibrating with the screeching sound of metal on metal.

Izuku screamed in denial as five spears from All For One's other hand shot up from the ground and impaled Stain, holding him in the air. It was over that quick.

"Come to me, Deku. If you make me wait, I will cut him into pieces," All For One called almost cheerfully.

"No!" Stain screamed, choking on blood. "Stay back!"

Izuku stood frozen, and with a twist, All For One cut Stain's left arm off at the shoulder.

Stain screamed in agony as blood geysered out in a wide fan, soaking the street in a spray of red.

…

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

All Might landed hard on the roof of what looked like an abandoned warehouse and ran to the edge as a scream pierced the air. Hero Killer Stain hung impaled before All For One. An arm lay severed under his tortured body. All Might hadn't made it in time.

Izuku ran forward from one of the neighboring buildings, and All Might leapt. He landed between Izuku and All For One, shoving the boy back hard enough to send him sliding. "Never fear!" he proclaimed boldly. "I AM HERE!" Then he blurred forward.

With one massive fist, he struck All For One's crossed forearms and grabbed Stain with the other. He flung the Hero Killer backward, back toward Izuku. All For One retaliated. A kick landed in All Might's gut with the force of a speeding truck. He went flying, his back slamming through the concrete walls of a building, sending a huge dust cloud up into the air.

"ALL MIGHT!" All For One yelled on a laugh. "It's too late for you, old man. I know what you've done! Do you think you can fight me without my brother residing in you?"

All Might launched himself forward into a flurry of powerful punches. The force of which shattered windows and sent anything not nailed down flying.

"You're weaker, All Might," All For One said, delighted, as he blocked each blow. He lifted his hand and a burst of force lifted All Might off his feet and sent him slamming into another building.

"What about you?!" All Might yelled back. He stepped out of the rubble as the building came down behind him. Thank god Stain had chosen an empty construction site for this battle. "What's with that mask you've got on? Aren't you overexerting yourself?"

_wooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! wooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! _

As the evacuation siren blared, distracting All For One, All Might looked desperately for Izuku, but there was so much dust, the wind blowing in a spiraling circle from the power of their blows. Black spears sliced through the air directly toward his chest. All Might leapt, dodging and twisting, punching upward, trying to minimize the damage to the area, not knowing where Izuku was.

Suddenly, an enormous blast, equal to one of All Might's most powerful punches, hit him dead on and he went flying. His body smashed through several buildings, leaving devastation in his wake.

…

_wooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

The siren split the air with its scream just as Gang Orca shattered the door to the bar as he barreled through it. Kamui Woods and Aizawa swung in right behind him. Kamui's branches speared forward and split again and again, filling the small room in the space of three heartbeats and pinning the villains in place.

Aizawa locked his glowing red eyes on the fire villain. The blue flames that had been roaring to life sputtered and died instantly. Then Edgeshot was there, spinning himself to the molecular level and entering the body of Kurogiri, rendering him unconscious and preventing him from using any of his portals.

"You've been caught, villains!" Gang Orca bellowed. "Surrender!"

"No! Kurogiri!" Shigaraki screamed in fury.

From the corner of his vision, Aizawa spotted Katsuki. The boy was strapped to a chair, his face swollen and battered, but he was alive! A flick of his fingers and he threw a tracker. Katsuki jumped, startled as it adhered to his chest. Aizawa wasn't about to take any chances with his boy.

Shigaraki thrashed in his restraints, the wood dissolving under his hands. More branches shot out to keep him bound, but the villain, wild with fury, destroyed them almost as fast as Kaumi could make them. Aizawa couldn't erase his quirk. If he let the fire villain go, they'd be burned in seconds.

"CHEATERS! Where's All Might?! WHERE IS HE?! He's supposed to be here!"

"Tomura Shigaraki, you are under arrest!" Gang Orca moved forward quickly to cuff and bind the villain with the quirk suppressant collar.

"Sensei! HELP ME!"

Aizawa staggered as his quirk was violently cancelled. The fire villain spewed murky water from his mouth that inverted and carried him away, leaving an empty space where he'd been standing. Shigaraki and the other villains disappeared with him. Aizawa spun, his capture scarf lashing out toward Katsuki, but the murky water swallowed the teen as well.

"Katsuki! No!" he screamed furiously.

More puddles opened and a half dozen nomu came tumbling into the room in their place. Aizawa didn't even hesitate. He leapt out of the building, grabbed the edge of the roof with his scarf, and swung up. There were even more nomu appearing on the street. Best Jeanist was there along with Mount Lady and Tiger. Dozens of other pro-heroes and police officers were scattered throughout the surrounding blocks. They would have to be enough because he couldn't bear to leave Katsuki in the hands of the villains.

"I'm going after Primus!" he yelled down to Tsukauchi before taking off across the roof at a run.

…

_wooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! wooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

Kirishima jumped as the siren blared. His heart leapt into his throat and beat against his ribs like a wild thing.

"OH SHIT!" Kaminari tumbled off Kirishima's shoulders, falling hard on his side. Electricity zapped sharp and hot, but it only felt like a tingle against Kirishima's stone skin.

Kirishima didn't have time to do anything more than fling his body over Kaminari to shield the teen as the window exploded outward. Uraraka screamed as glass rained down on them and a monstrous shape tackled the still standing Iida to the ground.

In a flash, ice speared out of the ground from Todoroki's foot, violently encasing the monster in less time than it took to blink. Kirishima threw himself forward and got Iida out from under the ice, hacking at it with his stone fingers to free the teen.

As Iida climbed shakily to his feet, shivering, the ice cracked ominously around the nomu. An inhuman eye rolled and locked dead onto Kirishima. "RUN!" he screamed

"Were's the nearest underground shelter?" Kaminari cried in a panic, chasing after him.

"We'll just follow everyone else!" Iida shouted back, keeping pace with them.

Fire flared bright and hot behind them and Kirishima skid to stop. Spinning around, he saw Todoroki blocking the alley. His broken arm was thrust out in front to him, spewing a stream of searing hot flame. The cast caught fire and turned black, curling and falling to ash.

A monstrous shriek sounded, like a tea kettle's piercing whistle. The nomu flailed wildly, throwing itself against the walls of the alley as its skin caught fire. It had already broken free of the ice!

"Kami!" he cried, reaching, but his fingers only gazed Kaminari's black jacket as the blond ran past him.

Kaminari darted in front of Todoroki, dangerously close to the fire, and released a massive surge of electricity. The nomu dropped and convulsed violently, still burning. When the current stopped, the monster lay still, body smoking.

They took off running again, but they had to veer away from the city as an entire building tilted and toppled down. The sound was deafening, the ground shaking like an earthquake. Uraraka and Kaminari stumbled and fell to their knees. Iida pulled Uraraka to her feet while Todoroki yanked Kaimnari to his. Choking on dust, they ran deeper into the industrial zone.

…

Izuku crouched protectively over Stain's body as All Might was flung far away. He was desperately applying pressure to the still bleeding punctures in the Hero Killer's chest. He'd already torn off his shirt sleeve to create a tourniquet for the vigilante's arm, but Stain had lost way too much blood and was still losing more. His breathing was shallow, his face too pale. He was dying, and there was nothing Izuku could do!

Eight puddles of water appeared in the air around All For One. Bodies toppled from their depths, hacking and coughing. It was the League!

"_Fuck_," came a low, pained voice, raspy and raw, and Izuku's heart leapt into his throat.

Fifty feet from him, across the street, Kacchan lay on his side facing Izuku. Blood and spit dribbled from his boyfriend's lips, his face disfigured with bruises, swollen almost beyond recognition. The way the blond flinched and gasped as he pushed up onto his knees told Izuku his chest was injured, too.

"You failed, Tomura," All For One said, voice low. "The heroes cheated and tricked you. They outthought you, but do not despair. That is what I'm here for. To give you as many chances as you need to destroy this unfair world." All For One turned and impaled an unconscious Kurogiri with four of his spears. "Forced Quirk Activation!"

The warp villain's unconscious body arched, trembling, as a huge portal opened up above his head.

"Go, Tomura. Try as many times as it takes to win. Learn their tricks and figure out a way to beat them."

Shigaraki slashed his hand through the air. "Sensei, come with us!"

Izuku's eyes widened at the honest desperation in the villain's voice.

"No. Things have changed. I will defeat All Might once and for all and pave the way for you to rise." All For One gestured at Kacchan. "Take Explosion. You deemed him an important piece. Use him well to bring down hero society for good. Compress! Contain the other boy. Keep him secure until I return."

Izuku only had time to widen his eyes as the masked villain turned to look at him before All Might was flying toward them. All For One lifted off the ground, flying up to meet the hero and buy the League time to escape.

"You still have much room to grow, Tomura! I believe in your potential!"

Then the two slammed together, trading punches of unbelievable power and producing huge gusts of wind one after the other.

"Shigaraki! Let's go!" a villain with scars yelled over the noise. He grabbed Kacchan by the arm and hauled him to his feet.

Kacchan spat and struggled, but with his hands cuffed in front of him, there wasn't anything he could do as the villain dragged him toward the portal.

No.

Izuku got to his feet.

_No!_

One For All filled his body, scraping him raw from the inside out. With a desperate shout, Izuku thrust his hand out and black tendrils whipped forward. They wrapped around Kacchan and yanked him toward Izuku right out of the villain's hands.

Blue fire erupted, streaking toward Kacchan, the fire villain's expression twisted with rage. Izuku screamed in horror, but before the flames could engulf Kacchan, the villain collapsed unconscious and the flames sputtered out.

A yellow streak zipped around the street, knocking the League out one by one in the blink of an eye. Only Shigaraki and the blond school girl remained on their feet, protected in All For One's shadow.

Izuku caught Kacchan in his arms, both of them tumbling to the ground. The black tendrils snapped back into his wrist. Kacchan gave a pained grunt as he lay sprawled across Izuku's chest, his battered and bruised face inches from his own.

"De-ku… You… kay?"

"I'm fine," Izuku answered honestly, even as One For All scraped along his insides like sandpaper. With Kacchan in his arms, alive and breathing, he couldn't be anything else. "I'm fine."

…

Todoroki slammed his foot down and a curved wall of ice rose up over them like a wave about to crash down, but it wasn't the ice that was falling. Uraraka screamed as concrete and rubble crashed down. They ran for it, trying to escape the falling debris.

Todoroki gasped as Iida suddenly grabbed him and flung them both behind a broken wall. Kirishima, Kaminari, and Uraraka dropped down next to them. "What…?" he started, but Iida slammed a hand over his mouth. Todoroki glared and carefully peered around the wall.

A villain in a suit was fighting All Might in the air. Their blows created winds that made the rubble strewn across the street rattle and shake. There were bodies on the ground, but he hardly noticed them. All he could see were Bakugo and Midoriya crouched in the shadow of a building across the street. They'd found them!

…

All Might landed in a crouch, breathing hard, blood trickling past his lips. All For One landed across from him and glared at Gran Torino who stood protectively next to the two boys and Stain's unconscious body.

"Nana Shimura's friend, huh?" All For One said lowly. "I should have known."

All Might jumped in front of his teacher as black spears shot out from All For One's fingers. He smashed the spears aside, but the distraction allowed All For One to stab one of the villains on the ground.

"Forced Quirk Activation! Magnetism!"

All Might whipped his eyes over to the still swirling portal to see the school girl villain start to glow pink. The male members of the League took on a blue glow and flew toward her.

"Hey! Wait! Omg!" she screamed as they slammed into her and toppled into the portal together.

"Wait! Don't, Sensei!" Shigaraki cried as he was dragged toward the portal. The hand on his face fell, revealing an expression of agony. "With that body, you'll… No!"

"Tomura, you must keep fighting," All For One intoned. "I've placed all my hopes in you." The faceless mask turned toward All Might ominously. "And with you out of the way, I can finally let loose and kill All Might once and for all. I have no reason to hold back anymore."

With a sinking feeling, All Might realized that all those years ago All For One had been holding back, trying to capture him to get his hands on One For All. Now that All Might had passed on the quirk, All For One had no reason to hold back.

…

"We have to do something," Todoroki hissed, watching as the League escaped and the portal disappeared. "All Might is at a disadvantage because he has to protect Bakugo and Midoriya. If we can help them escape…"

"If we run out there, we'll just get in the way and make things worse!" Iida snapped furiously.

"No one knows we're here," Kirishima argued hotly, siding with Todoroki. "There has to be something we can do!"

"No one's going anywhere," an angry voice hissed out of the shadows.

Uraraka squeaked in terror, but it was only Aizawa who stepped into the light of the moon and crouched before them.

"Sensei," Kaminari said urgently, tugging repeatedly on his teacher's sleeve. "Bakugo's out there! And Midoriya!"

Aizawa leaned forward to look around the edge of a crumbling wall and took in the scene at a glance before returning his attention to them. Aizawa glared. Todoroki held his breath, praying they wouldn't be ordered to retreat. Then Aizawa's eyes fell on Uraraka. The girl came to attention, her eyes wide.

…

All Might gathered his strength, catching his breath. What was he going to do? Izuku and Bakugo were behind him. Gran Torino was with them, but as fast as he was, his old teacher couldn't carry too much weight. They were stuck until All Might could somehow draw All For One away.

"In the past," All For One said, spreading his arms wide, "that fist crushed one after another of my comrades, and you were extolled as the Symbol of Peace. The view you had from atop our sacrifices must have been a great one."

All Might rushed forward and flung a punch at the villain's unprotected face. "DETROIT SMASH!"

The hit landed and he took the bastard to the ground, smashing him into the cement. The black mask cracked and revealed dense scar tissue where his face should be. A black, metal respirator covered his mouth and remained miraculously unbroken, providing the villain with oxygen.

"Heroes have a lot of things they need to protect, don't they?"

All Might looked behind him in horror to see the villain aiming at the boys. All For One had given him an opening on purpose! "Run!" he screamed as an insane blast of force exploded from All For One's hand.

…

Izuku grabbed tight to Kacchan and screamed for Gran Torino to grab Stain. Then he launched himself into the air with a quirk-fueled jump. As they began to fall, something wrapped around his waist and pulled. Hard. It threw off his balance and he began to fall head first toward one of the roofs.

Suddenly, Uraraka shot up toward them. She crashed into them, and Izuku felt gravity leave him. Momentum kept them moving toward the roof, but at a much slower pace. Izuku's eyes widened to see Aizawa, Iida, Kirishima, and Kaminari standing there reaching up to pull them in.

"You guys…" Izuku's mouth stretched into a trembling grin as tears fell down his cheeks. "_Thank you._"

…

"It's over," All Might bellowed in victory. "You've lost your hostages!"

"Have I?" All For One laughed. "I thought it was your promise to save everyone, All Might! And yet you've left Tomura in my grasp."

"What are you talking about?" All Might demanded, eyes narrowed.

"Didn't you know? Tomura Shigaraki is your mentor Nana Shimura's grandson."

All Might gasped. "You're lying!"

All For One laughed. "Her friend, the one you cling to, he hid her son from the world to protect him, but no one checked up on him once Shimura was gone. He was abandoned, and that son grew up lost and alone to have a son of his own. All this time you've envisioned Tomura's defeat, celebrated hurting him, and he is the last of your precious mentor's bloodline! While you proclaimed yourself the world's Number One Hero, he was suffering, forgotten by the heroes who should have taken care of him, and so he became a villain! He became mine!"

"LIAR!" All Might screamed, but he couldn't help looking to Gran Torino for reassurance.

The old man was crouched on top of some rubble. He met All Might's eyes and the grief and fear there told All Might that it was true. His mentor had a son? They had abandoned him? Abandoned her grandchild? Allowed him to fall into All For One's hands? He'd never felt so horrified in his life.

…

Katsuki hurt, badly, but he was even more pissed off, and having everyone crowd around him didn't fucking help. "What'd they do to you?" Todoroki demanded in horror - "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Aizawa asked gently - "You look like crap," Kirishima whispered and gripped his arm. Katsuki pulled away from them and spun on Izuku.

"Get these fucking things off me!" he snarled.

Izuku immediately grasped hold of the metal cuffs. Green static ran up and down his body. Katsuki's one good eye narrowed as Izuku made a deeply pained noise. He was about to make him stop when the metal bent and then snapped in two. Katsuki staggered, held up only by Aizawa's grip on his arm as his teacher caught him.

"Thanks, Deku," he rasped and allowed himself to lean into Aizawa for a minute, trying to catch his breath.

"Kacchan, where's Hitoshi?" Izuku asked desperately, green eyes bright with anxiety. "Is he okay?"

Katsuki felt horror_, a pile of ash on the floor,_ and clenched his hands into painful fists, forcing himself to focus on the memory of Braindead walking out of that fucking room. "He's safe," he insisted. "He got away."

"All Might!" Cheeks screamed.

Katsuki yanked out of Aizawa's grasp and looked over the edge of the roof. All Might was on his knees, hands grasping All For One's. The villain was leaning over the hero, pushing him slowly to the ground. The madman's laughter lifted on the air.

"Get off this roof!" Aizawa demanded, pushing them back from the edge. "There's a shelter two blocks away." His fingers flew over his phone and Glasses' phone dinged. "Go!" Then he was leaping over the edge.

"Gran Torino is down there and Stain," Izuku told them, eyes wide. "Stain's hurt. He's dying."

"Aizawa and Gran Torino will help All Might," Kirishima said firmly, grabbing hold of Izuku's arm. "We need to go so they can concentrate."

"But Stain…" Izuku protested.

"Deku, please! We need to get away," Cheeks begged, grabbing Izuku's other arm.

"Bakugo's hurt," Kaminari agreed, running shaking hands through his hair, golden eye wide in fear. "We need to get him help."

"Who cares about that serial killer?!" Iida snarled.

"Izuku cares," Katsuki snapped and everyone fell silent, staring at him. "We'll make for the shelter, but if we see a fucking opening when we sneak past, we'll take it." He glared at them with his one good eye. "Are we heroes or are we not?"

"We are," Izuku and Kirishima said firmly.

Todoroki gave a quick nod. Pikachu and Cheeks looked scared while Glasses shot him a furious glare. This was the vigilante who'd paralyzed his brother, but no one spoke up against the plan. Good enough. Katsuki would take what he could get.

Of course, everything went to shit the second they burst out of the stairwell and a fucking nomu came careening around the corner.

Katsuki lifted his hand, but Todoroki knocked it aside with his shoulder and let off a blast of fire. The thing screamed and started climbing up the side of the fucking building to escape the flames.

"It's the same nomu!" Kaminari yelled, eyes wide and frightened. "It must have healed itself! It's the same one we took out at the warehouse!"

"It must be tracking you," Izuku said, scanning the roofline frantically for signs of the monster.

"Don't just stand there!" Katsuki snarled. He pushed Kaminari into motion. "We have to find a more defensible place!"

Broken rubble was every fucking where. A whole building lay on its side, crushed and broken, blocking their way. A high-pitched shriek sounded behind them, getting closer. The nomu was following them from the fucking rooftop just like Izuku had predicted.

"This way!" Cheeks called and darted down a side street.

"No!" Katsuki yelled furiously. "THAT'S THE WRONG WAY, IDIOT!"

…

Aizawa landed next to Gran Torino. The Hero Killer was with him, lying unconscious, barely alive, one arm amputated. He'd be dead if it weren't for the torn cloth acting as make-shift tourniquet just below the shoulder, and that wasn't going to save him long. He needed immediate medical attention.

"What's the plan?" Aizawa demanded.

"Get him out of here," the old man answered, never taking his eyes from the fight.

"But All Might…"

"All Might doesn't need help," Gran Torino snapped. "This is what we trained him for. Now go!"

Aizawa glared at the retired hero in fury, and with a shock, he remembered this was the same man who had thought it okay to put Midoriya in a sensory deprivation pool. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything scathing, he heard a scream. It sounded like Uraraka!

Almost without conscious thought, his scarf lashed forward and wrapped around the old man, yanking him forward so Aizawa could glare into his eyes. "All Might is human, you abusive asshole, just like the rest of us. If you stand here idly by while he dies, I will do whatever it takes to make sure the rest of your days are a misery," he promised viciously.

With a violent snap of his scarf, he released the ex-hero. Gran Torino staggered, eyes wide in shock. Aizawa shot him one last threatening glare before pulling the Hero Killer over his shoulder and taking off toward the sound of his student's scream.

…

A fist slammed into All Might's side, sending him flying once more, but before he could hit a building face-first, Gran Torino tackled him out of the air. They hit the ground hard and slid, coming to a stop on the edge of the crater their battle had created. Pain crashed over him. The flames of One For All sputtered and threatened to go out. He was running out of time! Already steam was wafting from his body.

"Focus!" his old teacher whispered harshly into his ear just like he had all those years ago during training. "Don't exchange words with him! He killed Nana. He nearly killed you! This is your chance to stop him once and for all. Go beyond your limit! It's do-or-die time."

All For One laughed, low and malicious, as he walked toward them. "You know, All Might, as much as you hate me, I hate you in the same way. I killed your mentor, but you took away the things I built up, too, right? With that fist of yours, over and over, you destroyed my plans. That's why you will die the ugliest and most gruesome death possible."

All Might leapt forward just as All For One punched. Their fists met in an explosion of force. All Might felt blood trickle out the corner of his lips, but he refused to give in. All For One swung, aiming for his gut, but he blocked and head butted the villain in the face. They both staggered back from each other, breathing hard.

…

Izuku sprinted forward with Iida, but they weren't fast enough to stop the nomu as it dropped down between them and grabbed Uraraka in its massive hand. She screamed in pain, her head tossed back and her eyes clenched shut. Izuku and Iida launched themselves forward.

Engines spitting blue fire, Iida's leg sliced through the air in a blur just as Izuku flung all his strength into a spinning kick, his leg glowing with red lines. The nomu howled as Iida's foot smashed into the monster's left ribs and Izuku kicked in his right. They felt bone crack and give. Uraraka tumbled from its grip and folded as her feet hit the ground, collapsing to the street.

Izuku grabbed her and leapt away, landing on a pile of rubble about ten feet high. Iida sprinted back the way they'd come and skid to a stop behind Todoroki and Kaminari. Both teens had their hands extended. As soon as Izuku and Iida were clear, fire and electricity streaked down the alley toward the nomu, but the monster turned and flung itself through a concert wall, using the fallen building as a shield.

"Are you okay?" Izuku demanded, looking into Uraraka's pain-filled face.

"Fine," she gasped, biting back sobs. "Think it cracked my ribs, but I'm good."

Suddenly, the broken concrete he was standing on shook, making Izuku tumble to his knees. The nomu burst through the rubble under them. Uraraka gave a pained shout and slid, falling toward the hole it had made. The black tendrils shot out of Izuku's wrist and grabbed hold of her.

Izuku's eyes whipped up to stare as the nomu fell in slow motion. Bulging eyes, a mouth wide enough to bite his head in half, greenish-rubbery skin, the monster reached forward with clawed hands and Izuku could only watch helplessly. He was pinned on his stomach, holding Urarka in place. He couldn't move. Todoroki couldn't shoot fire or ice; Kaminari couldn't use electricity. Izuku and Uraraka were too close and it was happening too fast.

Uraraka screamed. Then there was the sound of an explssion. Kacchan came down with a scream of rage, his fist encased in ice, a spike thrusting out of his knuckles that pushed through the back of the nomu's throat. Hot, black blood spattered Izuku's face as the nomu fell just short of his sneakered feet.

Kacchan crouched on the nomu's back and slammed his ice fist down in three rapid blows. Throat again, eye, and brain. The nomu shuddered, gurgled, and went still, blood and brain matter oozing out of its head and coating Kacchan's fist and face.

"You saved me," Izuku rasped, hoarse, heart hamming in his chest. "Kacchan, thank you," he said with honest gratitude, tears burning his eyes.

"Wipe your goddamn face," Kacchan snarled and shook his hand sharply, clearing it of as much of the broken ice and gore as he could.

"God, Bakugo, are you okay?" Uraraka demanded, crawling to her hands and knees. She was shaking and wide-eyed, but Izuku felt warmth pool through him that she was worried instead of disgusted that Kacchan had killed the nomu. "You used Explosion!"

Izuku looked anxiously at Kacchan's left hand. It was dripping blood again, the skin looked black at the edges.

"I'm fucking fine," Kacchan snapped and rolled his shoulders, wincing as it shifted his ribs. "Now move! We have to get out of here."

Aizawa landed next to them. He had a bloody body on his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" he demanded angrily. He reached down and hauled Izuku to his feet. "I told you to get to the shelter!"

"We got turned around, running from the nomu," Izuku explained, eyes latched onto Stain's limp form as he helped Uraraka stand. "Is he…?"

"I wouldn't be carrying him around if he was a corpse," Aizawa drawled and leapt down to the others. "Let's move."

Izuku gave Uraraka a smile. "Maybe you should float yourself so you don't hurt your ribs. I'll pull you down with me."

Uraraka gave him a shaky smile back. "Okay. Thanks."

Izuku held tight to her wrist as he jumped down to the others, Kacchan following behind him.

Uraraka had just canceled her quirk, her feet just touching the ground, when Kirishima gave a shout.

Izuku gasped, eyes wide, as another nomu crawled over the rubble. It screamed at them, spit falling from its gaping jaws. Kacchan snarled and made to step forward and attack it, but Aizawa pushed him back.

"Run!" he ordered and flung Stain's unconscious body at Uraraka.

Uraraka yelped and instinctively caught the vigilante with her quirk, making him float in front of her. Then Aizawa leapt forward to attack the nomu, buying them time to get away.

Izuku grabbed Kacchan's forearm desperately, heart beating frantically. He had no idea what to do. Run? Fight? He couldn't keep up with everything that was happening. Izuku trusted Kacchan to know what the right thing was. They all did. Everyone was looking at him, waiting for an order.

A single red eye glared around at them, taking in their exhausted and frightened faces, factored in the dying vigilante floating by Uraraka, and with a snarl, he yelled, "Move it, losers! You fucking heard him! Go!"

They took off at a run, leaving Aizawa to hold off the nomu.

…

"First, I'm going to tear apart your self-respect," All For One said lowly, voice tight with fury as he hit All Might again and again. All Might blocked, but slid backward with each powerful blow, losing ground. "Show the world the true form of their pathetic Symbol of Peace."

All Might coughed, blood coating his lips. It took everything he had just to defend. He couldn't catch his breath. His hold on One For All slipped. His body shrinking. His hair falling into his sunken face. He could just hear the sound of a helicopter flying above them and knew his defeat was being filmed. It sent his heart slamming against his ribs in denial. No! It wasn't meant to end this way!

"Even if my body rots and grows weak…" All Might growled and planted his feet. He stopped moving backward. "Even if you try to expose me…" Eyes glowing with sheer willpower, he pressed forward. "My heart will remain that of the Symbol of Peace! It's not something you can steal even a piece of!"

Suddenly, All Might slipped to the side, giving All For One no resistance. The villain staggered forward, allowing All Might to land a solid punch in the villain's side. "SMASH!" he screamed with everything he had.

All For One went flying. He shot out those spears, clawing into the pavement, dragging himself to a stop. "A wounded hero is frightening," he said lowly. "I see the image of your face as you come after me with your guts strewn around in my dreams sometimes even now." The villain's body began to distort. "Enough. Playtime is over. It's time for you to die, All Might…"

All Might planted his feet and lifted his fists.

All For One marched forward, his body morphing into something out of nightmare. "Springlike Limbs, Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhancer times three, Multiplier, Hypertrophy, Rivets, Air walk, and Spearlike Bones." He stopped ten feet away from All Might and pulled his grotesque and massive arm back. "Die, All Might!"

…

Somehow they'd ended up back on the edge of the battle between All Might and All For One. Katsuki stared, vision reduced to a narrow line, as All Might began to deflate, battered and bloody, barely staying on his feet. All For One's arm, a mutated mess of metal, flesh and stone, grew nearly twice the size of All For One's body as the villain prepared his final blow.

Izuku grasped Katsuki's arm tightly, and he could feel Izu shaking through that desperate grip. Todoroki and Kirishima watched in silent horror, eyes wide. Kaminari dropped to his knees in despair while glasses and Cheeks both grabbed at Izuku, holding him back from running to All Might's side.

This wasn't supposed to happen. All Might was a useless teacher, but he was the Number One Hero! Villains quaked at the mention of his name! There wasn't a fight All Might couldn't win! He was Justice! He was Victory! What the _fuck_ was he doing falling to pieces _now_? All the pain and fear of the last few days exploded out of Katsuki in a defiant scream of rage.

"ALL MIGHT! WIN, GODDAMN IT!"

"Win!" Izuku screamed desperately.

"Save us!" Uraraka yelled, tears streaking her face.

"Please win!" Todoroki shouted.

"All Might!" - Kirishima and Kaminari

"All Might!" - Iida and Izuku

"YOU HAVE TO…" Katsuki howled, and, together, the six of them lifted their voices, screaming at the top of their lungs. "WIN!"

…

All For One looked away from the children. "Once you're gone," he said gleefully. "I'm going to take your Deku just as I took Tomura. I'm going to tear the wretch apart and take my brother back once and for all. You can die full of regrets, All Might!"

"I will _never_," All Might said lowly, eyes igniting in righteous fury, strengthened by the screams of his students, "allow you to lay one _finger_ on that boy!"

Enraged, he channeled all of his power into his right arm. With a scream, he snapped his fist forward and hit All For One's enormous punch dead on. The pavement cracked under them, the force shattering what was left of the buildings around them.

All Might gave a shout as his bones cracked under the pressure, but he refused to give in and pushed even harder.

Gran Torino flew through the air fast enough to create a sonic boom. Twisting, the old hero flipped and kicked All For One's in the face with all the force of a hurricane. All For One staggered back a single step. Black spears impaled Gran Torino's small body and flung him brutally to the ground.

Aizawa landed behind his students and activated Erasure. He locked onto the All For One as the villain staggered, felt his quirk catch and hold. A quirk erased.

All Might roared as he drew back his left arm, dropping the broken right. He reached for everything he had. For Izuku. For everyone he wanted to protect. "UNITED… STATES… OF _SMASH!_" he screamed before slamming his fist home into the opening his teacher had given him.

All For One hit the ground and _bounced_.

All Might staggered, completely spent, the last embers of One For All sputtering into nothing. Barely keeping his feet, he stared down at the unmoving, unconscious villain who had plagued the world for over a hundred years.

The sound of the helicopter buzzed at his awareness, but all he see when he lifted his head was his precious students who were cheering wildly for him. All Might grinned and lifted his thin, trembling arm. He pointed a too-thin finger at Izuku.

"It's your turn, now," he whispered, knowing Izuku would read his lips. Then he was falling.

…

Izuku yanked free of Iida and Uraraka so hard he nearly pulled them off their feet as he ran forward in a blur of green static. He slid to his knees by his mentor. "All Might!" he screamed desperately. His hands hovered over the hero's battered body, eyes wide, not sure how to help.

All Might lay deflated and skeletal, his vivid costume torn everywhere. Bruises and abrasions covered every inch of exposed skin. Blood flowed steadily between his lips. His right arm was broken in at least three places, the bones pressing up against the purpling skin. He was breathing, but it was shallow and irregular. His usually gold skin was the color of paper.

A pained wheeze drew Izuku's attention. Gran Torino was lying in a growing puddle of blood. Izuku had a delirious moment where he thought it was another trick, wanted to tell him to get up, that he knew it was ketchup, that it wasn't time to mess around.

"De… ku…"

Choking back sobs, Izuku crawled forward and grasp the old man's violently shaking hand. "It's okay. You're going to be okay. I'm going to stop the bleeding."

"Toshi… okay…?" the old man gasped, eyes staring blindly up at the night sky.

"Yes," Izuku rasped through a tight throat. "Yeah, he's just sleeping. He's going to be fine."

"Sorry… tell him sorry…"

Izuku bit his lip hard. He knew death when he saw it, and he placed his hand on Gran Torino's cheek. "I will," he promised hoarsely. "Is there anything else you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him… still a pillar… without One For…" A gasp, a painful cough. Blood flecked white lips. "… so proud… better than… all of us… Nana… so proud…"

Izuku sobbed as Gran Torino breathed out his last and went still.

A strong hand gripped his shoulder. Izuku looked up to see Aizawa standing over him, dark eyes soft with compassion. Izuku jumped to his feet and threw his arms around Aizawa's waist bursting into loud sobs. A long fingered hand sank into Izuku's sweaty, tangled hair and protectively cradled his head against his shoulder as Aizawa held him tightly.

…

Katsuki's knees gave out once he saw that Aizawa had Izuku. He sat heavily next to All Might and just breathed. Todoroki, Kirishima, and Kaminari sat around him, forming a protective wall between him and the world and Katsuki had never been more grateful.

"Hey," he said, voice rough with exhaustion. He was going to crash soon, but not before making sure the others were okay. He caught Kaminari's eyes. "You good?"

The blond was twitching. His arms were wrapped tight around his torso. He looked lost, but not completely gone. At Katsuki's question, his face stretched in that empty smile. There was just too much stimulus. All Might broken, All For One unconscious, Gran Torino dead, Stain dying. The dust in the air, the scent of blood. The _whopwhopwhop_ of the helicopter above them. Izuku's heartbreaking sobs. He could only imagine how it felt to Kaminari's raw senses.

"Get his air pods and phone," Katsuki rasped, glaring at Kirishima.

The redhead's eyes widened and he gently went digging in Kaminari's pockets. "Sorry, Kami…"

"You're good, Pikachu," Katsuki said soothingly as he Kaminari flinched at Kirishima's touch. "It's all good. Breathe. You got this."

Kirishima found the white ear buds and gently placed them in Kaminari's ears. He searched through the teen's playlist and must have found something because he pushed play. Immediately Kaminari's shoulders relaxed.

Kirishima looked to Katsuki in awe. "How do you know that stuff?" he demanded. "Know how to help him?"

"I fucking study," Katsuki growled, but he was too tired to put much bite to the words. He leaned against Todoroki's shoulder. "We're going to be rescuing a bunch of different assholes, right? It's important to know how to fucking calm people who are in crisis." He knew better than to explain he'd studied this stuff for Izuku, not for future victims.

Aizawa was suddenly standing over them. Their teacher gently pushed Izuku toward Katsuki before taking out his phone and beginning to make calls for help.

Without hesitation, Katsuki opened his bent knees so Izuku could crawl between them and curl up against his chest. Izuku sat sideways with his knees pulled tight to his chest, his face turned to press hard into Katsuki's shoulder. He was quiet, no longer sobbing brokenly, but he was trembling, clearly at the end of his endurance.

Sighing in relief, Katsuki wrapped his arms around him, letting his hands hang limp. He pressed his thighs closed against Izuku's back and his legs, holding him secure. He caught Glasses staring at him, eyes wide, and glared up at the asshole.

"Need me to help?" Kirishima asked, distracting him. His expression was earnest as he offered to box Izuku in like they had at the USJ.

Katsuki gave him a tired smile. "Nah. We're good."

Kirishima smiled back. "Let me know if that changes."

"Thanks, Red," he said softly, sincere.

Closing his eyes, Katsuki rested his cheek on the top of Izuku's bowed head. Todoroki's arm went around his shoulders. He tried to resist, but exhaustion was pulling him down. The warmth coming off his friend's body was too tempting.

_Just for a minute, _he told himself as he leaned into Todoroki's side. _I'm just going to catch my breath._

…

As Katsuki passed out against him, arms and legs still sheltering a trembling Midoriya, Todoroki felt something sharp and hot spread through his limbs. Through red and white bangs, Todoroki met Kirishima's eyes and saw an equally fierce protectiveness mirrored there. He nodded once in acknowledgement and together they sat guard over their friends.

As they waited for help to arrive, Todoroki became aware of Iida watching Katsuki and Midoriya with a blank expression. He'd seen the teen's expression when Midoriya had crawled into Katsuki's lap, saw the shock and denial before Uraraka had wrapped her arms around him and Iida had turned to comfort her.

Todoroki's eyes grew cold, and he made a promise to himself to do whatever he had to in order to make sure Iida didn't cause Katsuki trouble when they went back to class. His arm tightened protectively around the blond's shoulders. He wouldn't let anything hurt his friends if he could help it.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** I am seriously in need of fluff after these intense set of chapters…

Remind me why I do this again? lol XD

Please let me know what you think of that epic battle! I am DYING to know!


	57. Chapter 57

**A/n: **So this is a brief chapter - more of an Interlude, I think - but it does cover some interesting points. Be prepared for a lot of talking and lots of emotions. Although, I did try to squeeze in some fluffy ones! ;p

…

**Interlude: Debrief**

Izuku didn't sleep exactly, even though he was physically and mentally exhausted. It was more like fading in and out of awareness. One minute he was in Kacchan's arms, the next he was surrounded by heroes and first responders shouting orders.

He was separated from the others, but Aizawa made sure he and Kacchan stayed together. They were ordered into the back of a black SUV with Aizawa and Izuku drifted again. He blinked and found himself in a quiet, clean hospital room.

Kacchan was sleeping in the bed next to him. The swelling in his face had mostly gone down, but the dark bruising remained. He wore a hospital shirt, more paper than cloth, and it had a deep V to allow the doctors and nurses access to his vitals. A cream colored blanket was pulled up to his waist. His hands rested on top of the blanket and were thickly bandaged.

Izuku looked down to see he wore an identical outfit and was lying in an identical bed. He was clean. He flushed, embarrassed, hoping he'd taken a shower on his own and wasn't given a sponge bath. Taking a deep breath, he reached for One For All. It burned through his veins, but it wasn't like before when it had felt like sandpaper scouring every cell. Whatever All For One had done was healing.

The door opened and Aizawa walked in. He'd changed into a long-sleeved black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. His hair was damp and pulled back into a low, messy bun. He looked tired, well, more tired than usual.

"Midoriya. How are you feeling?" he asked, voice low in difference to Kacchan lying asleep in the next bed.

"Okay," Izuku answered just as quietly. "How is everyone? Kacchan?"

Aizawa picked up the visitor chair and set between his and Kacchan's bed. Sitting, he leaning forward so his forearms rested on his knees. "His ribs were cracked and the bruising is superficial. Nezu arranged for Recovery Girl to stop by. She accelerated the healing for his hands, but it will be a few days before we know how much scarring and permanent damage there will be, if any."

Izuku swallowed hard and nodded. "Thank you. For getting Recovery Girl to treat him."

"Of course," Aizawa answered, and the warm look in his eyes as he looked at Kacchan made Izuku smile. "Stain is in the ICU at a hospital that specializes in trauma. They say he has a fifty-fifty chance of making it. All Might is here in the adult ward. They don't think he'll be able to use his quirk again, but he will recover physically, as much as his old wound will allow him."

Izuku kept his breathing even and steady. He refused to let the tears blurring his vision fall. "And my classmates?"

"Todoroki, Kirishima, Iida, Kaminari, and Uraraka were sent home, but they will face a discipline committee at school for putting themselves in danger and using their quirks without permission. Iida and Todoroki, especially, are facing more serious consequences as they were warned about this very thing after Hosu. Physically, they suffered only minor injuries. The worst being Todoroki's broken arm, which he received during the attack on the camp, and Uraraka's cracked ribs."

Izuku ducked his head. He wanted to shout that it wasn't fair! That his friends were only trying to help. That without them, Kacchan and he, they might not have made it out, but he didn't. Now wasn't the time, and Aizawa knew all of that besides. He took another deep breath and looked up. "And the others? Kota and the Pussycats?"

"Half of the students were knocked unconscious with a sleeping gas quirk, but they've already awoken with no side-effects. A few students suffered deep burns, Shoji in particular, but they have received the best treatment available and will recover in the span of a few weeks. Vlad King received the worst of it while trying to stop the fire villain from taking Katsuki. He is seeing the best doctors, but there is likely going to be permanent scarring. Kota suffered four compound fractures and a spiral fracture in his arm and required surgery. He'll be in a cast for at least two months, but he is also projected to make a full recovery. Mandalay and Tiger suffered no injury. Pixie-Bob was concussed by a blow to the head. Ragdoll…"

Izuku's mind reeled with all this information and he braced himself as his teacher hesitated, a pained look crossing his face. His left hand clenched into a fist. "Is she dead?"

Aizawa shook his head. "No. She was abducted. We managed to rescue her, but…" he sighed tiredly. "All For One took her quirk. She's quirkless."

Izuku closed his eyes feeling sick. After a long moment, he asked hoarsely, "Where's Hitoshi?"

"We haven't debriefed Katsuki completely, but he told me Shinso escaped."

Izuku was confused by that. If Hitoshi had escaped, why hadn't he returned to UA or contacted Aizawa?

The door swung open before he could ask, and Izuku looked over to see his mother framed in the doorway. Her dark green hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. She looked thinner, her blouse and skirt a little too loose on her round frame. She looked older and more fragile than when he'd last seen her nearly two weeks ago.

"Mom, I'm okay," he said softly, smiling and opening his arms. "I'm okay, Mom."

Inko burst into tears and flung herself at him, sobbing into his shoulder. Izuku smiled and held her tightly. "I'm okay," he told her over and over. "I'm okay." Inko shook her head hard and pulled back. Izuku's chest tightened as he looked into her anguished face.

"No! You're not fine! You were _kidnapped_, Izuku! Do you know how afraid I was? _Do you?!_" She grabbed his shoulders with shaking hands, her green eyes wide and wild. "Izuku, _please_, I'm begging you. I tried to be strong. I tried to support this, but please, honey, _please_ give up on going to UA."

Stomach twisting with fear, Izuku tried to reason with her. "Mom, I'm fine."

"Why are you doing this to me?" she yelled in sudden fury. "Why do you have to be a hero? You're going to get yourself killed, and I'll be all alone! I'll be alone, Izuku! If you want to save someone, save ME! I won't survive losing you! Stay with me, Izuku, _please!_"

Wide-eyed, Izuku stared up at her. "Mom, I… I'm sorry…"

"I'm begging you," Inko cried desperately. "Don't do this! I've given you everything! I've protected you and cared for you. I'll do anything for you, Izuku, but don't ask me to do this. Don't ask me to bury your corpse! Because that's what being a hero means. You're just a kid who's barely had a quirk for six months. If you keep throwing yourself into danger, you'll die, Izuku! You're not like Katsuki-kun. You're not like All Might. You were never meant to walk this path! You're too gentle!"

"Ms. Midoriya," Aizawa said stiffly, standing rigid beside Izuku's bed.

She turned on him, fury in every line of her body. "Don't you dare say anything to me! UA has done _nothing_ to protect my son! You have no right to him. He's MY SON! I will decide what is best for him!"

Izuku couldn't breathe. He stared in horror at his mother. He didn't want to leave UA, but… It felt like his heart was literally breaking. His mother was standing there falling apart right in front of him. She'd sacrificed everything to give him a free and happy life. She'd welcomed Kacchan into their lives wholeheartedly, and she'd tried to support him, she really had, in spite of her fears. Could he really keep doing this to her? When it wasn't what she wanted? When it was hurting her so badly?

Trembling, Izuku pushed his covers back and stood barefoot in hospital pants and shirt. He pulled her into his arms as tears streaked his pale cheeks. "Mom, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you like this." She trembled against him, holding tight and breaking into sobs again. "If… If you really… really don't want me to go to UA… then…"

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Kacchan snapped.

Izuku and Inko both jumped and stared at him in shock.

Kacchan glared, the look all the more intimidating due to the bruises darkening his face. "Giving up UA would be the same as fucking killing Izuku and you know it, Inko. Deku would go into a major fucking depression. His whole fucking life would fade into shades of grey punctuated by his fucking _nightmares_," he said hotly, voice heavy with meaning. "Even if things went back to how they were when he was a kid, he'd still have them, and it would slowly kill him. Watching him wither and fade would fucking break your fucking heart! It would break all our hearts! Locking him away in that shitty ass apartment like a fucking prisoner isn't the fucking answer!"

Inko stood there, clinging to Izuku's arms, her lower lip trembling, grief and despair shinning in her eyes. "Then what is?!" she demanded, voice raw and harsh with desperation. "How do I protect my son?!"

"I may have a suggestion."

Everyone turned to face the door where Principal Nezu stood in his fancy suit and tiny sneakers. A smile softened his furry face. Detective Tsukauchi stood behind him, his expression carefully neutral.

"UA deserves your mistrust, Ms. Midoriya," the principal admitted honestly. "We have failed to anticipate the enemy, and the students were put at risk, but it is also true that UA did not manufacture this enemy. The League will exist whether or not UA does, and these very dangerous individuals have twice targeted Midoriya's class specifically. There is nothing to say they will not continue to target Midoriya regardless of his attendance at our school. It is also true that for every mistake we have made, Midoriya's teachers have risked their very lives to protect him and they will continue to do so in the future. He will not find that kind of protection or dedication anywhere else."

Inko looked so lost, and Izuku pulled one of his arms away from her painful grip to wrap it around her shoulders. "Come on, Mom. Let's sit and hear him out. If you're still not okay with it, then…" He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. Fortunately, Inko allowed him to guide her to the bed where they sat side-by-side on the edge.

Nezu gave them another gentle smile. "UA will not make the same mistakes. Security will be strengthened and I am instituting new safety precautions for any off campus excursions. In addition, I am requiring all students and staff to board at the school so that we may protect the children twenty-four hours a day."

"Absolutely not! You're not taking my son from me," Inko snapped, her hands spasming around Izuku's hands.

Nezu lifted a paw to stall her reaction. "I understand that for families as close as you are with your son this is not an easy decision. As I said before, UA is fully prepared to support the students in every way. That is why I have an offer for you specifically, Ms. Midoriya."

"An offer?" Inko echoed, eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to bribe me?"

"No, I want to hire you."

Izuku's heart thundered in his chest, his attendance at UA along with his dreams of being a hero depended on this one moment. He looked over his shoulder and cast Kacchan a wide-eyed look. Kacchan stared back with both eyebrows raised.

Nezu smiled and clasped his paws at the small of his back. "You are in a very singular position. You are a loving and affectionate single mother, and you have no strong commitment to your job. I am in need of such a person to fulfill the role of dorm matron, especially for the first years who may not be emotionally ready to leave their families."

Inko blinked. "You want me to live at UA… with Izuku… and take care of the first years?"

"Yes," Nezu answered firmly. "There are currently forty first year hero students, sixty support students, one hundred and twenty general studies students, and one hundred and twenty business students. That's a total of three hundred and forty first year students should they all agree to UA's new policies and continue their education with us. Your duties would include being available should a student need advice or comfort as well as monitoring their health and the cleanliness of the dorms. Your room and board would be paid for, and you would receive a monthly salary along with the same health benefits that any other employee is provided."

Inko blinked, speechless.

Nezu gentled his voice. "This offer is not made lightly or to 'bribe' you, as you say." He tilted his head innocently. "When I realized you were a possible candidate for the position, I took it upon myself to look over your resume. You have more than enough managerial experience for the position, and your employer only had positive things to say about your performance and work ethic."

Inko flushed, embarrassed. "Can he do that?" he asked of the room.

Izuku looked to Kacchan to provide an answer. His boyfriend was giving the principal an impressed look. Izuku bit his lip to hold back a hysterical laugh.

"With the new security measures in place, I can confidently state that the students will be safe. We will be better able to secure the premises and prevent villains or the media from accessing our campus or our students. And, of course, having staff living at the school would also guarantee a hundred pro-heroes on site round the clock should anything occur despite all of our precautions."

Inko turned to look at Izuku.

Izuku stared back at her with his heart in his eyes. "Please, Mom. Give UA one more chance," he begged. "UA is where I belong. I'm home there, and I know you don't think I was meant to be a hero, but… I am, Mom… I really am."

Inko blew out an angry breath and turned to look at the principal. "Fine. But! If at any time I feel Izuku's not safe, I will take him out and I want there to be no penalty for breaking my employment contract."

Nezu inclined his head. "That is a reasonable request. I agree."

Izuku burst into tears of gratitude. He flung his arms around her and hugged her tight. "Thank you!"

Tsukauchi cleared his throat, and Izuku pulled away from his mom, quickly wiping away his tears. "I hate to interrupt, but I'm afraid I'm here on business. I've put off gathering their statements for as long as I'm able."

Inko paled and held Izuku protectively.

"It's okay," Izuku assured her and sat straighter. "I want to tell them what happened."

Inko stared into his eyes for a minute before giving a reluctant nod. "But if Izuku grows upset, I'm stoping everything," she told the detective fiercely.

"Actually…" Izuku flushed and ducked his head shyly. "Is it okay… if you waited outside?" When her eyes widened, Izuku hurried to explain. "I'll tell you about what happened, but some details are…" In a panic, he scrambled to find the right word.

"They're fucking classified," Kacchan huffed impatiently. "Some stuff we saw and heard is about other people. Aizawa and the cops already know, but we can't tell you without their permission."

Izuku flashed Kacchan a desperately grateful look.

"I give you my word, should Midoriya show any distress, I will put a stop to the interview immediately," Aizawa promised, back ramrod straight.

Inko ignored all this and stared at Izuku with wide, teary eyes. "Did… Did they torture you? Are you trying to hide that from me?"

"No," Izuku answered quickly, eyes wide and innocent. "I'm perfectly fine!" He held out his arms to show her. "Not even a bandage, I promise!"

"If you'd like, we can go over your contract and make any changes you deem appropriate," Principal Nezu offered cheerfully.

Inko frowned. "I don't like this, but… fine." She smoothed Izuku's hair and kissed his forehead. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

Izuku smiled and squeezed her hand. "I love you."

"No matter what," she agreed fiercely and kissed his head again before stepping out with the principal.

"Nezu is a scary motherfucker," Kacchan said casually before shaking his head.

Aizawa snorted at that, smiling wryly. "You have no idea."

"If you're ready, I need to know what happened from the moment of the attack at the camp until you arrived at this hospital," Tsukauchi said seriously, stepping further into the room. "I will be using my quirk during the interview. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure, but how confidential is this?" Kacchan demanded, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Izuku got up and went to sit on Kacchan's bed, waiting for the answer to that question himself.

"Very," Tsukauchi promised them. "There are no recording devices in this room. I checked, and then your teacher also checked," he said wryly, shooting Aizawa an exasperated glance. "I will omit anything truly classified from my report, but we need to know what happened."

Izuku shared a long look with Kacchan before nodding. "I'll go first," he offered bravely.

…

It took all of Katsuki's self control to sit still and keep his expression calm as Izuku mumbled his way through his story. Katsuki wrapped the shorter teen in his arms, wishing his hands were free to comfort him, especially as they got to the point where Izuku was fucking strapped to a lab table.

"I…" Izuku said softly, voice trembling. "I think I must have dropped down to my s-subconscious. I heard D-Daisuke's voice. He was upset. Said A-All For One was forcing all the quirks in One For All to activate. I guess to catalogue them. I d-don't know what they all are besides super strength and the new black tendrils. I… I wasn't really conscious… It… It was very painful. I… I wasn't aware of anything else beyond that, and then… I guess he activated my v-vision quirk…"

Izuku was shaking, tears soaking his cheeks. Katsuki pressed his forehead to Izuku's damp temple, his nose brushing Izuku's cheek. "It's okay, Izu. You're safe now," he promised, more a hum than words.

Izuku melted against him. He was still shaking, but his voice firmed, painting them a vivid picture of death and destruction as he told them what he'd seen in that vision, what he'd _lived through_. Katsuki, better than anyone, knew the mental toll of so many consecutive visions and felt dread coil tight in his gut. Izuku looked calm and rational, but Katsuki could almost feel the insanity lurking in the back of Izuku's glassy eyes.

Aizawa gave Izu a soft look. "Your warning saved many lives, Midoriya. It took the pro-heroes and police over an hour to contain all the nomu. Had the people not had those extra minutes to evacuate, there would have been many more deaths."

"How many died?" Izuku asked in a monotone.

Katsuki winced. Izuku could save ninety-nine people and fail one, and all he would see is that one. It was something that had always frustrated Katsuki to no end.

Aizawa reached out, covering Izuku's hands with his own. "As of now, forty-three," he informed them reluctantly. "But for how widespread the danger and the level of destruction caused by All Might's fight, having so few killed is a miracle."

Katsuki shook his head, telling Aizawa it was pointless to try and convince Izuku he'd done well. Aizawa frowned, but he pulled back his hand and dropped the subject.

"What happened when you woke from your vision?" Tsukauchi asked, getting Izuku back on track.

Izuku's voice was completely empty as he finished his story. Katsuki felt sick as he realized Izuku would be dead or still captured if it weren't for the Hero Killer, of all people. Stain had _saved_ Izuku. He had sacrificed himself to protect him and buy time until All Might could get there. Katsuki owed an insane serial killer Izuku's life, and that pissed him off like nothing else.

"Bakugo killed it," Tsukauchi echoed as Izu told him about the nomu. His eyes shifted to Katsuki's and there was a wariness there. Muscular, it turned out, hadn't survived the blast on the mountain. That made two villains Katsuki had killed in the span of twenty-four hours.

"We'll get Katsuki's version of events after Midoriya," Aizawa cut in, placing a protective hand on Katsuki shoulder.

Without meeting Aizawa's eyes, Katsuki pulled away and slipped into the bathroom.

_Fuck! _He _hated _how fucking _weak _he was! He was a _failure_. Bending over the tiny sink, Katsuki slammed the water on full blast to cover the sound of his desperate breathing. If he only he were stronger! He wouldn't have to resort to such desperate measures! No matter how fucking hard he tried, he was a fucking punk with a villainous fucking quirk just like his mother had told him.

His eyes caught on the black and grey tattoo on his arm, the compass and flowers that decorated the skin just below the inside crease of his elbow, and he felt bitter tears burn his eyes. Izuku was the first person to see him as a hero, when Katsuki hadn't been able to see it himself, and it felt like he'd let Izuku down. Like he'd lost his way somewhere along the line and hadn't even noticed.

_Fuck! _Katsuki could almost feel the burn of the needle as he stared down at the ink embedded in his skin. The tattoo was a promise. A promise he'd turn Izuku's faith in him into a fucking reality. He had to do better. Glaring into his reflection, Katsuki practically snarled at himself. He _would _do better.

…

Izuku's chest tightened painfully as he heard the water turn on in the bathroom. Furious, he turned near glowing eyes to Tsukauchi. "Kacchan saved my life! We were on our own. Aizawa-sensei left to help All Might. Uraraka was hurt. I was pinned down. Todoroki and Kaminari couldn't attack without hitting us, too. Kacchan had been beaten, his hands burnt and shredded, and he still flung himself between us and that nomu at great risk to himself! He was _heroic!" _

"Midoriya…" Aizawa said lowly.

Izuku ignored him. He was panting he was so furious! "Did Endeavor get judged for killing the nomu in Hosu?! I saw the reports! He burnt them to a crisp and people cheered! Did you question the other heroes at Camino Ward? You can't tell me that none of them killed a nomu in order to save civilians! Did you look at them with judgment in your eyes, too, or is it just Kacchan you feel you have the right to judge?!"

"Midoriya!"

Breathing hard, Izuku swung his gaze to Aizawa.

"No one is judging Katsuki. I'll make sure of it," he promised, expression fierce. "He did what he had to do in order to survive, and I for one am very glad he did." Dark eyes shifted to Tsukauchi. His tone became pointed. "Right now we are just collecting your statements of events. This isn't a discipline committee, and if it were, it would be held by UA. You are minors in our charge, and as such you are not under the police's jurisdiction because you broke no laws."

Tsukauchi had the grace to look embarrassed. "I apologize. I was not judging. I was just surprised."

Izuku wasn't mollified. He crossed his arms and gave a quick summary of the rest of what he remembered. Tsukauchi sighed, but he didn't demand more details. He'd just finished writing his notes when the sink turned off and Kacchan came out of the bathroom.

Kacchan's face and hair were wet, likely from putting his head under the facet. With his hands bandaged, he couldn't dry it afterward. Izuku had the urge to do it for him, but the completely locked-down expression on the blond's face told Izuku that wasn't a good idea.

"I apologize for earlier. I in no way judge you for what you had to do in these extreme situations," Tsukauchi said carefully.

Kacchan glared and huffed. "Let's just get this fucking over with."

He didn't return to the bed with Izuku. Instead, he stood a few feet away, shoulders hunched and his arms crossed. He spoke in simple, clipped words, but it still painted a very grim picture. By the time he got to Hitoshi, Izuku's jaw ached from clenching his teeth for so long.

"It was like two movies playing out in my head," Kacchan told them, face averted, tension in every line of his body. "When it was over, I had two sets of memories. They both felt fucking real."

"How do you know which set is the real memory, then?" Tsukauchi asked quietly, trying not to set Kacchan off.

Red eyes glowered at them from a bruised face. "There's no fucking point in making me believe Braindead walked out of that room if he were really dead. Those assholes came in there and extracted him. They made the villains and me think he was dead so no one would look for him."

Izuku felt punched in the gut. Oh god no… _Hitoshi_… He'd been taken back by the Institute! They'd be angry that Hitoshi had manipulated them, that he'd escaped to UA. Then to get captured by villains… They'd be _furious_…

Kacchan hit his shoulder hard with his forearm, getting his attention and pulling from his terrible thoughts. "Shinso made fucking sure I knew the truth," he growled. "He made sure I knew he wasn't dead… He made sure I'd come looking… I swear I'll figure out a way to get him back."

"No," Aizawa said firmly. He stood and grabbed Katsuki's shoulder, bending down to look in his eyes. "I will. Shinso is a member of 1-A, and I will do whatever it takes to get him back." His expression softened with a wry smile. "Principal Nezu will agree, and you've already had a demonstration of his abilities."

Izuku choked on a surprised laugh. "Yeah…" But he couldn't help worrying that they wouldn't be enough.

"So what happened after that?" Tsukauchi prompted.

Izuku could hardly stand listening to Kacchan's clinical description of his beating. His hands clenched into painful fists against a surge of nausea fueled by overwhelming rage and grief. Thank god Aizawa had thought to put a tracker on Kacchan!

"As soon as that fucking nomu smashed through the wall to escape Todoroki and Kaminari's attacks, I knew he was planning something," Kacchan told them grimly. "My hands were fucking useless, so I told Todoroki to ice my fists so I could still fight. I didn't expect the nomu to go after Izuku and Cheeks. The others couldn't use their attacks, Glasses had burnt out his engines and it would have been several minutes for them to be back online, and Izuku was pinned on his stomach. I knew I was the only chance they had, so I took it."

Kacchan set his feet and lifted his chin, refusing to look away from his choice. "It kept fucking getting back up after the fire and electric attacks. We were getting tired. Cheeks was now hurt. If things kept on, we were eventually going to make a mistake, so I… I took it out. I stabbed it with the sharp part of the ice coming off my fist in the throat twice, then the eye, then its brain."

Kacchan fell silent, glowering at them, face bruised and eyes bloodshot. Izuku held still as Tsukauchi thanked them and promised to keep anything sensitive out of his report. Aizawa looked like he wanted to say something to Kacchan, but in the end he didn't.

"I'll be back," he said tiredly. "I'm going to update Nezu regarding Shinso."

As soon as he was gone, Izuku launched himself out of bed and planted himself in front of his boyfriend.

"Don't," Kacchan warned, voice hoarse and angry.

"You're going to hear what I have to say," Izuku snapped, just as angry, and he grabbed Kacchan's forearms in a tight grip. "Kacchan, you're the bravest person I know! You made a hard decision with the nomu, and you're facing it head on even now. You saved us. I'm alive because of you, and I'll always be grateful for that. You're a hero, Kacchan."

"Stop! Just stop!" Kacchan yelled furiously, voice cracking.

Izuku's heart broke as he watched his boyfriend fall apart.

Tears streaked Kacchan's battered face, and he turned away, trying to hide them. "I was weak! I couldn't save you! Stain did! I couldn't even save myself! I couldn't do anything! I barely survived! And I only managed to do that by fucking killing two people! A true hero would have been able to incapacitate them without killing them!"

"A true hero…" Izuku repeated, grabbing Kacchan and forcing him to face him. "You _are_ a true hero! You kept your cool! You kept thinking, kept planning! You prioritized everyone's safety and made the choice that protected everyone best! You were amazing, Kacchan!"

"What about you?!" Kacchan yelled right back. "You think I'm so great when I killed people with my one hands, but you saved hundreds of people by getting that message to All Might! There were fucking dozens of nomu terrorizing the city, and All Might and All For One were fucking knocking down whole buildings! Because of you, less than fifty people died in all of that chaos! You saved so many! If that's not fucking heroic, I don't know what is!"

Izuku swallowed hard. He knew Kacchan was right, but it still felt like a failure. Almost fifty people, innocent people just trying to live their lives, had died. When he could have stopped it. Which is what Kacchan thought about Muscular and the nomu, Izuku supposed.

Sighing, he wound his arms around Kacchan's waist and gently rested his head on the blond's heaving chest. "I'm sorry," he said softly, relenting. "I know you're right. And maybe one day I'll be able to believe it, too. And I know you're in the same place as me, feeling like you failed, and I can't change that anymore than you can change it for me." He looked up at him, eyes shinning. "But I really do think you're amazing, Kacchan. I just want you to know that."

Kacchan stood stiff for a long second and Izuku bit his lip, afraid he was about to be pushed away, but then Kacchan sighed and his arms came up around him. "I think you're amazing, too."

Izuku smiled and pressed his forehead into his boyfriend's sternum. "I love you, Kacchan. So much. When All For One summoned you… when that villain was about to take you again…" Izuku forced himself to breathe deep even as his stomach clenched in remembered terror. "It felt like the world was ending…" His arms tightened around Kacchan's waist. "I can't tell you how relieved I was when I got you back. It was like I could breathe again."

Kacchan held him just as tightly. "I was going out of my fucking mind knowing All For One had you," he rasped. "God, Izu…"

Izuku crashed their mouths together in a desperate kiss, Kacchan kissing him back just as hard.

"Ahem."

Breathless and flushed, Izuku turned his head but refused to let Kacchan go. Inko stood in the doorway looking amused.

"Oh, who am I kidding," she cried, tears appearing in her eyes. "I want in on that hug!" She practically ran over to them and flung her arms around them both, holding them together. "I'm so glad you two are okay! I was worried sick!" she cried tearfully. "I love you both so much!"

Izuku smiled and caught Kacchan's eyes. Kacchan smiled back, the last of his tension and anger bleeding out of him as he submitted to the group hug. "We love you, too, Mom," Izuku said for the both of them and leaned his head against hers while still holding Kacchan close.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** So a little bit of a surprise this chapter… Inko will be dorm mother _*coughs* _ I mean, dorm matron! XD What do you think?

Next chapter will have some Nighteye and the Full Moon! Stay tuned!


	58. Chapter 58

**A/n: **So, the full moon is in this chapter. Poor Izuku! I am so, so sorry! ; - ;

**Warnings:** violence, murder, torture, rape.

Skip the italicized parts to skip the visions.

…

**Full Moon**

Izuku was explaining what had happened while they were kidnapped, giving his mother a watered down version of events, when the door opened again. They were back in their respective beds with Inko sitting in the chair that Aizawa had placed between them. Izuku flashed his mother a concerned look as soon as he saw that it was Nighteye standing in the doorway, but Inko looked calm.

"Sorry for bothering you while you recuperate," the man said softly. His face was tilted slightly up so the reflection of the lights on his glasses hid his eyes from view. "I'm here to inquire what you're going to do for the moon tonight." His chin lowered and Izuku could see the pain in his golden eyes. "But I was hoping I could speak to Izuku alone for a moment before that."

"Whatever you need to say to your nephew, you can say it in front of me and Katsuki-kun," Inko said firmly, reaching over to cover Kacchan's bandaged hand with her own. "We're a family."

Nighteye was not happy with that answer, but Izuku didn't care. His mom was right. They were a family. He wasn't going to cut her out if he didn't have to, especially as he knew she wasn't going to like what he had to say about the moon.

"Please," he said politely. "I'd prefer it if they stayed, if that's okay?"

Nighteye hesitated, but he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. Izuku's eyes widened as he folded into a deep, respectful bow.

"I want to apologize…" Nighteye held the bow, his voice thick and raw with feeling. "I… Despite all evidence, I did not believe the future I saw could be changed. The fact you can change your own visions seemed impossible enough, I never considered you could change mine as well, but you have proven me wrong yet again. Six years ago…" Still bent double, his voice hitched, pain vibrating through every word. "I foresaw the battle between All For One and All Might. I saw All Might die a brutal death. I saw the complete annihilation of Camino ward and the end of an era of peace."

Nighteye straightened and there were tears in his eyes. It made him look more like Inko than ever. "Izuku, I don't know what you did to alter this future, but I do know it is because of you that All Might is still alive. There is no other explanation. My visions have _never_ not come true. And I really have tried. I've tried _everything_ you can think of to change them, and nothing I did ever _worked_." He folded his hands in front of him and bowed again, although less deep this time, keeping his eyes on Izuku. "I cannot express how thankful I am that All Might still lives. There is hope now where there once was none. Izuku Midoriya, I swear from this day forth I will be an unwavering ally."

Inko's hands were pressed to her mouth, eyes shimmering with tears of joy. Izuku was happy for her, but he couldn't help feeling cautious. He looked to Kacchan. The blond did not look impressed. His expression was cold, his eyes narrowed, and that made Izuku relax, knowing they were on the same page.

Turning to face Nighteye with a careful smile, he said softly, "I look forward to working with you."

He wanted things to work out between them, he really did. This was his mother's lost little brother and All Might's best friend. He was also a renowned and respected pro-hero, but Izuku wasn't stupid. Nighteye had been confrontational and aggressive since the day he'd met him. That hadn't stopped Izuku from making use of his skills and connections when it came to saving the people in his visions, but Nighteye would have to prove himself before he or Kacchan would be able to truly trust him.

Nighteye bowed deep. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity." Straightening, he carefully fixed his tie and ran his hands, nervously?, over the front of his suit. "There are five hours before the rise of the moon. If you are retreating to the cabin, I must prepare transport now."

"Yes," Inko said at the same time Izuku answered, "No."

Izuku met his mother's eyes. They widened in surprise before narrowing dangerously. "Mom, so much happened in the month I went to the cabin. Shigaraki found me at the mall, and then the attack on the camp and the fight with All For One. People in Camino died because I was only able to give them a few minutes extra warning, and I was only able to do that much because All For One forced my quirk to activate."

"No one died at the mall," Inko protested hotly. "So you wouldn't have seen it. And from what I understand, Camino and the camp are outside your range even if you had stayed home for the moon."

"I know," Izuku said calmly, hoping she couldn't see how hard his heart was beating. "But it proves that these are very uncertain times. This isn't just everyday life we're talking about. Real things, big things, are on the line."

"We discussed this, Izuku!" Inko leapt to her feet and grabbed his arm, shaking it. "There's no point in risking your mental health or sanity. If you burn yourself out, you'll prevent yourself from protecting others in the future. You agreed!"

Izuku gave a firm nod. "I still agree. I'm not saying I'll never go to the cabin again," he told her reassuringly. "I'm just saying now isn't the right time to go."

"What are you suggesting?" Nighteye asked carefully, pushing his glasses higher up his nose. "It sounds like you have a particular plan in mind."

"I do," Izuku agreed firmly. He pulled his arm out of his mother's grasp and held tight to her hands as he answered the hero. "We're taking the provisional licensing exam next week on August twenty-fist. I want you to take me to that area so we can have forewarning if the League is going to do anything there." He tilted his chin up, his eyes determined. "They've attacked every major event having to do with my class so far. I want to be prepared. I want to protect myself and my friends."

Inko whipped her head around to stare desperately at Kacchan. "Katsuki! Tell him this is madness!"

Izuku met Kacchan's eyes and waited for his answer.

…

Katsuki's thoughts went crystal clear. As soon as he'd heard the word 'no' fall from Izuku's lips in a tone as hard as steel, his heart had begun to slam against his bruised ribs.

Inko was right, of course. Izuku had just been tortured. By Izuku's own admittance, his quirk was injured or something from being forced to activate. He'd experienced death _hundreds of times_ in the vision of Camino. It wasn't apparent yet, but that had done something to Izuku. There was no way it hadn't, and at times Katsuki had seen shadows of that change in his eyes. What would another round of visions do to his mind? But that didn't mean Izuku wasn't right, too.

This was war. The League was dead set on destroying society as they knew it. If they put Izuku in the cabin and something did happen at the provisional licensing exam… Katsuki winced. It would fucking break Izuku. There would be no going back after that.

Everyone saw Izuku's compassion and empathetic smiles, his respect for heroes, and they thought he was the epitome of an upright hero. Everyone thought that way. Even Inko. Even All Might and Aizawa. Katsuki didn't think even Izuku was truly aware of what he was capable of. No one knew except Katsuki.

They hadn't seen when Izuku's eyes went diamond hard and clear as glass. Under all that fanboying and sunshine smiles, Izuku was ruthless. And if they pushed him hard enough, Izuku could snap. He'd turn his back on them and go it alone. He'd become a vigilante in truth. Maybe not like Stain, but still a renegade. It would hurt Izuku terribly to function on the other side of the law, but that wouldn't stop him from doing what he had to do.

_Deku had that fucking scary look on his face. The one that told Katsuki he knew terrible, terrible things that Katsuki didn't want to know. His skinny arms were wrapped around his thin chest as if to hold himself together; his eyes were huge and filled with silent tears. When he spoke again, his voice was almost devoid of emotion. _

_"She was so scared, Kacchan. She could hardly breathe around it. As soon as we knock the guy down, she's gonna run. Run hard and fast. If the police ask around later, she won't come forward. She won't want to go anywhere near this guy again."_

_Holy. Fuck. Katsuki swallowed hard, bile at the back of his throat. _

_"We'll have to t-tase her, too. Or…" Tears spilled down Izuku's bloodless cheeks. His emotionless voice broke to reveal terrible pain. "Like Tamachan… let him…"_

_Katsuki couldn't believe Izuku of all people could voice such ruthless thoughts! Fucking blown away, he said what Izuku could not bring himself to finish. "We have to let him hit her, so there'll be proof he's a killer. She didn't die until the third hit, so she should still be okay if he only hits her once."_

Izuku had been eight years old. Eight when he'd realized they had to let people get hurt to save them. Katsuki would never forget the way Izuku's eyes had looked in that moment. Dark and fathomless, filled with pain but unflinching.

It was that moment that had changed everything for Katsuki. When he realized he wasn't the only one walking a line between villain and hero. It was when Katsuki had truly realized he wasn't alone.

"I know it's a risk," Izuku said into the silence. He looked at Katsuki with eyes as fathomless as they'd been seven years ago. "I'll do whatever you and Ivy think will help me afterward. I'll go to the cabin next month, but this is the right thing to do. I know it."

Katsuki knew if they argued, if they tried to force him to the cabin, Izuku would run away. He'd do it alone without support. This wasn't a time Izuku could be swayed. Katsuki lifted his chin, subconsciously covering his tattoo, his compass, with his bandaged hand. "I agree with Deku." Because the only choice when there were no good choices was to trust each other.

Izuku gave him a look with such heat in his eyes it made Katsuki shiver.

"Katsuki!" Inko gasped, shocked.

"I know I'm asking too much of you," Izuku said, drawing her betrayed eyes off Katsuki. "I know I've put you through too much lately, but this is the last thing, I promise. I need to know we'll be safe at the licensing exam. Please, Mom. It will help keep me safe."

Inko yanked her hands away and crossed her arms. She was furious. "That isn't fair, Izuku. You were just kidnapped. You're not well! I'm trying to protect you!"

"I know," Izuku said softly. "And I'm thankful, but I'm trying to protect myself, too."

"It's still summer break," Nighteye spoke into the tense silence as mother and child stared at each other. "I can arrange it so that you have the cabin for the rest of the week. To give you a chance to recover in peace and quiet. Ivy can join you there."

Inko's eyes flashed to Nighteye. "You agree with him, then?" she demanded harshly. "You think Izuku's ready to experience a full moon after everything that just happened?"

"I don't think he's ready," Nighteye denied. "But I do think strategically he is correct. If the League were to attack the exam, he could be killed or kidnapped again. I believe that risk is more dangerous than the potential effects of his visions."

"Then the exam should be cancelled unless the heroes can guarantee everyone's safety!" Inko protested, stomping her foot in frustration.

"The Hero Public Safety Commission has several procedures in place to ensure the exam's integrity as well as the participants' safety," Nighteye agreed. "I'm ninety percent certain of Izuku's safety at the exam, and I'm rarely wrong, but…" He cast his eyes to Izuku who sat stoic, waiting for the verdict. "I believe with support, Izuku will recover from whatever effects the visions will have on him. It is worth the risk for this added protection."

Inko's eyes filled with angry tears as she glared at her son. "You'll do what you want regardless of what I think or feel about it. You always do." Without another word, she snatched up her purse and stormed from the room.

Izuku watched her go sadly, but he turned a small smile to Nighteye. "Thank you for your support."

Nighteye bowed his head. "Please make sure I was right to do so." Straightening, he pushed his glasses higher up his nose. "I will arrange transportation to the exam arena and contact Ivy."

Izuku nodded and Nighteye left them.

Katsuki said nothing as Izuku got out of bed and crossed the distance between them. He moved to the far side, giving Izuku room to climb onto the bed with him. He lifted his arm and Izuku slid underneath it. Turning onto his side, Izuku rested his head high on Katsuki's chest and draped an arm over Katsuki's waist.

"Thank you," Izu whispered, barely loud enough to be heard.

Katsuki held him tighter.

…

Izuku stared out the hotel window that overlooked Takoba National Stadium. Even though it was dark, the stadium was lit up by small floodlights ringed around the building. The roof sort of reminded him of an ice cream cone with a swirl on top. The outside wall looked like an octagon, comprised of straight segments, a bend, and another straight segment over and over. Each straight portion alternated between pristine white and bright vivid red, the colors of the Japanese flag. It felt so unreal that in just five days he'd be there with his class taking the government provisional licensing exam.

"Izuku."

Izuku turned away from the window to see Kacchan standing in the center of the room. All the lights were off, casting his boyfriend in shadow, but from the light of the stadium across the street, he could make out the outlines of the queen bed, a nightstand, a tv on the far wall, the door to the bathroom, and the door to the hallway that had the chain as well as the deadbolt secured. He could also see the shine of Kacchan's eyes and the glow of the white bandages wrapped around his fingers and palms.

Before they'd left the hospital, Kacchan had talked the nurse into taking off the padded gauze. It gave him back his dexterity, but she had been clear that he was to use his hands as little as possible if he wanted them to heal correctly. He was also to apply a very expensive and potent healing ointment on them twice a day for the next five days.

"Izuku."

Taking a shuddering breath, Izuku forced his eyes to meet Kacchan's.

"What do you need?"

Izuku almost couldn't comprehend the question. He felt… numb. He was vaguely aware of a dark and overwhelming terror lurking just outside his consciousness. He quickly forced himself to think of other things.

Aizawa was in the next room. His mother had refused to come. The pain and anger in her expression when they'd left with their teacher had been almost more than Izuku could bear, but he couldn't do anything other than what he was doing. He literally couldn't. He had to know. He had to be sure. He _had_ to. He couldn't stand any more blood on his hands. He really would go crazy.

"Izuku."

Izuku snapped his eyes over to Kacchan. Had he asked something? Goosebumps rose on his arms. Was the moon rising? How much time did he have?

Kacchan crossed the distance between them. He captured Izuku's face in his bandaged hands and stared into his eyes. Izuku could see the warm red of them this close. As always, those eyes anchored him and he felt his attention sharpen.

"I'm with you," he whispered.

Kacchan smiled, slow and easy. "Good," he said softly, never looking away. "What do you need, Izu?"

"It's going to be bad, isn't it?" he heard himself ask. He could almost feel the darkness rising inside him, licking at his mind, threatening to pull him under.

"Yes," Kacchan answered honestly. "But you're not alone. I'm here."

He released Izuku's face and it almost felt like being cut adrift, but then Kacchan grabbed his arm. He lifted Izuku's wrist. Izuku traced the red spider lilies with his eyes. The spider lilies that stood tall in front of the full moon, conquering it. Izuku watched as Kacchan's bandaged finger traced the lines.

"You're not alone, Izuku," he said again, low and hypnotic. "You have to let me in. You have to trust me."

Izuku stared at those red spider lilies and felt something steady in him. He looked up and met an equally vibrant red in Kacchan's beautiful eyes. "I trust you. Always."

Kacchan kissed him softly, their lips barely touching. Pulling back he asked again, "What do you need?"

Izuku swallowed. Tears filled his eyes as the false calm cracked and terror spilled in around the edges. "Cover me with your body?" he asked, voice wavering. "Hold me down. Keep me safe." His breathing came faster. "When I w-wake up, k-keep me with y-you."

Kacchan nodded and cupped his face again. "Shhh, I hear you, Izu. I'm going to take care of you." Red eyes burned into him. "No one can touch you here. I won't allow it. You're safe. I'll protect you."

Izuku closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. Kacchan let him go and held out a his gag. The one Izuku had chosen, the one with the soft leather and small black ball to muffle his screams. Izuku opened his mouth and let Kacchan slip it past his jaws.

The weight of it on his tongue, the feel of the straps going around his head, it settled something inside him. He felt himself begin to let go. Of the fear, of the responsibility. All of that was over. He'd done his part. He'd made his decisions. All that was left was to let go. To trust. It was Kacchan's turn. Kacchan had him. Kacchan was here.

With a soul deep sigh, Izuku went loose, his expression relaxed. He felt his heart rate slow. He could feel Kacchan's heat on his skin as he secured Izuku's arms to his chest with the red ropes. Izuku sank gracefully to his knees, giving everything over to his love, and looked up into warm red eyes. Kacchan held his gaze, strong and unwavering, and Izuku had never felt so safe.

Kacchan touched his cheek with gentle fingertips, ran a hand through Izuku's hair, scratching softly at his scalp, and Izuku's eyes fluttered in pleasure. Then Kacchan was moving behind him. Izuku heard him kneel. The blond wrapped his arms around Izuku's chest, over his bound arms, and held tightly.

Then slowly, slowly, Kacchan folded forward. Izuku moaned softly as his forehead eventually touched the floor in front of his knees. Kacchan settled his full weight over Izuku's back. His mouth rested right by Izuku's ear. Izuku was warm, safe, heavy. Kacchan leaned forward, licking slowly along the leather strap than ran across Izuku's cheek.

"You're not alone," Kacchan said lowly in his ear. "I have you, Izu."

Izuku went limp, completely trusting in his love. He felt the gravity shift inside him, felt the moon begin to rise, but he was calm, blanketed by Kacchan's weight.

"You're with me. You're safe."

And Izuku was swallowed by darkness.

…

"_The fuck!"_

_Izuku lifted his head, vision swimming. Night. In an alley. A man. Feathers for hair. Avian eyes. Dressed in all black._

"_The fuck's wrong with you?" the man snarled. "I said, give me your fucking cash!"_

_The world vibrated with pain. Each harsh word deafening, tearing Izuku's head open. He curled forward and puked all over the alley floor._

"_The hell?! Jesus. What the hell's wrong with you? You know what, forget this." _

_The sound of feet running. Izuku cracked open bleeding eyes to see the feathered mugger running away. He collapsed sideways._

…

_He stood shivering in his underwear. Bruises covered most of his chest, a deep pervading ache. A group of teenagers in high school uniforms laughing. A flash as they took a picture. Izuku opened his mouth, to shout, to scream, when a hand shoves him hard. The back of his knees hit a railing, buckled, and he went toppling over. _

_There was a moment of free fall and then he hit water. Cold! He clawed and flailed until he broke the surface, gasping. Shaking, shivering, Izuku was pushed downstream. Getting his bearings, he began to swim toward the shore. It was hard. Each stroke felt like he was dragging fifty pound weights, but Izuku grit his chattering teeth and swam, giving it everything he had. _

…

_Izuku lay in a bed. His body ached. His eyes were blurry and clouded. A figure was beside him. It was hard to hear, but the voice sounded kind. A spoon at his lip. A sweet liquid with a bitter aftertaste. A tissue dabbed at his cheeks and Izuku realized he was crying. A warm hand held his. The touch hurt, his fingers stiff and sore, but welcome nonetheless. _

_Then the cramps started. They hit hard and fast. Izuku wept, helpless, as his bladder and bowels released. He was sweating. It was hard to breathe, but the longer it went on, the less he felt of anything. He died almost before he was aware of the cold approaching. _

…

_Izuku's back impacted a wall hard as a fist slammed into his gut. Breathless, a second blow slammed into his face making his ears ring. Another solid body blow kept his lungs from expanding. Izuku's training kicked in. _

_Block. Another block. Hard jab into the soft tissue of a throat. The man hitting him dropped like a ton of bricks, choking. Izuku staggered, dizzy and wheezing. Everything hurt, bone deep. Weaving, he stumbled desperately toward escape._

…

_A knife slammed into his gut violently in three fast stabs. Izuku stared into the eyes of his killer as he staggered, hands desperately holding in his blood and failing. It poured out of him, drenching his hands and clothes. God, the PAIN!_

…

"_Fucking asshole, I'll kill you, you lying piece of shit!"_

_A spike punched through his chest like a javelin, breaking and spreading his ribs, piecing his lung. Izuku toppled backwards. His mouth moved soundlessly, gaping, trying to breathe with lungs that didn't work. Blood spilled hot over ice cold lips._

"_It's your fault! IT'S YOUR FAULT!"_

…

"_How could you?!" a broken woman demanded. _

_Izuku staggered, dizzy. A hard shove to his chest. He flinched, the sky spun around him, a blur of shapes, the sensation of falling, wind whipping around his body. Sharp, hard impact, PAIN!_

…

_Choking. Hands around his throat, squeezing. Blood rushing. Face hot and tight. A man's face twisted with hatred, eyes bloodshot and staring down at him. Izuku kicked weakly. Clawed at those punishing hands wrapped like brands around his burning throat. Twisting helplessly. Vision slowly, so slowly tunneling in, going black, and it HURT. _

_GET OFF GET Off Get off get off getoffgetoffgetoff _

…

_Izuku sprinted, sobbing, through the park. Lungs burning, he sucked down air as if he were dying. Breathing! He was breathing! Someone tackled him from behind. Flipped him onto his back._

"_NOOOOOO!" Izuku screamed hysterically and thrashed wildly. "GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF!"_

_Laughter and the sour smell of the man's breath. A face in his. A tongue licked his cheeks, drinking his tears. A hand clawed at his bare thighs._

"_Noooo," he sobbed, exhausted and broken. _

_He tried to push the man away, to close his legs, but he was spread forcibly open and a hard cock thrust deep into his shuddering body. Izuku gave a low whine of horror, turning his face away, pressing it half into the dirt under him._

"_Noooo," he whimpered, still futilely pushing at the man. "Just kill me…" he begged, sobbing. "Just kill me… please just kill me…"_

_The man held him down by the shoulders as he rocked his hips forward in short, sharp stabs. "Oh yeah, keep crying, bitch, mmmmm…" Then he was shuddering, hips jerking sloppily. _

_Izuku gagged, curling into a tight ball, as the man finally let go. He pulled out of Izuku's body, leaving a gaping emptiness and filth behind._

"_Thanks for the ride, bitch."_

_Izuku looked dully up into the barrel of a gun and closed his eyes._

_BANG!_

…

_Izuku stood behind a glass counter and stared dumbly down at gold jewelry. _

"_Open the case!" a masked man yelled in his face._

_With a scream of insane rage, Izuku leapt the counter and tackled the man. His body was light, weak, but it didn't matter. He punched and clawed, tore the mask off, felt his nails sink into an eye, felt it give and pop. Warm fluid splattered his hand and coated his fingers. Someone was screaming. Izuku screamed right along with them._

…

_Izuku was screaming! Someone touched his arm and he flailed, lashing out wildly. Sobbing, shouting in rage, Izuku attacked. He hit and hit and hit until exhaustion bled away his strength. His voice had long since gone hoarse and silent. Red was everywhere._

"_You did good, Izuku. It's over. You can rest now."_

_Izuku blinked blurred eyes and looked down. He was straddling a man's thin waist. White hair, a pale green eye looking up at him softly between long bangs. The man was covered in red. Izuku's breath caught, and he became aware of a sweet smell. The man reached up a thin hand and cupped his cheek. He was smiling. _

"_It's okay, Izuku. It's okay now."_

_Izuku blinked rapidly. Red but not blood. He looked around, eyes wide to see thousands of spider lilies. They were everywhere. Dozens were woven into Daisuke's hair, were growing over his chest and thin arms. Kacchan. Home. Safety._

"_You did good," Daisuke said again. He sat up and wrapped his arms around him. "You did good. It's over."_

_Izuku gasped, shuddering, and curled into that embrace._

_They sat like that for what seemed like hours. Izuku stared blindly at the sea of spider lilies surrounding them, soaking in the feeling of Daisuke's arms around him._

…

Izuku blinked open sore eyes to a room full of filtered sunlight. A heavy body pressed him into the mattress of a bed, but a quick inhale of air told him it was Kacchan even before he turned his head and got a face full of coarse blond hair. The gag was gone as were the ropes binding his arms. He was on his back, Kacchan sprawled across his chest and legs, his head sharing the same pillow.

For several minutes, that was all Izuku could comprehend. Then Kacchan's weight shifted, the blond coming awake with a gruff, "Izu? You with me?"

Izuku blinked at him, wide-eyed and lost. So lost. Where was he? What…?

Kacchan's red eyes burned down at him. Izuku caught sight of bright, white bandages before Kacchan's fingers sank into his hair and scratched gently at his scalp. Izuku gasped, free falling. Then those fingers ran over his face, traced his features and tugged softly at his ears.

Kacchan sat up, straddling Izuku's waist. He ran his fingers over Izuku's throat, squeezed his shoulders and biceps, rubbed at his forearms, and held his hands tight. Every touch left a tingling in its wake. Izuku began to comprehend his boundaries and edges. Began to know his shape again. It was a completely overwhelming experience, and he lay panting and sweating, staring desperately into Kacchan's eyes as he slowly came back into his body.

Kacchan pressed down on his chest when he breathed out and dragged his bandaged hands down Izuku's stomach when he breathed in. Kacchan scratched lightly at the skin of Izuku's abs and slid further down his legs. Making a fist, Kacchan dug his knuckles into his thighs before lightly running his fingertips over Izuku's soft penis and balls. Then he used both hands to knead at Izuku's calves, one after the other. By the time he reached Izuku's feet and squeezed tightly around the arch in his foot, Izuku was shaking.

Izuku opened his mouth but felt a gaping emptiness where words used to live. Gone. They were gone. Lips trembling, Izuku began to cry, soft and helpless, here, but still so lost. Kacchan bent and kissed his cheek before lifting him in his arms. The blond staggered, caught his balance, and carried Izuku into the bathroom. Izuku clung to Kacchan's shoulders desperately, eyes wide and unblinking, locked on Kacchan's familiar and safe face.

Kacchan put him into the tub. It was cold on his bare skin. He twisted and whined. Kacchan soothed him, stroking his hair and face, and climbed into the white bowl with him. He turned the taps. Slowly, water began to surround them with heat.

Kacchan held Izuku sideways on his lap, his arms wrapped tight around him, and Izuku's eyes finally closed. His muscles went limp; his weeping quieted. The warmth of the water lapping at his skin chased the deep, pervading cold away. Strong arms held him safe. The loud rush of water filled the emptiness in his head, and with a sigh, Izuku sank into sleep.

…

Katsuki leaned against the doorjamb of the bathroom, arms crossed, as he watched Izuku. The teen was sitting in the center of the bed, turned sideways, leaning against the headboard. His knees were pulled up to his chest, his left arm resting on top of them. His right hand held a red pen he'd found in the nightstand drawer. He was using it to methodologically cover every inch of his left arm in red spider lilies. His face was pale, his expression calm and focused. He still hadn't spoken a single word.

A soft knock at the door had him crossing the distance to the bed. Izuku didn't even twitch or look up. "I'm going to step outside," Katsuki said clearly. "Okay?"

Izuku didn't react.

Satisfied he was okay, Katsuki strode to the door and slipped into the hallway. Aizawa stood there in a black t-shirt and jeans. His thick, black hair hung around his pale face and over his shoulders. He looked tired, but not more than he usually did. He had a plastic bag in each hand. One smelled of hot Chinese food, the other had thin-tipped markers, a large sketchbook, and a regular notebook.

"Thanks," he said gratefully as he accepted the bags.

"How is he?" Aizawa asked quietly, expression creased with worry.

Katsuki shrugged. "Out of it. I sent a video to Ivy. She agreed with me. He's disassociating. Putting distance between him and the visions."

"I see." Aizawa folded his arms, expression creased with worry. "And his mom?"

"She's waiting at the cabin with Ivy." Katsuki gave a grin. "Ivy said Inko could use some one-on-one time with her, that Izuku shouldn't be moved today."

Aizawa gave a rueful smile. "We all could, I bet."

Katsuki gave a short laugh. Yeah, they all had their hang-ups.

"What's he doing right now?" Aizawa gave Katsuki a careful look. "If you don't mind me asking."

Katsuki sighed. "He's drawing spider lilies on his arm with a pen. That's what I needed the markers for. They'll be easier to draw on skin with. He has to push too hard with the ballpoint. I don't want him breaking his skin."

Aizawa nodded. Katsuki looked for judgement in his dark eyes but found none. "Why spider lilies?" he asked with simple curiosity. "And do you think he'll use the sketchpad instead once you give it to him?"

Katsuki leaned back against the door to the room. "Spider lilies are a safety image for him, and he probably won't use the books at first. I think he's reclaiming his body. That's why I did touch therapy when he first came around. It helps him ground and remember who he is."

"Ivy's idea?"

"No." Katsuki shook his head. "My own research and experience. Izuku has always responded best to physical stimulus. He used ropes for months to help him, but I think he's moving away from that."

The memory of being tied to a chair as Twice beat him hit him hard and fast. He tensed, trying not to show an outward reaction. Izuku had been strapped down, too. After something like that, being tied up loses some of its appeal. Katsuki quickly changed the subject, hoping to distract both Aizawa and himself. "Any news on Braindead?"

Aizawa ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Nezu and Nighteye are using different channels to try to open negotiations. It will likely take a few days, but I am confident we can force them to allow Shinso to return to class."

Katsuki felt his palms sweat. Shit. Who knew what the fuck they were doing to the bastard. He hated leaving him there for days. "And what was the verdict with the discipline committees?"

"Monoma is on probation. He isn't allowed to take the provisional licensing exam. He will also have to attend remedial lessons in Ethics with Vlad once school resumes. We also reported his brother to his superiors. I'm sure he's also facing some sort of disciplinary action for bring those confidential files home, which I think will effect Monoma more than the probation, to be honest." He gave Katsuki as stern look. "As for your rescue crew, they have a three page essay on quirk laws and their benefit to society due by the end of the week."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "Even Glasses and IcyHot? They only have to do an essay?"

Aizawa sighed. "No. The committee is still deliberating regarding their punishment since this is their second offense. It's possible they will also not be allowed to take the provisional licensing exam." He held his hand up when Katsuki glared and opened his mouth. "They demonstrated recklessness and poor judgment at the very least, Katsuki. If we continue to let that slide, we are doing them a disservice."

"Kaminari reported what he sensed to a police officer and was fucking brushed aside!" he protested hotly.

Aizawa met his glare with one of his own. "Did he or any of the others make any attempt to inform me or any other member of the UA staff about what he heard?"

Katsuki scowled defiantly.

"Exactly." Aizawa sighed again, softening his tone. "Should they be prohibited from taking the exam, they, along with Monoma, will have another opportunity to take it at the end of January. The exam is held twice a year, after all, and we are making an unprecedented exception to have you first years take it in the first place. It's not surprising that some of your peers just aren't ready for the very real responsibility of even a provisional license, Katsuki."

"Todoroki is ready," Katsuki said with absolute certainty, but he knew it was futile to argue. Katsuki pushed off the door and shifted both bags to one hand. "I'll text again if I need anything else."

"Please do," Aizawa said gratefully. "Katsuki."

He looked over his shoulder.

Aizawa held his eyes and said with sincere honesty, "I'm proud of you. You're doing an incredible job. If you ever need a break, I'm here."

Katsuki ducked his head, completely surprised. A reluctant smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Thanks," he said softly and stepped inside the room.

…

Izuku paced. It was night, but every light in the room was on, so it wasn't dark. He wore one of Kacchan's black tank-tops and stared at his arms, turning them this way and that. They were covered from fingertips to shoulder in spider lilies. He especially liked the way the circle that represented the moon on his tattoo was completely covered. It felt like a victory.

The itch under his skin had started hours ago. He could literally feel time ticking, each second making his gut tighter and tighter. Izuku paced faster and focused on the lilies blooming up and down his arms. Suddenly, he stopped. Just stopped in the middle of the room and knew. He met Kacchan's calm eyes with a wide-eyed look of desperation.

Kacchan climbed gracefully off the bed and handed him the notebook and red pen. Izuku took them. It was time, but… He was still scared. Kacchan wrapped him in his arms, pinning the book and pen to Izuku's chest with his body. He was strong and solid.

"… s-sorry, kacchan…" he whispered.

Kacchan's arms tightened at hearing his voice. He pulled back to give him a fierce smile. "Don't be. I'm right where I want to be."

Izuku sighed. Hands trembling, he looked down at the notebook. "P-please… with me?" he asked, voice small.

"How do you want to do it?" Kacchan asked without hesitation.

Izuku sank down, sitting crosslegged right there in the middle of the floor. He didn't have it in him to move anywhere else. It was time. The itch was a burn now. He was scared, but he was helpless to stop. He needed it out.

"In f-front of me… n-need to s-see you…" he begged as he opened he notebook to the first page and lifted a shaking pen.

Kacchan walked away. Izuku closed his eyes, hand shaking too violently now to write anything, but then Kacchan was back. He pulled the notebook out of his lap and put it down so it rested on the floor in front of Izuku's crossed legs. Izuku had to bend over his legs to write, but it wasn't uncomfortable. He stared wide-eyed up at Kacchan.

"I'm here. I have you," Kacchan promised solemnly and showed Izuku the thin-tipped red marker. He brought it to Izuku's skin and began to trace the lines Izuku had already drawn.

Izuku gasped, a sob catching in his throat. His eyes fluttered closed and he whispered a worshipful, "_Kacchan_…"

The marker moved over his skin - slow, deliberate, almost like a challenge. Izuku opened his eyes and faced the notebook head-on with a glare. His hand was rock-steady as he began to write and draw. He wasn't alone. Kacchan was with him.

…

Katsuki tried to focus on the flowers he was tracing, but the position of Izuku's arms put the notebook in view underneath them. He couldn't help catching glimpses of the sketches and descriptions Izuku worked furiously on, and it took every scrap of self-control he had to lock down his rage. The little sketches were the worst and always horrifically in the first-person.

Hands covered in blood pressed to a stomach. The slender fingers and delicate charm bracelet indicating a young woman, maybe even a teen.

The rage-contorted face of a large man, clearly much taller from the angle of his face. A massive fist drawn back by the man's wide shoulder.

A bird's eye view of a street. The few people looking up wore simplistic expressions of horror.

The dark hole at the end of a gun. A leering face with dilated pupils and the words '_held down_' and '_penetrated_' burning Katsuki like hot pokers. Raped. Izuku had been raped before being killed in that one.

Katsuki tried to see as little as possible after that. If only to keep his cool. Izuku needed him to be calm right now. Every few minutes, Izuku would stop scratching at the the page, his breath coming hard and fast, and he'd stare desperately at the marker moving over his skin or up into Katsuki's face.

So Katsuki clawed onto his self-control with everything he had and forced his breathing to stay even and his expression to be as impassive as possible. It didn't take long. Maybe an hour? But it felt like he'd been biting back screams of rage and explosions of raw fury for a fucking eternity! But, _finally_, Izuku went still and the red pen fell from a limp hand.

Katsuki dropped his marker and grabbed Izuku by the arms, hauling him to his feet and yanking him into a bone-crushing hug. Izuku held on just as tightly, breaking into sobs that wet Katsuki's shoulder with hot tears.

"Shhh. It's over. You did it. It's finished. You did good, Izuku. I've got you," he promised, voice low and raspy from the rage he'd swallowed again and again over the last hour.

"I-It was so blurry. Everything was so fast. Almost disjointed," Izuku confessed, exhausted. "I didn't have time to f-fight or really k-know what was happening before…" He shuddered, voice thick with tears. "Hope it's enough. Hope Nighteye can find them."

"He will," Katsuki said with certainty. "And we expected the visions to be choppy, remember? Your quirk's still recovering, but it's going to be okay, Izuku. You're going to be okay. You can rest now."

"… rest…" Izuku whimpered, slurring with exhaustion.

Katsuki held Izuku to his chest with one arm and bent, hooking his other under Izuku's knees. Izuku was a few inches shorter than him, but he was solid muscle. Grunting with effort, Katsuki lifted Izuku into his arms. He carried him to the bed and gently laid him down. Izuku had already passed out, long lashes dark on his pale cheeks.

Holding onto his control by a hair, Katsuki stiffly marched over to the fucking notebook left open on the floor. He snatched it up and quickly made his way out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Seven strides later he was at Aizawa's door, pounding on the wood almost hard enough to punch a hole through it.

Aizawa swung the door open, hair lifted around his head and eyes glowing red. As soon as he saw Katsuki, the red flickered off and his hair fell.

"For Nighteye," he growled, shaking he was so angry. He slapped the notebook against Aizawa's chest.

Aizawa caught it without looking, his full attention on Katsuki. After a long second of evaluation, he said, "Let's spar."

Katsuki gave him a wide, blood-thirsty grin and threw a hard right at his teacher's head without any hesitation.

Aizawa ducked, grabbed Katsuki by the shirt, and yanked him into the room.

…

Izuku woke with the sun. Kacchan was sleeping next to him. His mouth was slightly open and he was breathing softly, deeply asleep. Izuku's eyes lovingly traced the sweep of his forehead to his straight nose to his mobile lips, he was so beautiful he took Izuku's breath away. Izuku could just see the tips of Kacchan's straight white teeth.

With his eyes, Izuku admired the curve of Kacchan's ears, the sharp eyebrows, and thick dark-blond lashes. Coveted his well-defined and powerful shoulders, the straight planes of his chest, and the hard lines of his abs.

Izuku's eyes caught on Kacchan's tattoo. Almost in a trance, he carefully reached out and grabbed hold of the markers on the nightstand. In slow, delicate swipes, Izuku began to color it in. Yellow for the rim of the compass. Green and blue for the needles and tick marks inside it. Red and orange for the flowers.

Izuku's own arms were still bright red and covered in lilies. It made something in him glow to see the color spill forth onto his and Kacchan's skin, and Izuku began to draw out from the tattoo. Birds and other flowers, fish with flapping fins, leaves and vines, cherries and ice cream cones doused in sprinkles. Soon the inside and top of Kacchan's arm was a riot of images and colors.

"Morning."

Izuku looked up into Kacchan's sleepy expression and smiled. "Morning, Kacchan."

Kacchan returned the smile, eyes brightening. "You feel like breakfast?"

Izuku shrugged and ran a finger over the blond's inked forearm.

"It's beautiful."

Izuku looked up, surprised. "You think so?"

Kacchan looked down at his arm and nodded. "You're really good, Izuku. I love your art." He touched his now brightly colored tattoo. "Maybe I'll get it permanently inked in one day."

Izuku smiled brightly and folded, putting his face in Kacchan's stomach as he held him tight. Kacchan gave a purring sound at the hug and stroked Izuku's hair.

…

Katsuki watched with a soft expression as Izuku ran from the car up the porch steps and into his mom's arms. Inko laughed loudly and held Izuku just as tightly as he held her. Ivy watched from the front door, smiling at the reunion.

Aizawa climbed out of the driver's seat, staring intently at Katsuki as he climbed out of the back on the driver's side. "Are you sure you don't need me to stay?"

"We're fine." Katsuki gave him a crooked smile.

Aizawa nodded, accepting that. "I want you to text me at least once a day."

Katsuki rolled his eyes, and Aizawa took advantage of his distraction to step over and pull him into a hug. Katsuki tensed, but after a few seconds Aizawa still hadn't let go, so he slowly relaxed into the hold. His arms stayed down by his side, but he let his head drop onto Aizawa's shoulder. Aizawa's arms tightened a fraction around him. Cheeks red with embarrassment, heart thundering in his chest, Katsuki reached forward and grabbed the hem of Aizawa's shirt.

After several minutes, Aizawa slowly pulled away. He bent down a bit to catch Katsuki's lowered gaze and smiled, ruffling Katsuki's hair. "I'll be back to pick you up for the exam. You're going to do great."

Still blushing, Katsuki tried for a cocky grin. "I'll fucking blow them away."

Aizawa laughed at that.

…

Izuku hadn't seen his mother so relaxed in a long time. She'd made a nice lunch and afterward they put together a five-hundred piece puzzle. With only that many pieces, it wasn't hard. They finished it in an hour, but he was starting to feel itchy again. A sense of foreboding, a sense of being hunted stole over him, and he began to rub at his arms.

"Izuku," Ivy said as she crouched down next to his chair.

Izuku took a deep breath and faced her. She had asked him to try and put his feelings into words as much as possible so they could work through them together, but he was allowed to say he wasn't ready to talk about it if he wanted to. He was tempted to do that now, he hated to ruin the peaceful atmosphere, but he knew the more he faced it and talked about it, the faster he'd get his life back to normal.

"I just… felt uneasy," he admitted, unable to meet her eyes. Instead he looked over at Kacchan who was reading a book. Izuku knew he was listening, but Kacchan kept his eyes on the page in front of him, trying to give him privacy. "Like something bad's going to happen."

"Okay," Ivy said gently. "Do you know this or just feel it?"

"Feel it," Izuku said firmly. He didn't think anything was really going to happen. It was just anxiety. He knew that, but it still made him feel smaller, made the room feel darker. "I want to go for a run. I want to be outside."

Ivy smiled. "Good, Izuku. That's a good response to feeling negative. Would you like to go by yourself?"

"No," Izuku answered quickly. "I'd like to go with Kacchan. I'd like to race him."

Ivy nodded. "Okay. Well, you can ask, but remember if he doesn't feel up to it it's not a rejection."

Izuku smiled, eyes on the now smirking blond. "I know. He has every right to want to rest after all this, but…"

Ivy laughed quietly. "But it looks like you know very well that he'd love to race you."

Izuku relaxed into a wide smile, eyes bright. The anxious feeling was already passing, but he still wanted to run. "Yeah."

Kacchan stood and stretched his arms over this head. His forearm was still vibrant with color. "Let's do this, Deku."

Izuku grinned and followed him out the door.

As soon as their feet hit the ground, they were sprinting down the trail. It was just barely wide enough for them to run side-by-side. Trees whipped by. Already Izuku's legs and lungs were burning, the incline growing steeper as they ran, but it felt amazing.

…

Katsuki bolted upright as a scream pierced the air. It was dark, and out in the woods, dark meant pitch fucking black. He startled as Izuku screamed again. Heart hammering, he groped for his phone and accidentally knocked it to the floor.

"_Fuck!" _he hissed and quickly dropped to his knees to find it.

Ivy was already moving down the hallway with her phone's flash on by the time he got his hands on it. Disgusted, he tossed it on the bed and hurried after her. She made it to Izuku's room and flipped on the overhead light.

Izuku was sitting in the middle of his bed, drenched in sweat. His eyes were screwed shut and he was gripping his hair in fists above his ears. He was shaking. Without hesitating, Katsuki moved past Ivy and sat on the bed, wrapping Izuku in his arms.

"It's okay. You're safe. You're here with me," Katsuki told him firmly.

Inko had joined Ivy in the doorway. She came in and sat on Izuku's other side, stroking her hand through his sweaty hair and telling him everything was fine, that he was okay. Izuku's hands unclenched in his hair and he slowly opened bloodshot eyes.

Gently nosing Izuku's wet cheek, Katsuki asked, "You with us, Izu?"

Izuku nodded. "S-Sorry…"

Inko gave him a loving smile. "It's okay, honey. We're on vacation. We can sleep in, so it's no bother. I'll go make some camomile tea, okay?" She reached forward to touch Katsuki's cheek gently. "Thank you," she said softly before slipping out of the room.

Katsuki rested his chin on Izuku's shoulder and held him tight.

…

Izuku was damp with sweat as he sat on a boulder cross-legged and watched Kacchan start the yoga routine over again. They'd run through it once together, but Izuku wanted to meditate. He was so close to reaching a deep trance, he could feel it.

Taking a deep breath, he let the sounds of the rustling leaves above him fill his awareness. Felt the warmth of the summer heat beating on his shoulders and neck. Every sixty seconds there was a chime, and he could almost feel Kacchan moving through the next pose. Izuku drifted, the whispery sound of the leaves in the wind fading into a background hum.

"_Izuku?"_

_He turned and saw Daisuke standing in front of him, green eye wide between his long bangs. Grinning, Izuku flung himself forward, wrapping his arms around his brother. "Daisuke! I did it! I really did it!"_

_Daisuke laughed and held him. "That's amazing, Izuku! I'm so proud of you!"_

_Izuku pulled back, his grin softening with affection. There were still spider lilies woven in Daisuke's white hair._

_Daisuke smiled and touched one of the flowers. "It's an interesting look. I was surprised at first, but I think I like them."_

"_Why are they there? That's never happened before," Izuku asked curiously._

_Daisuke sighed and took Izuku's hand. "They're here because, well, because you're hurt. Think of them as bandaids."_

_Izuku ducked his head and held tight to Daisuke's hand. "I'm sorry. I had to make sure the exam was safe, that my classmates would be safe. The attack on the camp…"_

"_I know," Daisuke said gently and touched Izuku's cheek. "They were very frightened, and some of them got hurt. Katsuki was kidnapped and tortured. You don't want anything like that to happen again."_

"_But it will," Izuku said sadly and sat down, pulling Daisuke with him. He leaned against his brother's shoulder. "Not at the exam, maybe, but it will happen again."_

"_You're training to be heroes. Of course you're going to see battle again," Daisuke agreed. "But they'll be older next time and so will you. You'll all be more prepared." _

_Izuku nodded. Smiling unsurely he looked over at Daisuke. "I got a new quirk. Black tendrils that grab on to things. There's some elasticity to them."_

_Daisuke ruffled his hair. "I knew you'd work well with Blackwhip."_

"_Blackwhip?" Izuku tilted his head curiously._

"_Yeah." Daisuke lifted his hand and black tendrils lashed out of his wrist. "When you get better at it, you'll be able to control them like Aizawa's capture scarf. However, there's some drawbacks. You can only have them out for a minute at a time before retracting them, and extended use will make your hand go paralyzed. The longer you push past that limit, the longer the paralysis will last."_

"_Does it only come out of one wrist?" Izuku was fascinated as he watched his brother use the black tendrils. _

"_No, both, but it will come more naturally to your dominant hand."_

"_That's amazing," Izuku gushed. "What's it made out of? It looks like tar?"_

"_It's actually mostly made of your blood." Daisuke took Izuku's wrist in his hand, and Izuku noticed actual flowers slowly blooming across his arm. Daisuke gently brushed them away to reveal a bare patch of skin at his wrist. "Feel."_

_Izuku touched his wrist and frowned. There were little balls? _

"_They're new glands." Daisuke laughed at Izuku's expression. "Just like how the super strength changed your body, so will some of the other quirks. Anyway, these glads produce chemicals that thicken the viscosity of your blood as well as strengthen its molecular bond so it won't come apart easily. That's why your hand will become paralyzed with over use. The chemicals start to seep into the surrounding tissue."_

"_Wow, you know so much about it!" _

_Daisuke smirked. "I know everything about every quirk absorbed into One For All."_

_Izuku's expression shut down at hearing the name of his quirk. It reminded him of All For One._

"_Izuku…" Daisuke said sadly. "I'm sorry."_

_Izuku hugged his legs to his chest. "It's not your fault."_

"_It kind of is," Daisuke argued. "Sosuke is obsessed with me. He won't stop until he has you. Until he has me. I'm sorry."_

_Izuku shook his head hard. "I would've had to face him regardless. That's the whole point of One For All."_

"_He's captured now. Don't think about it." Daisuke wrapped him in his arms. "You have time to grow and get stronger. If you ever have to face him again, you won't be the same person."_

"_I wish he was dead," Izuku confessed. "I wish I'd killed him while he was passed out. He was right there."_

_Daisuke said nothing for a long minute. "I think you should talk to Ivy about that."_

_Izuku pulled away and glared. "Are you kidding? She'd think I'm evil."_

_Daisuke met his eyes. "Healing starts with trust, Izuku."_

_Izuku scowled and put his forehead to his knees, blocking Daisuke out._

"…ku? Come back to me."

Izuku blinked rapidly. Golden light danced across his face. He became aware of the sounds and smells of the forest, of his stiff and aching body. "Kacchan?"

Kacchan's expression went lax with relief. "You've been sitting there for almost four fucking hours. You didn't react to anything I did. I was getting freaked out."

Izuku suddenly grinned. He got up too fast and fell, his legs numb.

Kacchan caught him with a scowl. "The hell, Deku?"

"I did it, Kacchan! I saw Daisuke!"

Kacchan's eyes widened. "Yeah? Holy shit." His mouth stretched into a grin. "Good job, Deku."

Izuku made a face. "He thinks I should talk to Ivy about some stuff."

Kacchan laughed. "He's in your head. He should know."

Heart beating hard with nerves, Izuku admitted quietly, "I told Daisuke that I wish I'd killed All For One when I had the chance… What if she thinks I'm evil?"

Kacchan took Izuku's face in his hands, his thumbs stroking his cheeks softly. "Then she'd be wrong."

Tears filled Izuku's eyes and he flung his arms around Kacchan's shoulders.

"If you want, I'll talk to her with you. I killed Muscular and that nomu. I'd like to know what she thinks about that."

"Kacchan!" Izuku pulled away, glaring. "You didn't do anything wrong!"

Kacchan shrugged and met his eyes evenly. "Then let's go ask her."

…

Katsuki chose to sit across from Izuku. Ivy sat adjacent and between them, like three sides of a square. He hated this. He already knew what he thought about Muscular and the nomu. Nothing anyone said would change his mind, but this was for Izuku.

Ivy looked back and forth between them, expression calm. "You said you both wanted to talk to me?'

"I, um, wanted to ask you," Izuku started, stumbling and flushed, clearly anxious. His hands twisted around each other in his lap.

Katsuki was tempted to just get up and walk away. Instead, he said, "Deku wished he'd killed All For One while he was down, and now he thinks he's evil."

"I see," Ivy said slowly. "Izuku?"

"I know murder is evil," Izuku said with a burst of emotion, meeting her eyes. "But sometimes I think it's the right thing to do. Like with Kacchan and the nomu. But I'm worried that I'm starting to not be able to tell right from wrong."

"Where's the line?" Katsuki agreed, crossing his arms. "Stain thinks all his kills are justified, just like we're justifying killing now. So how do you know when you've turned evil?"

Ivy nodded and folded her hands in her lap. "First, I can't tell you what's wrong or right. That's something everyone must decide for themselves."

Katsuki sneered while Izuku demanded hotly, "Are you saying that right and wrong, good and evil, are subjective?" Like Katsuki, he didn't believe that for a second.

"Yes and no," Ivy answered patiently. "What I'm saying is that the concept of good and evil is different for each person. That doesn't make them any less real, though. In fact, it's a lot like love."

"Love?" Izuku's eyebrows lowered in concentration.

"Yes. Love." Ivy smiled at him. "We all experience love. It is a very real and very powerful emotion, but no two people experience it in the same way. Even you two, who are deeply in love with each other, do not experience it in the same exact way. But again that doesn't make it any less real or impactful."

Katsuki met Izuku's eyes and an unspoken understanding passed between them. Okay, maybe what she was saying wasn't as stupid as it sounded.

"So." Ivy smiled again. "I can't tell you what's right or wrong. I can only help you understand your own sense of right and wrong."

"I don't understand," Izuku admitted. "How does that help?"

"It helps a lot, actually," Ivy informed him. "It can help you know yourself better as well as help you make moral decisions more efficiently. Also, if you discover a morality you aren't comfortable with, you can take the steps to make different choices than you would naturally in those situations."

Katsuki had a flash of insight. "Like child abuse."

Ivy nodded.

"Child abuse?" Izuku looked back and forth between Katsuki and Ivy in confusion.

"Unfortunately," Ivy explained, "it happens that those who are abused as children learn that behavior and repeat it when they are grown, abusing their own children in turn. Their moral system saw that pattern as 'right' due to their upbringing, and so as much as they knew in their head that it was wrong, it didn't _feel_ wrong at a deep moral level, and so they are more likely to become abusive in times of frustration or anger when they aren't thinking clearly."

Izuku looked horrified.

"That's not to say every abused child will grow up to be abusive. Psychology isn't that simple. There are hundreds of factors in a child's development. I was simply agreeing with Katsuki-kun that child abuse could be an example of someone wanting to work against their own moral system."

"We're getting off topic," Katsuki groused impatiently.

"A little bit," Ivy laughed. "Sorry." Sitting up straighter, she met Izuku's eyes head on. "Now, I'm going to ask you a series of questions. I want you to answer the question I ask without adding context. Take the question at face value and don't think deeper about it. Do you think you can try that?"

Izuku flashed Katsuki a nervous look. "Yes."

"Do you feel it was wrong for Katsuki-kun to kill the nomu?"

"No."

"Was the nomu an immediate danger to your life and the lives of your friends?"

"Yes."

"Would it be wrong to kill the nomu if it had been unconscious?"

"… Yes," Iuzku said after a moments hesitation.

"Is the nomu an immediate danger to you if it is unconscious?"

"No."

"Can you see the nomu being dangerous after it wakes up?"

"Yes?"

"Do you foresee yourself being able to deal with and overcome the nomu in the future?"

"Yes."

Ivy smiled. "You're doing great, Izuku-kun. Just a few more… Do you feel it would have been wrong if All Might had killed All For One in his fight?"

"No," Izuku said stridently.

"Do you think All For One was a threat to All Might's life?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel it would have been wrong to kill All For One when he was unconscious?"

Izuku's hands clenched. "Yes?" he said, but it was clear he didn't fully believe that answer.

Ivy nodded thoughtfully. "Was he an immediate threat to you when he was unconscious?"

Face pale, Izuku answered, "No."

"Do you foresee All For One becoming a threat to you or your friends in the future?"

"Yes," Izuku said more strongly.

"Do you foresee yourself being able to deal with and overcome All For One in the future?"

Izuku gave an honest answer. "No."

Ivy tilted her head. "So your moral system tells you it is wrong to kill an incapacitated enemy, and yet you still felt the desire to kill All For One when he was unconscious. But you did not have that desire because your moral system sees killing an unconscious enemy as correct. You had the desire because you doubt your ability to survive a conflict with All For One in the future."

Izuku looked shocked. "Yes…" he whispered, eyes shining.

"So your desire to kill an unconscious All For One wasn't because your moral code is becoming corrupt, but as a result of your fear and the desire to preserve your life and the lives of your friends."

Silent tears rolled down his face. "Yes."

Ivy smiled at him. "Then I would say that according to your own moral system, your desire is not evil and, in fact, is very logical. The desire to live, the desire to protect, is natural and good, are they not?"

"Yes."

"Well, that was where your desire to kill All For One came from," she said gently. "I do not believe, should you come across another unconscious enemy, you will suddenly have the desire to kill."

She turned her eyes to Katsuki and he gave her a tight smile. He could admit she was good with Izuku. He may have even learned a few things from the one or two sessions he'd sat in on, but he still didn't think she'd be helpful to him.

"You don't have to run through those questions with me," Katsuki told her bluntly. "It's not that I think it was morally wrong to kill the nomu, and I acknowledge killing Muscular was unintentional."

"If it's not a moral issue," Ivy asked, accepting Katsuki's self assessment easily. "Then why do you exhibit self-blame regarding these events?"

Katsuki took a deep breath, annoyed. "It's about skill."

Ivy tilted her head, expression thoughtful but not invasive. "Can you explain that a little more?"

"I killed the nomu because it was the only way I could protect my team. But that's the problem," he growled hotly, eyes narrowed and fists clenched. "It's because I'm weak that I had no other way to incapacitate the nomu except for to kill it. Stronger heroes could have done it, but I couldn't. And with Muscular… I panicked. Izuku was holding his own, but I could see that going nowhere fast. Their strength-based attacks were too evenly matched. They would have beaten the shit out of each other before the fight ended. Then Izuku would have been hurt, and we still had other fucking villains to deal with. I made a fucking amateur mistake and forgot the bandages. The blast was much stronger than I anticipated. Almost blew Izuku off the fucking ledge. I was lucky to grab the lip before going over myself. So, yeah. It's not about whether I did the right fucking thing or not, or me worrying that I'm a bad fucking person. I'm fucking disgusted with myself because I'm not the hero I fucking want to be! And it makes me worry that I never will be! That in those fucking situations the only option I'll ever have is to kill or die, and I want to be fucking better than that! I want to fucking be better than All Might!"

Izuku was staring at him with big fucking eyes shining with tears. Katsuki snarled and stormed out the room, bursting through the front door, and marching into the woods. It was dark as fuck, so he couldn't run, but he wanted to. His breathing came hard and fast, and he just wanted to scream and never stop. It was all just too goddamn much!

A hand grabbed his arm. Katsuki knew instantly that it was Izuku, and he spun with a snarl, but before he could get a word out, Izuku was kissing him. Katsuki's eyes widened, completely taken by surprise.

Izuku pressed forward, kissing him hard and deep, unrelenting, until Katsuki's back hit a tree. There was no softness. The kiss was all heat and hunger. Maybe even an edge of anger. Katsuki's heart slammed against his ribs. He couldn't catch his breath. Dizzy, he leaned against the tree and let Izuku press into him, let him dominate his mouth. Tears burned his eyes, but he never wanted it to stop. He wanted Izuku to break him apart, and he did.

Izuku pulled back only to drag his palm against Katsuki's wet, gasping lips. Then he spit into his hand. With a tug, Katsuki's shorts and underwear were pulled down his thighs and Izuku's hand was wrapped around his half hard cock.

Izuku bit and licked his way up Katsuki's throat to his mouth, leaving stinging skin in his wake. Then Izuku was attacking his lips again, his free hand fisting in Katsuki's hair. Katsuki hardened in Izuku's fist as it dragged up and down.

Izuku kissed him breathless until his head spun and he began to feel faint. Katsuki tore his mouth away to breathe and lifted his chin, giving Izuku room to suck on his neck. And still Izuku's fist pumped between them, swiping over his weeping head on every hard pull up.

"God, Izu," he gasped, legs shaking, but that must have been a signal that he had enough air because Izuku kissed him hard, thrusting his tongue deep.

Katsuki clutched at Izuku's shoulders, nails digging in, as he felt everything in him coil tight, tighter. Then Izuku's hand stopped, clamping down on the base of his dick. Katsuki tore his mouth away with a shout, whole body tensing.

"The fuck, Deku!" he snarled, reaching for his own cock, but Izuku knocked his fucking hand away and pinned him to the tree, both their chests heaving.

"Don't, Kacchan. Let me. Please? I promise it will feel good," Izuku panted against Katsuki's mouth. "I know you can take it. Please, Kacchan. I've got you. Trust me."

Katsuki thrust his hands into Izuku's hair and kissed him hard just to shut him up.

Izuku grinned and bit at his lips, sucking and licking, as he began to pump his hand again. It fucking hurt, but it felt so fucking good, and he fucking needed it. His balls were fucking on fire. His heart was fucking beating itself to death against his sternum, and he couldn't fucking breathe. And, yeah, it felt fucking fantastic as he got closer.

_Fuck! _His eyes rolled as his hips jerked forward, thrusting wildly into the channel of Izuku's fist. And then Izuku fucking tightened his fist a second fucking time! Katsuki screamed, broken voice trailing off into a sob as he clung to Izuku.

"C-Can't," he gasped. "Can't."

"_Kacchan_," Izuku moaned. "One more. You can do it one more time." His eyes were wide and dark, pupils huge. "Come on, Kacchan. One more. For me."

"Fuck. You," Katsuki snarled, tears streaking his flushed cheeks. He was fucking shaking and was one goddamn second away from punching Izuku right in his goddamn face. "The fucking hell you fucking doing?!"

Izuku began to pump his fist again. Katsuki snarled, hips jerking automatically. "This'll be the last one. Then I'll let you come. It'll be so good, Kacchan. Promise. So fucking good. Better than you've ever felt before."

Katsuki's hands clenched in Izuku's hair punishingly tight as he rocked his hips desperately, helpless to stop. Fuck, it fucking hurt! His dick, his fucking balls, it hurt up into his bladder and deep inside him, but the burn was almost sweet. Katsuki thew his head back hard. His legs were fucking shaking. He would have fucking fallen if it weren't for Izuku pinning him to the tree with his weight.

"No no no no no," he babbled, knowing what was going to happen. He was crying for real now. "Izu, no, please, Izu, let me cum, let me…"

"You're so amazing, Kacchan," Izuku groaned. "Look at you. So beautiful. I love you. Love you so much."

"Izu… ku… noooo…" Slurring, drooling, Katsuki was almost there. His whole body tensed up, arched, and Izuku's fist clamped down harder than ever before.

Katsuki's eyes bugged and his mouth fell open in a silent scream. Shaking, he clawed at Izuku's back. His whole body convulsed, and he broke down into loud sobs. Blindly, he pressed his face into Izuku's shoulder, trying to muffle the sound, and then Izuku's fist began its slow slide up and down. Katsuki whined, long and low.

"Gonna be amazing, Kacchan. Gonna make you feel so good…" Izuku promised breathlessly.

Katsuki's muscles twitched and spasmed as that painful edge built again. He pushed at Izuku weakly, trying to escape, but Izuku stood firm, holding him up on his feet. Katsuki gasped and shuddered, eyes wide and blind as pressure built up deep in his core.

Everything exploded. Heat poured from him, lighting every nerve in his body on fire. Felt his hair and toes curl as his legs completely gave out. He folded around Izuku, his hands tearing Izuku's t-shirt. It went on and on. Katsuki gasped, vision going black, he was going to fucking faint! It felt like he was fucking dying. Fucking _flying_. Drowning in the same fucking adrenaline rush of battle, but without the fear and oh my god it kept going and going.

Shivering, muscles twitching randomly, nerves still on fire, Katsuki blinked tears from his eyes and found himself sprawled across Izuku's chest. Izuku was holding him, rubbing his back and petting his hair. Katsuki shivered again.

"You're never… touching my dick… again," he rasped, lying completely boneless over his boyfriend's chest.

"Sorry, Kacchan. I got carried away. You were so perfect. So amazing, Kacchan, but are you okay?" came Izuku's soft response, and Katsuki's heart practically vibrated with the sound of Izuku's awe.

"It was fucking amazing," Katsuki admitted. "You're still never touching my dick again… At least for a month."

He felt Izuku smile into his shoulder. "Okay."

Katsuki's body felt raw. He couldn't seem to stop shaking, and it felt fucking fantastic. "A week, minimum," he muttered sleepily, grinning.

"Yes, Kacchan," Izuku agreed, laughing.

…

Izuku would never forget Kacchan's expression. It had been the most intensely beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The ecstasy in his face, it consumed Izuku's attention to the point where he didn't even remember coming himself. He must have, his shorts were wet, but he didn't remember it. All he could remember was Kacchan's shattered expression as he finally came. It had been breathtaking.

"I'm gonna kill you," Kacchan muttered as they stumbled drunkenly toward the river.

Izuku giggled. Kacchan had cum so much that it had splattered both of their shirts. They couldn't go back to the cabin like that, so Izuku suggested they wash up in the river. They could say they slipped and fell. It would explain Izuku's ripped shirt, too. Kacchan had almost torn it in two!

"You were amazing," he said again, wrapping his arm around Kacchan's waist and squeezing.

"Dead," Kacchan answered, expression still languid and soft.

Izuku couldn't stop grinning.

He helped Kacchan sit at the bank while he took their shirts into the water. He waded in up to his waist. His shorts needed to be cleaned, too, after all, and began to scrub them.

"How'd you know to do that?" Kacchan called lazily, the moon casting soft white light over his hair and face.

"Research," Izuku admitted, blushing. He looked up at the blond. "Did you like it?"

Kacchan actually stuck his tongue out at him. "I told you I did, but…" He sighed and laid down on the gritty sand, arms out flung. "Maybe not so many times…"

"Okay," Izuku agreed.

"Would ya wan' me t'do it to you?"

Izuku blushed even hotter. "If you wanted."

"Wha's tha'suppos ta'mean?" Kacchan slurred, half asleep.

"For me," Izuku answered, not even sure if Kacchan was still awake. "It's more about being in your control… When I'm in that headspace, anyway… It's not what you do so much as you wanting it and taking it. I like feeling like I don't have any responsibility or expectations to meet… And on top of that, knowing you want me and that my body can make you feel good… That's…" He shivered.

Izuku climbed out of the cold river and smiled. Kacchan was snoring. He ran a damp hand through the blond's hair and kissed his lips lovingly. Kacchan hummed and cracked open sleepy eyes.

"Ku?"

"Hey," Izuku smiled and kissed him again. "I know you're tired, but we have to get back to the cabin. Think you can put on your shirt? I washed it."

"Cold," Kacchan complained, but he did pull it on.

"Sorry," Izuku said and helped Kacchan get to his feet. "Remember. We were running and slipped into the river, okay? That's how you got wet and how my shirt tore."

"Yeah, yeah," Kacchan said grumpily. "Shitty, Deku."

Izuku laughed.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n: **So… that happened… _*blush*_

Hope you liked it and it didn't feel like filler!

Any ideas for the Provisional Licensing Exam? That should be next chapter! ;p


	59. Chapter 59

**A/n: **Real life is the worst. It's not going great right now, but I want you to know I'm still here and I'm still working on this story. It might be some time between updates. I hope you can forgive me.

…

**Class Reunion**

Izuku walked into the kitchen feeling more well rested than he had in days. Last night had been the first night since Camino Ward that he hadn't had a nightmare. Smiling, he watched his mom hum as she cooked on the cast iron stove. The smell and sound of bacon and eggs filled the small room. Her hair was up in a side ponytail and she wore a white t-shirt with knee-length, pink shorts under her yellow apron.

"Morning," he said, coming up behind her and kissing her round cheek.

"Morning, sweetie." She looked him over, took in his well-rested appearance, and flashed him a knowing smile. "Sleep well?"

Izuku blushed and looked away. "Yes," he mumbled and hurried to the fridge.

"I'm glad to hear it," Inko answered, voice vibrating with suppressed laughter.

His mom and Ivy hadn't bought the whole 'slipped into the river' thing. Not for a second. First, only Kacchan's shirt had been wet. His shorts and shoes had been dry. Second, Izuku had accidentally left very obvious hickeys down Kacchan's neck.

"You're not having sex, are you?" his mom had asked in response to his river story.

Izuku had immediately choked on his spit, red-faced and horrified.

"Nah, just heavy making out," had been Kacchan's completely unruffled answer.

An insane part of Izuku had wanted to argue. They may not be having penetrative sex, but it was certainly more than 'just making out'. Thankfully he'd still been coughing, so he hadn't been able to say anything dumb.

"Okay, I trust you," Inko had said with a smile. "I know teenage boys can't help messing around. Just make sure you're not taking things too far, okay? You're still too young."

"Don't worry, Inko, I'll take care of Izuku," Kacchan had said with perfect honesty and not an ounce of shame.

Just then Ivy walked into the kitchen, distracting Izuku from the embarrassing memories of the night before. Her pale orange hair was mussed from sleep. She wore a loose white t-shirt and faded jeans. She was almost the opposite of his mother, tall and thin while Inko was short and round, but they had similar empathetic natures and got along really well. Izuku was really glad. His mom had been alone for far too long. In fact, Izuku couldn't remember her ever having friends, and he was only now really understanding how lonely that must have been.

"Good morning, Ivy. I was hoping we could talk," he said, smiling.

"Good morning," she answered easily, yawning as she took a seat at the small table. "What did you want to talk about?"

Inko bustled over with a cup of coffee and handed it to the other woman.

Ivy gave her a genuinely thankful smile. "Good morning, Inko. Thank you. This smells heavenly."

"It's just coffee," Inko demurred and went back to the bacon, but she couldn't help casting Izuku a curious look over her shoulder.

"Well, I was wondering if you could drive us back to UA today," Izuku told her seriously. "I know Aizawa-sensei said he'd pick us up for the licensing exam tomorrow, but I don't want to be an inconvenience. I mean, he should be with the class, not leave them to get us. It's an important day, and to be honest, I've been worried about my friends as well. I want to make sure they're all ready for the exam. I'm the class president, and I've been neglecting my duties. Plus, mom is supposed to be dorm matron. I'm sure the students are anxious having to move into a dorm, and with All Might's retirement, I'm sure everyone is worried, so they need her help to get settled, right? And it would be good if Kacchan had a chance to get his hands looked at one last time by Recovery Girl, too, before the test."

"You're rambling, Deku," Kacchan grumbled as he came into the room.

Izuku couldn't help but smile as the blond took the seat next to him.

Ivy's amber eyes held Izuku's. "I'd like to remind you why we are here. We're here to give you some space to recover in privacy and peace. Do you think you're ready to return to a chaotic environment?"

Izuku was ready for this question. "I am," he answered firmly without hesitation. "These last three days have been really amazing with you and mom, and I really needed that time with Kacchan the first two days after the moon, but I'm ready to get back to my life. I know I'm not fully recovered, that I need to keep working on things, but I don't think staying here much longer will help me in the long run."

Ivy smiled. "Yes. I agree. Getting back into a normal routine with your friends and classmates is important. If your mother approves, I will drive you back."

Izuku immediately turned begging eyes to his mother.

Inko faced him, her hand on her hip, the other holding a spatula. She gave him an evaluative look before nodding, her expression cracking with a smile. "I have to admit I'm excited to get started."

Izuku gave a cheer and leapt up to hug her.

"The bacon!" she cried with a laugh. "Put me down, Izuku! The bacon will burn!"

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear. "For believing in me."

Inko teared up and pulled him into a hug. "I always believe in you, Izuku. I just worry the world will be bigger than you or anyone else can handle, but I'm starting to see you've grown a lot when I wasn't looking." She pulled back and smiled tearfully up at him. "I'm so proud of the man you're becoming." She cast a look at Kacchan slouching sleepily at the table. "The men you're both becoming."

Izuku felt an answering sheen of tears fill his own eyes. "I love you so much, Mom," he said with a smile.

"The bacon's burning," Kacchan said helpfully, his cheek propped up by his hand.

Inko gave a cry of alarm and turned back to her task.

Izuku laughed.

…

Katsuki fell asleep to the feeling of the wind rushing over his head and shoulders as he leaned against the car door with the window open. It was warm. The summer heat sank bone deep, and Katsuki drifted in a languid haze, not quite asleep but not awake either, as the car wound down from the mountains back toward the city. Izuku's voice was a hum in the background, telling Inko all about UA. Occasionally Izuku or Inko would laugh and it lit the darkness behind his eyes with soft golden glow before fading into deep darkness again.

The soft press of a kiss to his cheek and the feel of Izuku's strong hands gently carding through his hair brought him around. Katsuki blinked open tired eyes to see they were already at the school, the four hour drive over in a flash, and just like that tension pressed heavy on his shoulders. A headache began to throb behind his eyes.

"You're so tired," Izuku said softly, still running his fingers through Katsuki's hair. "You okay?"

Katsuki glared and climbed out of the car. "I'm fine," he said firmly as the door shut behind him.

Izuku didn't pry, thank fuck. Silently, he met him around the back and they took hold of the luggage.

"Oh, I can carry that," Inko fussed, reaching for the suitcase Katsuki held. "Your hands."

"Are fucking fine," he insisted and began to tromp up the wide path to the school as Inko and Izuku hung back and thanked Ivy.

It was mid afternoon and the sun was hot, but the nervousness crawling under his skin made it hard to enjoy the heat. He was glistening with sweat by the time they made it to the school gate. Inko's round cheeks were flushed from the walk. The path had a steep enough incline to get her out of breath.

"Welcome to UA," Izuku said brightly.

Inko gave a small laugh. "I still can't believe I'm working at the most prestigious high school in the country."

The doors to the school opened and Aizawa came out to meet them. He wore all black as usual, his hands shoved in his pockets. His capture scarf was wound several times around his shoulders, hiding his lower face from view when he tucked his chin down.

"Ms. Midoriya, welcome to UA and thank you for accepting the position," he said flatly. He looked tired, but the small quirk to his lips as he caught Katsuki's eyes was genuine. "Recovery Girl is waiting to see you, and then we'll head to the dorms."

"Thank you so much for meeting us," Inko said politely as they followed Aizawa into the air conditioned school. "I know you're busy."

Izuku cut in before Aizawa could respond to that with an anxious, "How is everyone?"

"They will be happy to have you back." Aizawa gave Izuku a questioning look. "You haven't contacted anyone?"

Izuku ducked his head. "No. My phone died and I don't have my charger. Same with Kacchan."

"Principal Nezu hired a moving service to pack up your apartment and move your things to your new rooms, so it should be there."

Inko flushed. "Thank you for your consideration," she said again.

Katsuki stayed quiet. His heart was pounding in his chest. His hands felt fucking fine, but per the doctor's instructions, he hadn't tried to trigger his quirk, so he wouldn't know until after Recovery Girl saw him if there was any permanent damage. He was terrified he'd never use his quirk again.

It seemed to take an hour and yet in a blink they were standing outside of the infirmary. Aizawa walked through first; Katsuki was pulled along in his wake. He was ordered onto a bed. Sitting stiffly, he watched Recovery Girl unwrap his hands.

Izuku and Inko both leaned forward to look. Katsuki had been very careful not to show anyone his hands since they'd been bandaged. They didn't look gross or anything, but they were scarred. Every inch of skin from his fingertips to his wrists was discolored with splotches either paler or darker than normal. The darker patches were rougher than normal and the pale skin too smooth. It was weird, but he didn't really care about that. He just wanted to know if he could still use his quirk.

"I'm happy to see you've followed your recovery instructions to the letter," Recovery Girl said with a smile. She patted the back of his hand. "You don't need the bandages anymore."

"And my sweat glands?" he asked stiffly, heart pounding hard in his chest.

"The scars have sealed over about twenty percent of the pores on your fingers, but your palms healed without any permanent damage. You shouldn't be able to tell much of a difference," she said with a wider smile. "You were lucky this time. You should be able to use your quirk like normal."

Izuku flung his arms around Katsuki's shoulders and gave a tearful, "Thank you, Recovery Girl!", while Inko put her hand on his arm, eyes bright with happy tears.

Katsuki leaned into Izuku's embrace, just taking the verdict in. Twenty percent permanent damage in the skin of his fingers wasn't great, but it was a whole lot better than it could have been. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He still had his quirk.

Recovery Girl pat Katsuki's hand again. "Off with you. And be careful as you ease back into your quirk. The scar tissue is mostly cosmetic, but your skin could be more sensitive to heat than before. You'll have to test it to find out."

Katsuki looked up as Aizawa put a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be careful," Aizawa said, voice warm and light with relief. "Come. I'll show you to the dorms."

Katsuki nodded and jumped off the bed. "Thank you, Recovery Girl," he said politely.

"Try not to need me for at least a month," she huffed.

As they left the infirmary, Izuku asked nervously, "Do they know we're coming?"

Aizawa shook his head. "No. It will be a surprise."

…

"This is so incredible," Inko said softly, gripping Izuku's arm.

Izuku turned his smile to her. "Isn't it?" The school was massive and no expense had been spared, so everything was top of the line. Showing his mom was like seeing it for the first time himself.

Aizawa led them out a side entrance and down a brick path toward a wooded section of campus. They came around a screen of trees and Izuku's eyes widened. Four elegant brick buildings, each as big as Izuku's apartment building, stood around a small lake. Swaying trees and grassy lawn led up to the water's edge, and he could see several picnic tables scattered around the lake. A runner's track wound around the lake's edge as well as a lighter colored pedestrian path that traveled from building to building and then around the woods and up to the school.

Aizawa pointed at the first building to the left. "That's the first year dorm. It's called Alliance." He pointed to the next building going clockwise around the lake. "Second year dorm, Harmony. Third year dorm, Unity, and the last building there…" This was the one closest to them to the right, across from the first year dorm. "That's the teacher's dorm, Sentinel."

Izuku, Kacchan, and Inko tilted their heads back as they walked up to Alliance. The building was twelve stories tall with a lot of big windows. The bricks were deep red and the window ledges and roof line were a bright, pristine white. So was the elegantly carved front door, which was almost twice as wide and tall as the average door.

"When did these get built?" Izuku asked, awed, as he stared up at the regal building.

"Last week," Aizawa answered with a shrug, sounding bored.

"Holy shit," Kacchan whispered.

They walked through the front door into a lobby that looked and felt like a cafe. Polished wood tables sat scattered to the right with bench seats and single chairs. Potted ferns and other plants hung from metal baskets from the ceiling. At the back of the room was a wall with an archway. Izuku could just make out the gleam of state of the art washers and dryers.

Directly in front of them was a large elevator with golden doors, but Aizawa led them to the left to a white wall with a dark wooden door. It looked like a door to an apartment. There was even a wall mounted mailbox with a key hole. A couch and arm chairs were placed in front of the window next to the door as a type of waiting area.

Aizawa handed Inko a keyring with two keys. "This is your apartment key and your mailbox key."

"Thank you," Inko said faintly.

She cast Izuku and Kacchan a wide-eyed look before unlocking the door and pushing it open.

It really was an apartment. A few feet in there was an elevated step where you could leave your shoes. There were coat hooks mounted in the wall by the door and a little closet to store things. Walking down the hallway they peered into a beautiful living room with a brand-new television and a large window looking out on the lake. Thick white curtains hung on either side and could be pulled shut for privacy. There were five or so boxes stacked in the corner, presumably with things from their apartment.

Across the hall from the living room was a dining room that could sit eight. The table was beautiful and there was a small golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling above it. There was also a glass-front cabinet where dishes could be stored and displayed. The window looked out onto the sparse woods. There was one box sitting on the floor next to the cabinet.

The dining room opened up into a decent-sized kitchen done in creams and soft yellows. All the appliances were brand-new: the oven, stove, refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave. Everything practically glistened. An archway next to the refrigerator opened up into the hallway again, and they followed it to a shut door. Behind it was a spacious bathroom with a jacuzzi tub, two sinks, a toilet in a toilet closet, and an enclosed shower room. The appliances were gold and white with hints of coral pink. Kacchan, Inko, and Izuku could stand in the center of the bathroom with room to spare.

A side door in the bathroom led to a bedroom. The centerpiece was a huge fourposter bed that had sheer curtains draped around it. The comforter was a deep purple with lavender sheets and pillowcases. Two beautifully hand-carved nightstands sat on either side of the bed with stained glass lamps in deep purple and greens. Inside the walk-in closet were carefully stacked boxes from their apartment.

Kacchan walked to the floor to ceiling window that took up one wall and Izuku trailed behind him. The view beyond was of the woods, but you could just see the glistening glass windows of the school over the tops of the trees. Thick cream-colored curtains hung on either side similar to the living room for privacy.

Backing out of the bedroom, they went back into the hallway and entered the final room. It was an office with a brand-new, top of the line computer, printer, fax, a huge mahogany desk, fancy desk chair, a clear glass lamp, two filing cabinets, a shallow closet with a dozen shelves, a white board on one wall, and a huge calendar.

"If you need anything that's not already provided, let me know and I will have it delivered," Aizawa said into the deep silence.

Izuku looked to his mother and saw her green eyes were a little glazed. "Mom?"

"Yes… Thank you…" she said robotically, still staring around at her work space.

"Would you like to meet the students now or at a later date?" Aizawa asked politely.

"Come meet our friends," Izuku suggested, grabbing her hand. He didn't want to leave her here alone, completely overwhelmed.

She gave him a thankful smile and held tight to his hand. "Yes, okay."

Aizawa led them out of the apartment to the elevator. He pushed the button and the massive doors swung open. Their whole class could fit inside! Izuku frowned when he saw there was only one button and it had a G on it, presumably for the ground floor. There was a small slot above the button.

"You put your student ID in the card reader and it will take you to your assigned floor," Aizawa explained. He took his own ID from his pocket and slipped it into the slot, saying clearly, "First floor." As the elevator moved upward, Aizawa explained, "Your ID, Ms. Midoriya, and all the teachers' can go to any floor. Just put it in the slot and say the floor you wish to go to. The first floor has been assigned to class A, the second floor to class B, and so on all the way up to class K on the eleventh floor. There are emergency stairs at the back of the building, but they are meant for emergencies only. You can only go down them, and the door only opens from the inside."

He didn't have time to say anything else. The elevator doors opened onto a large square room. To the right was a living space. Floor pillows, beanbag chairs, and couches were scattered around the middle of the space. Six small tables that sat no more than four each lined the edges of the space. To the left was a galley kitchen with all the basic appliances and some counter space. In the middle was a long wooden island that had ten stools on each side. At the back of the kitchen were four steps that lead up to a hallway. Izuku looked and saw matching stairs at the back of the living space that led up to a second hallway.

"The hallway by the living space leads to the girls' rooms. The hallway attached to the kitchen leads to your rooms," Aizawa explained, gesturing to each.

"Where is everyone?" Izuku asked, looking around.

"They're using a gym, preparing for the exam tomorrow."

Kacchan's hand popped. He stretched his fingers and rolled his wrist. "I could use some time to test my hands."

"Why don't you and Midoriya get unpacked while I introduce Ms. Midoriya to the other classes," Aizawa suggested. "After dinner, I'll take you to a gym."

Kacchan nodded reluctantly, clearly wanting to go now.

Izuku gave his mother a hug. "Have fun!"

She gave him a nervous smile in return, but she followed Aizawa back toward the elevator.

Izuku followed Kacchan up the stairs and down the hallway. It was long with eleven doors on each side. There were names on each door, and halfway down the hallway were two communal bathrooms positioned across from each other. They were identical with three floor to ceiling toilet stalls, three rooms with a small bathtub and shower in each, and a row of five sinks with five mirrors that had a small medicine cabinet behind each. Toothpaste and toothbrushes and other items like hair gel were already cluttering the surface of the counters in both bathrooms.

Leaving the bathrooms, they continued down the hall. Izuku had been assigned the second to last room on the right. He was happy to note that Kacchan was directly across from him, but his stomach sank when he caught sight of the name on the last door next to his.

"Have you heard anything about Hitoshi?" he asked quietly, staring at the name plaque.

"No," Kacchan answered quietly. "Aizawa thinks he'll be back before term starts up again in a few days, though."

Izuku nodded, stomach feeling heavy, and pushed his door open. It was spacious with his desk, chair, dresser, nightstand, and bed from his room back at the apartment. The closet was nearly three times as big as the one back home. He didn't have a window, but across from him Kacchan's room did. It looked out over the woods, and in the distance, he could just see the glass windows of the school glittering with the colors of sunset.

"What do you think?" he asked, watching Kacchan as the blond looked around the space. Aizawa had the furniture from the room he'd given Kacchan brought here, and by the set of Kacchan's shoulders, Izuku knew he liked it.

"I think I'm going to like it here," Kacchan said with a satisfied smile.

Izuku couldn't help wrapping his arms around Kacchan's waist in a quick hug. "Good." Looking up into red eyes, he asked quietly, "Can I see them?"

Kacchan lifted an eyebrow, but he held out his hands, knowing it was what Izuku wanted.

Izuku ran his fingers over the newly scarred skin, taking in the slightly different textures of the patches. Once examined every inch, he placed a kiss to each palm. "I'm so glad there's no permanent damage," he said softly. He still held Kacchan's hands, his thumbs stroking over the blond's palms where he'd laid his kiss. Seeing the heat rising in Kacchan's cheeks, he asked, "Do you think they have those sensors in here? Like the ones in the locker room?"

"Probably," Kacchan answered with a snort, pulling his hands away.

"I almost don't care," Izuku whispered. "I want to know what your hands will feel like running over my skin."

Kacchan's voice went smoky. "Don't tempt me, nerd." He punched Izuku lightly in the shoulder. "Go unpack. We're not getting into trouble an hour after getting here. If Aizawa catches us messing around, he'll make one of us room on the girls' side or something."

The thought of being that far from Kacchan when they could be right across the hall from each other cleared Izuku's head instantly. "Yeah. You're right." Tilting his head, he asked with mock seriousness, "I wonder who they'd pick to go over there?"

Kacchan gave a smirk. "You know they'd pick you, you fucking nerd, now get out of here."

"But when we get married, you'll be taking my name," Izuku protested, eyes sparkling. "So shouldn't you be the one to room on the girls' side?"

Kacchan's cheeks flushed just as Izuku knew they would. "Shut up, Deku!" he yelled and shoved him out of his room before slamming the door.

Izuku laughed.

…

Katsuki didn't care much about decorations. Things like that never mattered to him, so it only took him about hour to hang up his clothes and put the rest of his stuff in the dresser or on the desk. Once that was done, he stepped into the hall and found Izuku's door open. He walked in and lifted an eyebrow.

Izuku was still putting out his hero collectables. It wouldn't be Izuku's room if there wasn't merch in it, but it wasn't anything like the mess his room had been back at the apartment. There were a couple posters on the wall and a few plushies on the bed, but there wasn't nearly as much as before. He also noticed none of the posters were of All Might. A few All Might figurines stood on Izuku's overflowing bookshelf, but that was about it. Overall the look was much more subdued.

"You like it," Izuku noticed. He was on his knees by the bed, pushing some of the unpacked boxes underneath.

"Yeah," Katsuki admitted, leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed.

Izuku smiled. "Good."

The elevator dinged.

Katsuki shared a grin with Izuku and followed the green-haired teen down the hallway. Pikachu, Red, and Tape-boy were ahead of the pack with Pinky and a few other girls right behind them. Red caught sight of them first, and Katsuki grinned awkwardly at the look of utter joy on the other teen's face.

"BAKUGO!" the teen screamed and barreled forward, catching Katsuki up in a hug that literally lifted Katsuki off his feet.

"Shit, Red, put me down!" he yelled, wiggling, but the teen refused.

"Deku!" Cheeks cried and glomped Izuku, so at least Katsuki wasn't the only one suffering.

"You're back!" Pikachu cried as he practically jumped on Kirishima to hug Katsuki, too.

"Get off me, you losers!" he yelled, but it only made Red and Pikachu laugh.

The entire class crowded around them, seventeen voices talking at once. Katsuki let off noisy pops from his hands, and the idiots finally let him go. Katsuki glared, but his heart wasn't in it. Damn, he'd missed these extras. The class practically dragged Izuku and Katsuki to the living room section, the idiots all talking at once again.

"I'm working on my ultimate move," Red bragged, grinning. "A whole body hardening more intense than before. I can't wait to show you; it's so manly!"

"I talked to the support class like you said," Pikachu exclaimed excitedly. "They made these shooters and I can aim my electricity like lightning!"

"Deku! Are you okay? Why didn't you answer our texts?" Cheeks exclaimed hugging Izuku tightly.

"We're fine," Izuku reassured them, eyes sparkling with happiness. "Sorry for worrying you. Our phones died."

"The exam's tomorrow, dude," Tape-boy said with a huge smile. "Was getting worried you'd miss it!"

"Way to come last minute! Always with those grand entrances," Ear-girl laughed, slapping Katsuki on the shoulder.

"What were those strands of darkness?" Birdbrain asked Izuku curiously.

"Your hands," Todoroki said softly, eyes wide with worry. "Did… Did they do that to you?"

The room instantly fell silent. Several of the idiots leaned back as if afraid he was going to explode on them while Izuku stepped closer.

With a sigh, Katsuki lifted his hands so everyone could see them more clearly. "Nah. Did it to myself. Hurt them training the day of the attack, remember? Then when I triggered my quirk, the bandages had sweat in 'em, so they blew bigger than I expected. Fucking tore them up more. The villains actually bandaged me up again, but then I used my quirk trying to escape. They don't look pretty, but my quirk's fine."

"Damn, man," Kirishima said, voice hushed with sincerity. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"What about you extras?" he looked around at the group, eager to change the fucking subject. "Aizawa said you all made it out okay? What the hell happened?"

"Nothing much," Pinky answered quickly, trying to sound upbeat. "The villains took off and the police arrived. We were all taken to the hospital, and next thing we knew, All Might was fighting on tv and these idiots were missing." She jerked her thumb at Kirishima, Pikachu, and Todoroki before jerking her other thumb at Glasses and Cheeks.

Katsuki gave Todoroki a serious look. "What's the verdict?"

"Iida and I aren't allowed to take the provisional exam," Todoroki answered, subdued. "But we plan on asking for permission to take the test in January."

"Fuck," Katsuki spat, furious. His hands curled into fists.

Todoroki shook his head. "No. They were right to do it."

"By acting without informing Aizawa, they were acting as vigilantes," Ponytail agreed.

The only reason Katsuki didn't punch her was the fact she looked reluctant when she said it.

"We offered to back out of the test, too, it's only fair," Kirishima said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"We wouldn't hear of it," Iida protested firmly. "Todoroki and I were in a similar situation in Hosu and it was made clear to us the danger of acting independently. You, Kaminari, and Uraraka did not have that experience. It would not be fair to for you to suffer as severe a punishment."

"We had to write this long essay," Pikachu said tragically. "Trust me. That was punishment enough."

"And all five of us have an extra class on hero ethics or something like that next term," Cheeks added, then she turned her eyes to Izuku. "That's all you missed, really. What about you? What happened after you went through the portal?"

Katsuki instantly locked gazes with Izuku and could see he wanted to talk about it as little as Katsuki did. "Don't worry about it. We're good, and it's fucking classified," he said firmly. "What the hell were you saying about ultimate moves?"

Izuku gave him a thankful smile as the class began talking about their intensive training the last few days and working on ultimate moves. They were still jabbering on when Katsuki got up and headed to the kitchen. Of course, that pulled half of the class with him. The extras sat at the kitchen island and watched as he began to cook. Katsuki put Todoroki and Kirishima to work, chopping and prepping.

"What are we making?" Kirishima asked curiously as he cut up broccoli into small pieces.

"Vegetable fried rice in that one and pork fried rice in that one," Katsuki said, pointing first to the left pot and then the right. He shot a sharp look at Kaminari. "You should put fucking stickers or something on it." The blond sat folded over the island as if he'd melted in defeat. "It'll help you remember all the fucking functions of your new support item until you can memorize them. You can take them off when you get used to it."

Pikachu stared at him with awe. "That's genius!"

Katsuki smirked. "Makes sense since I am one, idiot."

"Seriously, though," Pinky said softly, golden eyes fixed on the different color splotches on his hands. "Are you okay?" Her eyes widened as everyone fell silent and Katsuki glared at her. She waved her hands around her in a defensive gesture. "I mean, you don't wanna talk about it and that's totally cool, but how are you really? I mean, not like mentally, of course you're good, you're the best, but your hands." Her cheeks flushed fuchsia. "I'll shut up now."

Katsuki huffed in annoyance. "I said they're fine. Recovery Girl healed them after I was rescued and again this afternoon."

"Wait!" Tape-boy exclaimed. "How long have you been back?"

"I don't know," Katsuki shrugged. "Couple hours."

"So you're unpacked?" Pinky began to grin. "We should do a room competition!"

"The hell's a room competition?" Katsuki growled at her.

"We'll check out everyone's rooms and see who's room surprises us the most," she explained happily.

Of course the idiots gave off a course of - "I'm in!" - "Me, too!" - "Sound interesting." Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Whatever, losers." A slow grin spread across his face. "I'm going to fucking win."

Everyone laughed.

Katsuki lifted an eyebrow, completely serious.

…

While Katsuki and some of the others moved to the kitchen to make dinner, Izuku sat with the rest of the class.

"How's everyone doing, really?" Izuku asked looking around at the ten kids around him.

"It's been quiet," Urarka answered, her large brown eyes looked tired. "We've been focusing on training and kind of keeping to ourselves mostly. We were so worried about you guys. And between that and going before the discipline committee, plus the exam tomorrow, it's been tense."

Izuku grabbed her hand and gave Iida a heartfelt look. "I am so sorry you guys have been going through that alone."

Uraraka teared up and flung her arms around his shoulders again. "I'm so glad you're back."

"As am I," Iida said seriously, holding Izuku's gaze.

"I'm sorry, Midoriya," Yaoyorozu said mournfully. "I wish I knew how to help the class better."

"You did a great job," Izuku protested. "I'm sure the move into the dorms was successful only because of your efforts."

She smiled faintly at the praise. "I wish that were true."

"It is," Tsu assured the other girl. "There were some arguments about who got which room, but you settled things fairly and everyone was happy with your decisions."

"It's so cool being able to live with everyone! This place is incredible," Izuku said excitedly, looking around. "I can't believe UA got them built in a week!"

"UA is truly _magnifique!_" Aoyama chimed in.

"Anyone have trouble convincing your parents to let you move in?" Izuku asked, looking around at his classmates gathered around him.

"I don't think anyone can say no to All Might right now," Yaoyorozu said solemnly. "He and Aizawa went to every family and asked personally for permission for us to live here."

"I think I had the hardest time," Tsu admitted. "It was really hard to say goodbye to my little sister and brother."

"Have you heard anything about Shinsou?" Shoji wanted to know.

Izuku's heart sank, but he kept a reassuring smile on his face. "The school's still negotiating with his… guardians to let him come back. Aizawa seemed really confident he'll make it back by the start of term."

"He's going to miss the test," Hagakure pointed out, her voice worried.

"He's made a lot of progress," Ojiro said, tail thumping the ground softly, "but he's only received hero training for a few weeks. He might not be ready for it."

Izuku's attention was caught as the group in the kitchen laughed loudly. "You know, this reminds me a bit of camp. Cooking for ourselves and having the girls room a hallway over from us." He sat straighter as he got a brilliant idea.

"I know that look," Uraraka said with a giggle.

"I have an idea!" Izuku announced with a bright grin.

Yaoyorozu groaned, but she was smiling. "Will Aizawa-sensei be upset?"

"Does it break any rules?" Iida seconded Yaoyorozu's worries.

Izuku shook his head, grinning. "No, nothing like that, I swear! Let's make a blanket fort here in the living room! We can all camp out together tonight." He saw the others begin to smile. "For good luck tomorrow."

"You guys!" Ashido cried, waving her arms excitedly. "We're doing a room competition! Come on! Most surprising room wins!"

"Okay!" Izuku practically bounced to his feet. "And we'll grab all the blankets we can as we check out each room."

She grinned at him gamely. "Sure, but why do we need blankets?"

"We're going to make a blanket fort and all of us will camp out in the living room. For good luck tomorrow!" he told her.

"President's orders!" Uraraka proclaimed. "No one can back out!"

"OMG!" Hagakure cried and clapped her hands. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Ashido gave her a double high five. "Sweet! A 1-A Sleepover!"

"I say we see the boys' rooms first!" Uraraka called out and there was a rush as they made their way through the kitchen and into the boys' hallway.

Sato's and Shoji's rooms were first up, directly across from each other and next to the kitchen. Sato's bed had a yellow comforter with green pillows. There was a convection oven the size of a microwave on the desk with a small refrigerator under it. Instead of a dresser, he had a glass front cabinet with cooking utensils. Green oven mitts hung from a hook on its side. A floor table in the center of the room between the bed and desk plus dresser. His text books were stacked there.

"What's that smell?" Kaminari asked, sniffing loudly.

"I, uh, was baking. I thought we could share it later," the big teen said sheepishly.

He pulled out a chiffon cake. Everyone crowded around and he cut everyone a thin slice. Izuku's eyes widened as a soft lemony flavor burst across his tongue. It was delicious! The girls were practically melted puddles of goo.

"Baking's my hobby," Sato admitted, big lips spread in a happy smile at all the praise. "It helps with my quirk, too."

"Alright, you're next!" Ashido said excitedly, elbowing Shoji.

The teen shrugged his multiple arms. "You won't find anything interesting."

"Whoa," Sero said lowly.

"You're a minimalist?" Todoroki asked.

The room was practically empty. There was a folded futon and a floor desk that had nothing on it. A dark green floor pillow sat in front of the desk. That was it.

"I don't know about that," Shoji answered. "I just don't really care about having too much stuff."

The next two rooms were Koda's and Ojiro's. Koda's bed had a neon green comforter. There were a few cute stuffed animals on the bed. Books were stacked on his desk. A cork board hung above it with a green frame. A few pictures of his family were pinned to it. Everyone laughed as they realized Kota looked exactly like his mother. He had a dresser with a few things on top of it, but what got the most attention was the large open cage filled with hay, the litter box, and a fluffy white rabbit sitting in the middle of the floor.

"No fair!" Hagakure exclaimed. "I didn't know we were allowed to have pets!"

"Oh, can we pet him, Koda?" Uraraka begged, hearts in her eyes.

Everyone who wanted to took turns with the bunny. Izuku marveled at how soft he was and thought of Cali, Hitoshi's cat. He wondered if she was still in the room Hitoshi had been given in the school or if Present Mic had taken her home.

Once they were done with the rabbit, they moved over to Ojiro's room. It was pretty basic, but not quite as empty as Shoji's. There was the bed with a neutral blue comforter and white pillows. A small tv sat on the dresser and a laptop sat on his desk. A single calendar hung on the wall over the desk with notes on it.

"I bet this is the most normal room of them all," Ashido teased, poking him.

The next two rooms were Aoyama's and Tokoyami's room. The whole class gaped as Tokoyami opened his door.

"I was pleased to get a room with a window," Tokoyami admitted, which was curious as the teen had hung thick blackout curtains and pulled them shut. When asked about it, he explained, "I open the curtains at night. I like to see the stars."

The room was… dark. Black cloth covered the dresser. A lit candelabra was set on top along with what looked like a human skull with purple lights set in the eye holes. Black posters with white pentagrams and rune-like symbols were hung on the walls. On his desk, on a dark purple pillow, was a legitimate crystal ball. His bed was covered in a black comforter with matching black pillows. A huge, circular mirror with geometric lines running across the surface hung on the wall next to the dresser. A chalk board was hung by his desk with reminders written on it in a careless and yet still elegant lettering.

Izuku was more interested in the samurai sword and broad sword leaning against a wall. "These are incredible."

"They have been passed down in my family for hundreds of years," Tokoyami confided.

"You went all out on the theme," Ashido complimented. "Nice!"

"It feels like you," Ojiro agreed.

"I'm too scared to go in," Hagakure said from the hallway.

Aoyama's room was the complete opposite. They literally had to squint as soon as the blond opened the door. Mirrors of all shapes and sizes decorated the walls. A disco ball hung from the ceiling. A large poster that faded from a soft periwinkle blue at the top to a soft yellow at the bottom was hung on the far wall. Glitter and sparkly sequins made it shimmer. An actual silver and gold suit of armor stood in the corner, armed with a broad sword. The comforter on the bed matched the poster, even down to the glitter. On the dresser were two circular necklace stands that turned. There were at least fifty pairs of gold and silver chains hanging on each. Then there were the lights. Rope lights were strung along the tops of the walls and outlined several mirrors.

"Sparkling, _oui?_" Aoyama asked, posing dramatically. He was clearly excited to show off his room. "I was very pleased to be placed next to the bathroom. I have a strict skin care regime to make sure my skin sparkles as brightly as my heart!"

"Wow." Izuku shaded his eyes with his hand, looking around. "It really is something."

The blond beamed happily at him.

"I guess the two cancel each other out," Tsu said thoughtfully.

As Aoyama mentioned, the bathrooms were next. The next rooms after that belonged to Kaminari and Sero.

Kaminari's room was pretty normal compared to Tokoyami's and Aoyama's, but instead of feeling like a cohesive theme, it looked more like a store filled with a bunch of random stuff. Black and gold stripes covered the comforter on his bed. A hat rack with at least ten baseball hats was hung on the wall above it. A basketball sat on the floor by the bed. A big tv and gaming system had been placed on the desk as well as a laptop. A framed black t-shirt was hung on the wall above it next to a dart board. He had a couple pair of head phones hung on hooks by his tv. There were white plastic shelves with knickknacks, figurings, and odd collectables from random sources. There were also a couple colorful posters on the wall: one of a space ship shooting lasers and another of a soccer player wearing a neon jersey scoring a goal.

"Pretty awesome, right?" Kaminari asked, arms spread wide.

"It's almost exactly how I imagined a teenage boy's room," Uraraka admitted.

"You any good at this?" Kacchan asked, pointing at the dart board.

"We should totally have a match to find out who's better!" Kirishima exclaimed.

Izuku smiled at the excited way Kaminari agreed. He reminded Izuku of a puppy sometimes.

"Whoa, Sero, this is incredible!" Jiro exclaimed.

"So exotic," Yaoyorozu agreed, staring around at the decor of Sero's room.

"Pretty surprising, right?" Sero smirked. "Bet you didn't know I liked this kind of stuff."

Sero's room had an earthy, old world feel. Everything was done in dark shades of brown and red with hints of cream as accents. Hand woven tapestries were hung on the walls. A beautifully carved wooden screen sat against the back wall. A white hammock chair was placed next to the bed. The dresser was wicker with deep, red canvas drawers. Carved wooden figurines sat on top. A green potted plant stood in the corner. On the floor was a beautiful red rug with geometric designs and earth tones. The room felt Aztec or Mayan, but also beachy somehow.

"It's pretty incredible," Ojiro said, looking around. "I really like it."

"Definitely a top contender for most surprising," Ashido agreed.

Next down the hallway were Kirishima's and Iida's rooms.

Kirishima gave a shark's grin as he flung open his door. "Be prepared for the most manly room you've ever seen!"

A black punching bag hung from a stand by the window. A huge banner that read Certain Victory in kanji was hung over the window with blood red curtains pulled open to either side. Posters covered the walls in neat symmetrical lines. There were martial artists, action movies posters, and the traditional Japanese crashing wave. On top of a plain dresser there was a robot action figure and Kirishima's textbooks. On the desk was a metal lamp and a laptop computer. Izuku blinked as he stared up at an analog clock that hung on the wall with flexing arms coming off the sides.

"Wow, if my boyfriend had a room like this, I'd dump him," Ashido said in wonder, looking around.

Kacchan rolled his eyes. "No one wants a girlfriend that fucking shallow, anyway." He stepped up to the punching bag and gave it a punch. It barely rocked. "Nice."

"Thanks," Kirishima said, grinning.

Iida's room was floor to ceiling bookshelves against the far wall. Books filled every inch. A shelf headboard had been installed on his bed. A reading lamp and a small pile of books sat on it in easy reach. There were more magazines and manuals stacked on the desk as well as textbooks. The strangest thing in the room were the three shelves above the dresser. On them were rows of glasses that looked identical to each other.

"Just in case my glasses get damaged during training!" Iida explained. It sounded excessive, but Iida had already broken five pairs of glasses so far, so no one said anything about it.

"I knew you were a nerd, but damn," Kacchan said, looking at the book titles. "You've got every subject here."

"Thank you," Iida said proudly, puffing out his chest.

The next set of rooms were Kacchan's and Izuku's. Ashido was practically bouncing on her toes.

"I can't wait! You were so confident we'd be surprised!" she said, practically shoving Kacchan to his door.

Izuku bit back a giggle at everyone's anticipation.

Kacchan sauntered forward and pushed his door open. Much like Ojiro's, his room was very simple. He had a bed, a thigh high bookshelf that doubled as a nightstand, and a desk. The comforter on the bed was black as was his pillow case, but his sheets were white. The nightstand had two shelves of books. Kacchan had put book covers on them. They were solid colors and completely concealed any titles or authors. He'd arranged them by color so they faded from dark orange to a pale yellow. On top of the book shelf was a cheap metal lamp with the bendy neck and a cheap digital clock mostly for the alarm. Phone alarms were never loud enough to wake Kacchan.

On the desk were his textbooks and notebooks, all arranged neatly. He had three black pencil holders. One for pencils, one for pens, and one for highlighters. The only thing he had on his walls was the notebook Izuku had given him with All Might's signature. It was pinned open above the desk, the pushpins pressed directly into the wall. Kacchan had no curtains, but the sun had set, so all they could see through the window was themselves reflected back like a mirror.

"Wow. Okay," Ashido said slowly. "You're right. I totally didn't expect this from you."

"I expected something louder," Tsu agreed.

"It's manly, bro," Kirishima said supportively, clasping Kacchan's shoulder.

He, Kaminari, and Todoroki had seen Kacchan's room before, having gone to Aizawa's house to study, so they already knew Kacchan had surprisingly organized and simple taste when it came to decoration. Izuku couldn't wait to see the others' reactions when Kacchan began to snarl at them for not picking up after themselves. Kacchan liked things neat.

"Very studious and organized," Iida approved, and it was said almost reluctantly.

Izuku really did giggle that time. Still grinning, he led them across the hall to his room.

"Deku! It's so cute!" Uraraka cried as he pushed open the door.

His bed had a blue and white stripped comforter with a white pillow. He was using a bookshelf as a nightstand like Kacchan, but his was stuffed messily with all his hero notebooks and sketchbooks. (His Death Books were hidden in a locked box in his closet.) He had a vintage All Might lamp on the nightstand and a Gang Orca alarm clock. He had a dresser and a desk, and he'd hung several shelves on the far wall in a staggered pattern for all his collectables. Dozens of figurines, mugs, small plushies, and other hero merch crowded the shelves happily.

He had posters on the wall, too. Of Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, Tiger from the PussyCats, Kamui Woods, Mirko, and Ryukyu. He'd hung the sketches he'd done of all of his teachers, too: Eraserhead, Present Mic, Thirteen, Powerloader, Midnight, Cementoss, and All Might.

"You really are a fanboy," Uraraka said with a laugh. "I thought I'd see more All Might stuff in here, though."

Izuku flushed, thinking of the boxes of All Might merch and posters stacked in his closet. "I think all heroes are cool," he said defensively and turned his attention to the others.

Koda was admiring his plushies while Kirishima and Kaminari were exclaiming over his figurine collection. The girls were more focused on the sketches he'd done of his teachers. They were very impressed and praised his ability.

Smiling happily, Izuku went to his nightstand and picked up his current sketch book. "I'm working on sketches of everyone in class in their hero costumes. I'm almost done with them."

"Oh!" Ashido hurried over. "Can we see?"

Izuku nodded and handed over the sketchbook.

"Oh, wow, I _love_ the picture you drew of me! Can I have it?" Ashido cried.

"Me, too!" Uraraka agreed eagerly, hearts in her eyes as she saw herself sketched in her costume looking fierce and heroic.

"When I finish it," he promised.

"It looks finished to me," Uraraka said, head tilted in confusion. "It's amazing!"

"I still have shading to do." Izuku gently took the sketchbook back. "Trust me. It'll look even better when I'm done."

"That's going to be so sick!" Ashido gave him a high five. "Thanks, prez!"

After everyone had seen the sketch of themselves that he was working on, they filed out of the room and headed to the last two rooms: Todoroki's and Shinsou's. Everyone very carefully tried to ignore Hitoshi's door and instead turned their attention to Todoroki's.

"It's not that interesting," Todoroki warned them as he opened it.

"How the hell did you put in a tatami mat floor?" Sero demanded in awe.

"I'm used to them from home, and it's more comfortable than wood," Todoroki said defensively, crossing his arms.

Todoroki's room was the epitome of traditional. There was the handwoven tatami mat flooring and dark wood furniture. Bamboo was growing in a vase in the corner. Pink orchids sat on his dresser. A paper lantern sat on the floor. He had a beautiful floor desk and chair, which rested directly on the floor with no legs. A single photograph in a large, dark brown frame hung on the wall above his dresser. It was a picture of his sister, brother, mother, and him. They were standing by the window in his mother's hospital room.

"It must have taken a lot of work to put this all together," Kirishima said with a whistle, admiring the floor.

"I had time," Todoroki answered flatly.

"I think it's time for the girls' rooms!" Kaminari cried, flashing the girls an evil grin. "You've judged our styles. Well, now it's your turn!"

"I don't know about this," Jiro complained.

Ignoring her, the boys practically stampeded over to the girls' hallway. The first two rooms turned out to be Uraraka's and Yaoyorozu's. Yaoyorozu flushed pink as she opened her door.

"I didn't quite understand the measurements," she explained in embarrassment.

"Holy shit!" Kacchan exclaimed. "You think?"

An enormous four poster bed in pale purple and soft yellow was pressed against the wall with the window and left only three feet to spare between the other wall. Yaoyorozu had somehow squeezed in a desk and dresser, but the desk chair would hit the bed when she pulled it out to sit in it.

"I've never seen a bed that big," Sero said in awe.

"It was my bedroom furniture from my house!" Yaoyorozu defended herself. "I didn't anticipate the rooms here to be as small as my closet!"

"Wow, you really are rich," Jiro said consolingly as she patted Yaoyorozu's shoulder.

"As big as her closet?" Uraraka said in a shocked whisper. "These rooms are as big as my entire apartment."

Textbooks sat on top of the wide desk along with a state of the art laptop. There was also a quill in a stand as well as a stack of parchment paper. A pastel impressionist painting was framed above the desk. A dresser was shoved in next to the desk. It was pale wood like everything else and had an old fashioned wooden radio and a small white vase with purple flowers on top.

"My room is really boring," Uraraka warned. "Especially after Yaoyorozu's."

Uraraka's room was simple, much like Ojiro's and Kacchan's. She had a bed with a leaf green comforter and matching rug on the floor. There was a low wooden table in the center and a desk in the back corner. An orange pushpin board was hung above her desk. A few pictures and notes were hung up there. She also had a dresser with a small cactus and a picture of her family framed on top. She also had a floor fan.

"I'm going to miss living with Pony," Uraraka said as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head with a smile. "But she promised we'd visit each other, so I guess it'll be okay."

Unlike the boys, the girls were given personal bathrooms attached to their rooms. There were fewer girls, so the builders had enough space to allow it. They weren't able to get in Yaoyorozu's room with the bed taking up the entire space, but Uraraka gave them permission to take a peek. The bathroom had a sink, mirror, toilet, shower stall, and a fairly decent-sized tub. There were a few things on the counter space, but nothing too crazy.

The next rooms were Ashido's and Jiro's.

"Take a look at this!" Ashido exclaimed excitedly.

The window had dark pink and black tiger print curtains. Her bed had a black comforter with dark pink leopard spots. Pink and black striped floor chairs were spaced around a low table that had a pink iPad on it. She had a black desk and a dark pink dresser. A black jewelry box with four drawers sat on top of the dresser along with a mirror that leaned against the wall at a slight angle. A pink-framed cork board was hung above the desk, and she had a few fashion posters on hanging on the walls.

"So much black!" Kaminari said. "I didn't expect it. I thought you'd have more soft, pastel colors based on your costume and the clothes you wear."

"I like it," Ashido said with a shrug. "I'm pretty bright and cheerful, but in my room, I like the black. It helps me to recharge. Plus, that's a part of my personality, too, you know?"

"I get that," Sero said supportively.

She smiled at him.

"My room's a little weird, I think," Jiro said nervously as they gathered at her door.

"It's amazing," Ashido assured them, and as soon as the door opened, Kaminari agreed with a wide-eyed, "This is so cool!"

Somehow Jiro had made the ceiling red and black checkered squares with a white and black checkered boarder on the top of the walls. A huge speaker was propped in the corner. Along the wall were a guitar, bass, keyboard, and a red drum set. Her bed had a dark red comforter. Band posters hung all over the the walls at messy angles. Five different and expensive headphones hung on black metal mesh secured to the wall by her bed, and a tall bookshelf was stuffed full with hundreds of records. She had a turntable and DJ equipment set up in the closet, as there wasn't any space left in the room itself.

"Can you play all of these?" Iida asked in amazement.

"Yeah, at least a little," Jiro admitted shyly.

"That's seriously cool, Jiro!" Uraraka encouraged her. "I love listening to you play."

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "I'm just glad the rooms here have pretty good soundproofing." She knocked on the back wall. "Aoyama's room is on the other side of this wall, but he says he can only hear me if I turn the music up."

Izuku's first thought at hearing this was to think of Kacchan and him in bed. He immediately blushed and hurried out of the room, glaring as Kacchan gave him a knowing smirk.

The next two rooms were the last: Hakgakure's and Asui's. There were two more rooms at the end of the hall, but they were empty.

"My room's just the cutest!" Hagakure said excitedly as she opened her door. "Don't you think?"

Everything was pale pink. She had pink curtains with red cherries on them, a pink floor table with a darker pink bow painted on the top, and a white bed comforter with pink flowers. Two human-sized stuffed animals sat on her bed. Pastel colored triangle streamers were draped over one wall. She had a pale pink dresser with pale blue drawers with yellow stars for handles. A dark pink rug sat on the floor. She also had a light pink desk with a pale yellow chair with a pink laptop and her text books on top. More stuffed animals were on the shelf above her desk.

"Very cute," Ashido assured her.

"So girly," Sero said in awe.

"I don't think I can even walk in there," Ojiro said faintly. "It just feels wrong."

"You had no problem going in ours," Jiro complained, talking about Uraraka's, Ashido's, and her's since they hadn't been able to walk into Yaoyorozu's room.

"Those felt more manly," Kirishima told her. "This actually feels like a girl's room."

It was a compliment, but she didn't think so and stabbed him with the end of her ear jack. He hadn't expected it so he hadn't hardened his skin in time to protect hismelf. He yelped and jumped away from her. Everyone laughed.

Tsu gave a soft ribbit, drawing everyone's attention. "This is really embarrassing," she confessed.

"You don't have to show us if you don't want to," Izuku told her. His eyes swept the group crowded into the hall pointedly. "Right, guys?"

"I understand the need for privacy," Todoroki said sincerely.

"But…" Kaminari began to protest only for Kirishima to elbow him. Oftentimes Kaminari spoke before he thought, and Kirishima didn't want him saying something that hurt Tsu's feelings.

"We can see your room another time when you feel more ready," Uraraka assured her and gave her a hug.

"I don't want to ruin everyone's fun," Tsu said sadly.

"It's not ruined," Izuku promised. "We're going to need your help constructing the blanket fort." He looked at his vice president. "Yaoyorozu, do we have enough blankets, do you think?"

They made their way down the hallway planning the construction of the massive fort. While the others moved all the furniture against the walls to open up a space in the living area, Sero made a bunch of tape and Yaoyorozu made support beams and rope. Tsu climbed the walls and hung from the ceiling to secure the rope up there. Slowly, a patchwork tent began to form. All the while the sound of frying and the smell of Kacchan's cooking filled the space.

"Dinner!" Ashido cried from the kitchen. "Come on, guys! It's amazing!"

They formed a line and dished out rice from the pots before taking a stool around the island counter.

"This is so cool!" Kaminari gushed as he looked at the makeshift tent filling the living room.

"We should turn all the lights off," Hagakure suggested excitedly. "Does anyone have flashlights?"

"Are there enough blankets leftover to sleep with?" Uraraka wanted to know, giggling as she took in the monstrosity.

"I think so," Izuku told her. "Some of us might have to share."

"This is delicious," Sero told Kacchan as he got up to get another serving. "Thanks, Bakugo."

"I'm not always doing the fucking cooking around here," Kacchan said with a scowl. "We should create a schedule."

Iida sat up straighter, an eager look to his eyes. "That's a good idea."

"I'll make a white board and we can hang it in the kitchen. We'll divide all the chores up evenly," Yaoyorozu agreed.

"What sort of chores?" Jiro wanted to know.

Izuku took over. "I think we're good for lunch as we eat in the cafeteria between classes, but we'll need breakfast and dinner planned out. We also need people assigned to dishes. Then there's the living room and kitchen. Aizawa made it clear we wouldn't have maids or cleaners coming in. I'm sure we'll all pick up after ourselves, but we should still dust, clean the windows, vacuum, and mop once a week. The boys should rotate who cleans the boys' bathrooms every week, too. Then there's the laundry. The laundry room downstairs looked big, but we're sharing it with the whole building. I'll get with the class presidents of each class and come up with a schedule so everyone has a fair chance to clean their clothes."

"Oh, wow," Kirishima said with exaggerated shock. "Way to bring the party to a crashing halt, Midoriya."

The elevator dinged.

"My surprise is here!" Izuku cried happily as he hurried to the elevator doors.

Everyone looked around in confusion as Aizawa and Inko stepped into the room. Izuku hugged his mom, happy to see she was bright-eyed and smiling.

"Oh, how cute!" Inko said as she saw the tent of blankets in the living room. "I remember when you loved making blanket forts, Izuku. Of course, they would never stay up unless Katsuki-kun helped you."

Ashido and Uraraka giggled at that.

"Mom," he said smiling, bringing her over to the kitchen, "let me introduce you."

Izuku introduced each of his classmates and then explained that his mother was the dorm matron and would be living in the apartment on the ground floor. Everyone was shocked at first, but Inko explained that she was here for them and could help them with lots of things, like doing laundry if they didn't know how or learning new recipes.

"I'm here if you have any concerns whatsoever," she finished. "And I promise I won't discuss anything we talk about with Izuku."

"I would never ask her to betray your confidences," Izuku said with a shocked look, and he was happy to see the class believed him.

"Bakugo, if you're ready, I'll take you to the gym to test your hands," Aizawa said. He made no comment about the blanket fort.

"I'm ready. Let's fucking do this." Kacchan got up and followed Aizawa and Inko to the elevator.

"We'll do clean up," Ojiro volunteered, gesturing to Shoji and Sato. "You guys get ready for the sleepover."

"Thanks!" Izuku said happily. He went to his room to get in his pajamas and had just changed when there was a knock on the door. Izuku opened it to find Iida on the other side. The teen wore steel gray silk pajamas and black fuzzy socks. A white pillow was tucked under his arm.

"Can I come in? I was hoping we could talk?" Iida asked rather seriously.

Frowning, Izuku held his door open wider. "Of course. What's the matter?"

"Since starting UA, I've realized that I can jump to conclusions that aren't accurate," Iida said in a rush. "But I can't stop thinking about something, and I hope you can forgive me for asking…"

"Iida, calm down." Izuku grabbed Iida's hand and pulled him to the bed, sitting next to him on the edge. "You can talk to me about anything. Don't be nervous."

"Tonight might not be the best night to talk about this. You just got back," Iida said slowly, hiding his eyes behind his glasses. "But I feel deceitful thinking about this and not letting you know."

"Iida." Izuku leaned forward, truly concerned now, and put a hand on his arm. "Tell me."

Iida suddenly met his eyes, his cheeks red. "I had the idea that you and Bakugo… Well, I don't mean to offend you, and I'm sorry for suggesting it, but are you two… I mean…"

Izuku almost wanted to laugh, but a wave of sadness killed the impulse. "Oh, Iida." Straightening, he confirmed his friend's suspicions. "You're not wrong this time. Kacchan and I love each other very much. We've been dating since middle school."

Iida's mouth fell open in shock. "But… but you're…"

"Both boys, yes," Izuku confirmed gently. It wasn't Iida's fault the idea was so shocking. "Uraraka and Todoroki know, too, but we wanted to keep it to ourselves for the most part. I know it will make some people uncomfortable."

Iida just stared at him.

Izuku sighed. "Iida, you're a good friend. I won't think any less of you if you can't accept this at first, but I hope in time you can see that we're just like anyone else in love. It's true," he insisted when he saw the doubt in his friend's eyes. "We share a bond that goes deeper than friendship. We hold each other's secrets and trust each other with everything. I get butterflies in my stomach when I look into his eyes, and I feel whole when we kiss. I want to spend my life at his side. It really is no different."

"But he's so… aggressive," Iida said in confusion. "How can you…?"

Izuku gave his friend a hard look. "I understand you being upset about two boys being together, considering how you were raised. I know it will take time for you to understand, but I won't forgive you for insulting Kacchan, Iida. I know he's abrasive and not everyone's going to like that kind of personality, but he isn't a villain and he isn't cruel. I love him just the way he is."

Iida only looked more confused.

Izuku sighed, deflating. "Look, can we put this on hold? I don't think a single conversation is going to fix anything, and everyone's waiting for us. Let's spend time with the class and be happy that we're all together, okay? Nothing has to change, right?"

Iida didn't answer, but he followed Izuku to the door.

…

Katsuki let off another blast with a scream. Heat and force punched out into the air just as strong as the blasts he'd worked up to at camp. Shaking his hand out, he looked at his palm. The skin was pink, but it wasn't burnt.

"How's it feel?" Aizawa asked, coming up to him.

"Stings a bit, but if I rest a few minutes, it should be okay." Katsuki pulled his shirt up to his face to wipe off the sweat. "Looks like my limit is three of my larger explosions back to back before I need a break. The smaller explosions don't burn me."

"How about flight?" Aizawa looked concerned. "I'm worried your fingers played a part in your control."

Katsuki nodded and placed his hands down by his sides. He let off a blast strong enough to get him into the air but not strong enough to burn him. He angled his hands and blasted forward. As the force dispersed, he dropped down, rolling to absorb the momentum, and coming to his feet. "Feels a little off, but not by much. It won't take long to relearn the balance," he said happily, walking back to his teacher.

Aizawa ruffled his hair as soon as he was in arm's reach. "Impressive as always," he said wryly.

Katsuki gave him a grin.

Aizawa turned and headed toward the gym door, his hands shoved into his pockets again. "Come on. I'll walk you back."

"I think I can make it on my own," Katsuki scowled at his back as he followed.

Aizawa sighed tiredly. "I know, but I have something I want to discuss with you."

Katsuki didn't like the sound of that. "What the fuck now?"

Aizawa sighed again. "I didn't want you worrying about this while you and Midoriya were recovering, but Masaru has been in contact with me since your kidnapping. I have already informed him that you were rescued, but he still wishes to see you. I have made it clear that it will be your decision whether you're ready to communicate with him or not, and he is not to press the matter."

Katsuki scowled down at his feet. He fucking resented the old man for only caring about him once he knew they were biological father and son. It shouldn't have fucking mattered who conceived him! Masaru had been his father since he was born, blood or not, and he'd royally fucked up in that department. Katsuki wanted to forget him completely, but ignoring the asshole felt petty and weak. Katsuki would be damned if he let those fuckheads turn him into something he wasn't, and he wasn't a goddamn coward.

"I'll call him after the exam," he growled angrily.

Aizawa reached out to grab his arm, pulling Katsuki to a stop. "Are you sure?" he asked, dark eyes tight with worry. "You owe him nothing. It's okay to give yourself space if you need it."

Katsuki glared out at the woods. "I'm not looking to start a relationship with the fucker, but I'll call and let him know I'm okay." Suddenly, he faced his teacher, a totally different topic in mind. "Actually, since we're talking, I have a question for my guardian, not my teacher."

Aizawa studied his expression for a long moment before nodding. "Alright."

"Me and Izuku," Katsuki said boldly. "You said not to mess around at school, but now we live here. I don't want to break any rules, so I'm fucking asking. Are you expecting us not to mess around at all?"

Aizawa sighed and rubbed at his face. "As a first year homeroom teacher, I thought I had escaped such questions."

Katsuki couldn't help grinning at the man's discomfort. "Well?"

"Your bedrooms are your own private spaces," Aizawa informed him. "There are no monitoring devices within them. However…" He cast a serious look Katsuki's way. "I would prefer it if you did not have anal sex as the chance of accidentally hurting each other is high, and I will not be pleased if you or Midoriya were unable to train at one hundred percent."

Katsuki blushed a bright red. As much as he respected the hell out of Aizawa for not pulling his punches, it was still embarrassing as fuck. "We're not planning on it," he snapped.

Aizawa sighed in relief this time. "Good." His shoulders relaxed and a smile softened his mouth. "I have to admit, the fact that you asked reassures me that you're mature enough to handle the situation responsibly."

Katsuki lifted an eyebrow. "We fucking know how to be discrete, if that's what you're saying."

Aizawa frowned. "I understand wanting to keep your relationship secret, and if that is what you decide to do, I will support you, but if you ever want to be open about your relationship, let me know, okay? I will help in any way I can. You and Midoriya have a good thing. Anyone would be lucky to have something like that in our lives."

Katsuki felt tears burn his eyes as the horrible memory of his mother calling him a faggot rang in his ears. "Thanks," he said quietly, voice thick.

"Anytime," Aizawa said just as softly.

Aizawa put his arm around Katsuki's shoulders as they continued on to the dorm, and Katsuki didn't shrug him away.

**Chapter end.**

**A/n:** Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


End file.
